As usual, Brickyard Ride set to play ‘catch me' in San Simeon
Amid four consecutive stakes wins in early 2022, Brickyard Ride utilized his quickness to win the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita last March. The victory was typical of Brickyard Ride’s style, which has led to seven stakes wins since the beginning of 2021: He was too fast to catch.
What worked during his 4- and 5-year-old seasons may be equally effective when Brickyard Ride has his 6-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. The competition looks tougher than what he faced in the 2022 Sensational Star, but Brickyard Ride figures to have early command of the $100,000 race.
:: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.
“After a layoff, you don’t know what they will do,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “We hope he comes back to himself and runs a good race.
“He’s ready. Why prolong it? We’re anxious to get started.”
Lewis trains Brickyard Ride for owner and breeder Sonny Pais. Despite a disrupted training schedule caused by inclement weather at times this winter, Brickyard Ride has been ready for a race for “two or three weeks,” Lewis said.
Brickyard Ride is part of a field of eight in the San Simeon, the fifth race on a nine-race program that includes two other $100,000 races – the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course.
Brickyard Ride will be ridden by leading rider Juan Hernandez.
Sumter and Whatmakessammyrun are the other stakes winners in the field.
Sumter won two stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf last February and April and was third after setting the pace in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf Dec. 26.
Trained by Richard Mandella, Sumter is quick at a mile, but is not sharp enough to keep pace with Brickyard Ride in a sprint. Sumter closed from third to win a five-furlong maiden race on turf at Del Mar as a 2-year-old in 2021.
Whatmakessammyrun is a threat from off the pace. He won the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course in October. Whatmakessammyrun was a fast-closing second in the Stormy Liberal Stakes at five furlongs on Dec. 2 at Del Mar and sixth of 10 as the 7-2 second choice in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course Dec. 31 in his most recent start.
The turf course was rated good for the Hernandez. Trainer Mark Glatt is hoping for firmer conditions Sunday.
“He didn’t run his race,” Glatt said. “He does not like it when the course is a little wet. The course was a little wet that day.”
Motorious can be a factor in the stretch. He was second with a troubled trip in the restricted Clocker’s Corner Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 29, closing from last of seven. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Motorious won his two previous starts, both allowance races for turf sprinters, including a 3 1/4-length win on the hillside turf course Jan. 2.
Baffle Stakes
After finishing third and second in two stakes for turf milers at the end of 2022, First Peace will have his hillside debut and first start of the year in the Baffle Stakes.
The Baffle Stakes drew a field of 10 and is likely to be run at a hot pace. Helladic, Johannes, Kingdom Heart, Sharp Aza Tack, and Wizard of Westwood have shown speed in their brief careers. Should a few of them engage in a tussle for the lead, the stalkers First Peace, Hawker, Malibu Coast, and Mi Hermano Ramon could benefit.
The Baffle is the career debut of Golden Sombrero, the first foal to race out of the four-time sprint stakes winner Take Charge Paula.
First Peace, who will be ridden by Mike Smith for Glatt, was second by a half-length in the Eddie Logan Stakes on Dec. 30 after leading briefly in the stretch.
“I think the down the hill layout will fit him,” Glatt said. “I would expect him to run very well.
“I would expect a tracking trip. There are two or three or four that are going to be quicker early on. I don’t think he’ll be far from the pace.”
The Baffle is the stakes debut for Hawker, a $675,000 yearling purchase who closed from third to win a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on the flat turf course Jan. 21.
“He’s breezing really well,” trainer John Sadler said. “He’s versatile. He’ll probably lay a little off the speed.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.