Bolo back in two weeks for Thunder Road

Bolo returns in an uncharacteristically quick two weeks for Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes for four-year-olds and up at one mile on turf.

The son of Temple City was ninth, beaten only 4 ¼ lengths, in the Grade I Maker’s 46 Mile on Keeneland’s turf course April 14. A five-year-old full horse, Bolo has never been out of the money in six races on Santa Anita’s turf, winning four, three at the mile distance of the Thunder Road.

“It was a non-effort,” trainer Carla Gaines said of the Keeneland experience. “The track was very sandy and loose. It’s just very different from Santa Anita. We had been toying with the idea of running him in the Thunder Road rather than working him, because you don’t get to work on the grass here.

“He came back great, like he hadn’t even run. Hopefully, we’re doing the right thing.”

The field for the Thunder Road: Perfectly Majestic, Kent Desormeaux; Twentytwentyvision, Flavien Prat; Bolo, Mike Smith; Mithqaal, Rafael Bejarano; Fabozzi, Corey Nakatani; Farhaan, Tyler Baze; and Sawyer’s Hill, Martin Pedroza.

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita Derby runner-up Battle of Midway is scheduled to work six furlongs at 7:45 Friday morning under Flavien Prat for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, while two-time champion Songbird, prepping for her four-year-old debut, will work a half-mile Friday with Mike Smith up, according to Jerry Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward . . . Every Saturday and Sunday at Santa Anita, fans can enjoy Family Fun Zone, featuring an Infield full of activities. A special $40 online only discount package includes food for four, two racing programs, two unlimited jumper wristbands, two pony ride vouchers, two face painting vouchers and eight carnival game vouchers. The package can be purchased online at santaanita.com/events.