CA-Bred Over Par is an Outsider in California Flag
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Over Par will be an outsider when he shortens up from six straight races at a mile or longer in Monday’s Columbus Day feature, the $100,000 California Flag Handicap at about 6 ½ furlongs on turf. The race is one in a series for California-bred or sired horses, this one for three-year-olds and up.
“It’s a Cal-bred stake coming down the hill and he’s doing well,” Doug O’Neill said in explaining the decision to enter the 3-year-old son of Square Eddie owned by Reddam Racing.
“Timing-wise it fits his schedule, and it’s one of the big advantages of being a Cal-bred. You can run for one of these large purses in a race restricted to Cal-breds, so we’ll see what we can do.”
The California Flag, which goes as race four: Ambitious Brew, Gary Stevens, 9-5; Rock Me Baby, Edwin Maldonado, 3-1; K Thirty Eight, Alex Solis, 8-1; Somethings Unusual, Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1; Bold Fantasy, Corey Nakatani, 12-1; Forest Chatter, Mike Smith, 8-5; and Over Par, Mario Gutierrez, 20-1.
TRAINER HAPPY AT SAN LUIS REY DOWNS, TRELA, TRELA
Rosemary Trela is one of countless trainers flying under the radar in a game that can be trying, time-consuming and thankless all in the same breath: training Thoroughbreds.
But the 56-year-old Seattle native wouldn’t want to do anything else, and she has dabbled in other endeavors, including nursing.
She’s back at her first love, and although she has but five horses at San Luis Rey Downs where’s she’s been training since February, she’s batting a thousand at Santa Anita.
She won with her only starter, favored Dragon Flower (owned by Joe Schneider), who captured the eighth race on Oct. 1 by nearly two lengths at $6.80 under Alonso Quinonez. The winner’s purse was $20,160, light years from a Breeders’ Cup pay day, but Rose, as she prefers to be called, will take it.
“I worked for Ed Moger for a number of years, but at the time thought I wouldn’t become a trainer, so I turned to nursing. Later, some people talked me into training again, and I’ve been doing that for close to 20 years.
“I’m from Seattle, but lived in Southern California most of my life, 40-plus years. I think one reason for my success is due to my background with show horses. I think that makes a difference. I can do most everything myself.
“I have no groom, pretty much rub my own horses and tack them up,” said Trela (pronounced TRELL-ah). I love it at San Luis Rey. It’s a wonderful facility, but with five horses, it’s not like Peter Miller, who has a hundred horses here, or Phil D’Amato, who has 70, or Richard Baltas, who has his second string here.
“I have a little boutique stable; you get to know your horses better that way.”
Who said there’s safety in numbers?
FINISH LINES: Santa Anita Handicap winner Shared Belief continues to progress towards his return to the races after suffering a hip injury in the Charles Town Classic last April. “He’s going to gallop a few days (at the Pegasus Training & Equine Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, Washington) and when I get back from Kentucky after Breeders’ Cup I’m going to bring him to Golden Gate and starting training him, if he’s ready to do that,” trainer Jerry Hollendofer said . . . Grade I winners Big Macher and Wild Dude, bound for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Oct. 31, worked on Santa Anita’s fast main track Sunday, Big Macher going six furlongs for Richard Baltas in 1:12.40 under Rafael Bejarano and Wild Dude going four furlongs for Hollendorfer in 51.80. Baltas said he was “very happy” with the work . . . Multiple graded stakes winner Obviously worked five furlongs on a firm turf course in a bullet 1:00.20 for Phil D’Amato, while Rodeo Drive runner-up Elektrum went the same distance in 1:00.80 for John Sadler, who is preparing the Irish-bred daughter of High Chaparral for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf onOct. 30 . . . Experience in the saddle won’t be lacking when Richard Mandella runs Dreamologist and Majestic Heat in next Saturday’s Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes for three-year-old fillies at one mile on turf. The Hall of Fame trainer has booked fellow Hall of Fame members Mike Smith to ride Dreamologist and Gary Stevens to pilot Majestic Heat . . . With the 19-day Autumn Meet half over, Bejarano was in a familiar spot in the jockey standings: first place, while Hollendorfer (six wins), Peter Eurton (five) and Peter Miller (four) were the top three among trainers . . . Jockey Brice Blanc’s two wins Saturday were both on the main track, giving the 42-year-old Frenchman three victories in the last two days. “It has been a good weekend so far,” said his agent, Aaron Hesz. “Brice has been pigeon-holed as a patient grass rider, but he has been far more aggressive of late and it’s paying off for him. If he gets the right horse, he can perform well.” . . . Santa Anita offers holiday racing tomorrow, Columbus Day. Fans can enjoy Dollar Day, with beers, hot dogs and sodas available at a buck apiece . . . Little wonder the Mets gained a road split with the Dodgers in their National League Division Series. They’ve got the Old Testament going for them in Jacob (deGrom) and Noah (Syndergaard), their starting pitchers in the first two games.
Source: Santa Anita Park
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