Barraza auditions for Breeders' Cup in Shakertown

Vladimir Cerin has been a mainstay on the Southern California circuit for 40 years, but on rare occasions he has ventured east to Keeneland.

“I’ve run here twice; ran one a few years ago,” Cerin said Friday morning, referring to Mongolian Humor, who ran second in an allowance race during the 2019 fall meet.

Owned by longtime clients Holly and David Wilson, Barraza has won his past four starts since Cerin cut him back to sprint distances with the most recent victory coming by 2 3/4 lengths in the San Simeon (G3) at Santa Anita on Feb. 20.

“This is a chance to see if he is good enough and this is where the Breeders’ Cup will be this fall,” Cerin said. “We get to test him against the best grass sprinters in the country.”

Cerin claimed Barraza for $100,000 after his fourth start and immediately put him on the turf and has kept him there.

“He’s an Into Mischief, and they can run on anything,” Cerin said. “His dam (Halo Dolly) was a two-time graded stakes winner on the grass, so we figured it was worth a try.”