Two more Los Alamitos track records fall Thursday

CYPRESS, Calif. – Track records do not last long at Los Alamitos this year.

In a little more than 90 minutes on Thursday, Bernster and Sweet Marini lowered the marks for two sprint distances.

Bernster, one of the last runners by the legendary stallion Storm Cat in training, ended a layoff of nearly three years with a win in a maiden race over six furlongs in 1:08.18 in the fourth race. In the seventh race, Sweet Marini ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.95.

The times were the fastest for the new Los Alamitos main track, which was expanded to a circumference of slightly less than a mile last winter. Race meetings were held in July and September before the current three-week meeting. There have been 203 races run on the new track this year through Thursday.

Bernster and Sweet Marini are owned by Kaleem Shah and trained by Bob Baffert. The two runners have another common link. Tim Grande, the official veterinarian at Los Alamitos who studies pedigrees, pointed out Friday that Bernster and Sweet Marini are closely related.

Bernster is out of Halo America, a multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire in the 1990s. Sweet Marini is by the California-based stallion Marino Marini, a full brother to Bernster.

In recent months, track-record performances from Bernster and Sweet Marini would have seemed unlikely.

Bernster, purchased for $320,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale, was second in his debut at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, 2011. That was followed by a sequence of ailments that kept him off the track until Thursday.

“He didn’t have anything major,” Baffert said. “We’d bring him back, and something would come up. He never needed any surgery. Hopefully, all that is behind him now.”

Bernster’s time lowered the previous mark of 1:08.40 set on Sept. 20 by Seeking the Sherif in the Katella Stakes. Bernster was ridden by Martin Garcia on Thursday. Always near the front, Bernster took the lead on the turn and won by 1 1/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite.

“He ran hard, and he ran fast,” Baffert said. “He’d been working really well. That’s why we hadn’t given up on him.”

Sweet Marini was purchased privately by Shah after a win in her debut at Santa Anita in November 2012. She has won 3 of 10 starts since then, including the Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar in July 2013. Thursday’s win ended a five-race losing streak since the Fleet Treat.

Sweet Marini, ridden by Garcia, raced near the front throughout and won by 3 1/2 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. She beat the previous record of 1:02.51 set by Senator Bob in an $8,000 claiming race in July.

There have been three track records set at this meeting. On Dec. 6, the Baffert-trained Tiz Midnight won the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes over 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.62, lowering the previous mark of 1:41.84 set by Legacy in the Cypress Stakes in July.

Futurity candidates

The Los Alamitos December meeting continues through Dec. 21, and the richest race of the meeting is the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity over 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 20.

The candidates are led by the unbeaten Dortmund, the winner of an optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29; and Mr. Z, who was second in the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes in Louisiana on Nov. 22. Other candidates include Bench Warrant, Calculator, Firing Line, No Problem, and Pioneer of the West.

◗ The main tracks at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita were closed Friday because of overnight rain. A strong rainstorm hit the Los Alamitos area before dawn Friday, and rain continued through the early morning. Trainers reported that there was no power in the Santa Anita stable area Friday.

On Thursday at Santa Anita, there were 184 timed workouts on the main track. There were 57 at Los Alamitos on Thursday. Trainers may need to dodge the weather in the coming days. More rain is expected Monday and Tuesday.