Wong shippers figure in opening-day races
While most of the Southern California circuit heads north after closing day at Del Mar, two key shippers from Northern California will head south for opening day of the three-week Los Alamitos daytime meet that begins Friday.
Her Perfect Vision and Silver Claim, Golden Gate-based runners trained by Jonathan Wong, are early contenders in the top races Friday as Los Alamitos returns to the autumn calendar after a one-year hiatus.
Her Perfect Vision makes her career debut against locally based Shemakescents and Blue Wildcat in race 2, a sprint for California-bred maiden 2-year-old fillies. Silver Claim, a $4,000 claiming sprinter with a five-race win streak, meets locals Joe Don Looney and Tribal War Chant in race 7, an entry-level California-bred allowance sprint.
First post is 1 p.m. at Los Alamitos, where the $2 pick six on the final six races remains jackpot-free. Thankfully, the Los Al pick six offers a traditional split – 70 percent to perfect tickets or carryover, 30 percent to consolations. The menu also includes a 14 percent takeout pick five with a 50-cent minimum on the first five races
The most probable winner Friday is likely favorite Paint Me Lucky in race 1, while the competition is deeper in race 2. Wong-trained Her Perfect Vision may or may not be the one to beat in the maiden race for California-bred fillies.
“I don’t think she’s 100 percent cranked,” Wong said. “We want to give her a race and hopefully see where she’s at. My filly can run, she trains like she’s going to be okay.”
Perhaps she is not there yet, despite a win-early pedigree and sharp five-furlong works at Golden Gate. Owned and bred by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Her Perfect Vision is sired by the promising first-crop stallion Stanford, whose progeny are 4 for 16 first out.
Her Perfect Vision and jockey Abel Cedillo might win anyway, though bettors may agree with Wong that a pair of locals look formidable. Blue Wildcat “looks like she’s going to be tough, and [Shemakescents], with a race under her belt, are the two,” Wong said.
Shemakescents dueled three wide before tiring to fourth in her career debut at Del Mar for trainer Phil D’Amato. Blue Wildcat has posted a series of fast works at Los Alamitos for trainer John Sadler.
The maiden race and featured seventh both are at 5 1/2 furlongs. A sharp horse moving up in class is the one to catch in the California-bred allowance. Silver Claim, a $4,000 claim by Wong two back, has won five straight, including a dominating starter-allowance win last time on turf. He will be racing on dirt for the first time since spring 2020.
“I don’t think dirt’s going to be a problem, I just don’t know if he can handle the step up in class,” Wong said. “It’s a lot tougher race than what he’s been running in. He’s a really fast horse, and last time he won easy.”
The speed of the speed, Silver Claim will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.