Clubhouse Ride's Future is Up in the Air

The future of Clubhouse Ride remained undecided Monday morning, more than a week after he finished ninth and last by more than 40 lengths behind Shared Belief in the San Antonio Invitational on Feb. 7.

“They’ve run a bunch of tests on him to make sure he’s got good sperm,” said Craig Lewis, who trains the 7-year-old Candy Ride horse for owners Murray Seidner (Six-S Racing Stable) and Nikolas Petralia.

“There are several offers on the table, so we don’t know what’s going to happen at this point. Should there be any problem with the sperm count, or the money, or they decide not to do the stud deal themselves, then he’ll be back (racing), because he had a minor injury.

“The owners are considering a lot of offers but they don’t know if they want to keep him or sell him.”

Clubhouse Ride, a two-time winner of the Grade II Californian Stakes, was second in the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita last June 28. The chestnut bred in Kentucky by Sidney and Jenny Craig has a 5-9-2 record from 43 starts, with earnings of $1,341,132.

BOOZER GOES FROM LONG TO SHORT SATURDAY
Boozer, a versatile and consistent son of Unusual Heat, goes from third and long to first and goal when he runs in Saturday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for older California-bred or sired horses at about 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

The 5-year-old gelding trained by Mark Glatt for Al and Sandee Kirkwood is coming off a sharp second to streaking stakes winner Alert Bay in the California Cup Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 24. Two races earlier, the pace-favoring Boozer won the California Flag Handicap for state-breds on the downhill turf course.

“He runs really well down the hill,” Glatt said. “Maybe it’s not ideal going from a mile and an eighth to 6 ½ down the hill, but I want to take advantage of the Cal-bred program. The horse is doing well, so we’ll give it a shot.”

FINISH LINES: Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, recovered from a hind foot abscess that surfaced after that race, forcing him to miss the San Antonio Invitational on Feb. 7, breezed three furlongs for Bob Baffert Monday in 36.60. A finalist for Horse of the Year, it was Bayern’s first recorded workout since early last month . . . Kudos to Matt Ascanio, 33-year-old son of former trainer and long-time Bobby Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio, on winning his first race as an agent after a month in the business. Matt booked Christian Aragon on Fast Mast, who posted a half-length shocker at a $115.80 win payoff in Sunday’s seventh race for trainer Mike Harrington . . . Galicado, unbeaten in three starts in his native Argentina by a combined margin of 21 ½ lengths, worked six furlongs on the main track Monday morning in 1:12.60 for Ron McAnally, who plans to run the son of Asiatic Boy in the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai on March 28. “The horse was sent to me during the Del Mar summer meet,” said McAnally, whose proclivity with South American imports is a matter of record . . . When Lucky J Lane won yesterday’s fourth race, it marked back-to-back victories for the California-bred gelding, giving trainer Richard Baltas another double. Unusual Fleet also posted consecutive victories when he won Saturday’s fifth race . . . Bob Baedeker has resigned his position as consultant and racing manager for Live Your Dream Racing Stables, effective yesterday. Baedeker cited differences with LYD founder Don Palmer over the future of the partnership. “I wish Don and Live Your Dream well,” Baedeker said. “Don is focused on the breeding end of the business now while I am anxious to acquire horses ready to run. I will be using my energies to grow my racing management business, Mr. B., LLC.” . . . Apprentice jockey Brandon Boulanger has been suspended three racing days (Feb. 28, March 1 and 5) for causing interference on Aguacita in Saturday’s sixth race . . . Congrats to Zoe Metz, Santa Anita’s Interactive Media Coordinator and an accomplished photographer, who celebrates her 19th birthday today . . . Santa Anita will be dark this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but will be open for simulcast wagering Thursday when there will be free parking and free Grandstand admission. Live racing resumes Friday at 1 p.m.

Source: Ed Golden, Santa Anita Stable Notes