Zestful fits well in Los Alamitos Special

CYPRESS, Calif. – Zestful, unbeaten in five starts since late April, would seem to be an unlikely candidate for Sunday’s $100,000 Los Alamitos Special.

His winning streak consists of four starter allowance races and a $40,000 claimer at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on July 4, the day he was claimed by Mark Glatt.

Glatt said he tried to claim Zestful for $16,000 at Golden Gate Fields on March 21, when the 4-year-old gelding finished second. Zestful has not lost since.

“He’s been a model of consistency,” Glatt said.

After being claimed for $40,000, Zestful won a starter allowance for $16,000 claimers at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 8 for the partnership of Danny Haramoto, Sheldon Kawahara, Steve Sobol, and Glatt. Following that race, the Los Alamitos Special became an option.

“This race became available,” Glatt said. “It seems like a pretty good spot. He looks like he’s a big fit in the race.”

The Los Alamitos Special, the richest race of the three-week Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos, is restricted to horses that have not won a first-place purse of $50,000 or more in a stakes at a mile or over. Only five runners were entered.

Only Acker has run in a stakes this year, finishing third in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita in March. Trained by Peter Miller, Acker was third in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Sept. 2.

All five runners have run in claiming races this year, and four were claimed earlier this summer.

Glatt said Zestful’s eligibility in starter allowance races made him an attractive claim.

“It seemed like too much money at the time,” Glatt said of the $40,000 claiming price. “When I claim a horse, I’m a big believer in what the horse can earn.”

The Los Alamitos Special is run at 1 1/4 miles. Zestful won a 1 1/2-mile turf starter allowance at Golden Gate on May 12. French Getaway won an allowance race at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita in 2017, Soul Beam was fifth in an allowance race at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Churchill Downs in 2018, and Meistermind won a maiden race at 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Glatt scratched Zestful from the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar on July 24, 20 days after claiming him.

“We felt it was a little too quick back for him,” Glatt said.

Zestful, who will be ridden by Joe Talamo, is likely to be on the front. Glatt says Zestful can be comfortable on the lead and is not concerned about the extended distance.

“He’ll go a long way,” he said. “Sometimes, those horses outrun their ability and can do things in stakes races at marathon-type of distances.”

The race nearly did not draw sufficient entries. Glatt supplemented Meistermind for $2,000 when entries were taken on Thursday to ensure five entrants. Meistermind won a $12,500 claiming race for non-winners of two at Los Alamitos on Sept. 7, the day he was claimed by Glatt and John Xitco.

“He’s a horse that won’t have any problems with the distance,” Glatt said. “I don’t think it’s crazy to think he’ll run third or fourth.”