Flightofalifetime looks to step up

Syndicated handicapper Bob Ike can be forgiven for a bias favoring Flightofalifetime in the $100,000 Grade III Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds here next Sunday.

Ike is also a managing partner with Brett Lindenbaum in Summit Racing, co-owner of the chestnut Florida-bred colt.

Ike hopes that Flightofalifetime provides Summit, which started 2 ½ years ago and has grown to 13 horses, with its first graded stakes score.

Flightofalifetime, trained by Bob Baffert, comes off a 2 ½-length maiden victory at six furlongs at Santa Anita April 9. He won at second asking for Summit, George Bolton and Mike Shustek’s Majestic Racing Stable.

“Mike Shustek originally bought him after Nick Hines picked him out at the Ocala 2-year-old sale,” said Ike of the $140,000 purchase. “They tried to start him at Del Mar but he had a setback for a few months. We bought in when he started training on the comeback trail in January. Then we brought George Bolton in later.

“He trained like a real good one, and we were confident first time out, but he ran into Maclean’s Music, who won with the highest debut Beyer in 20 years,” said Ike of a second-place finish at Santa Anita March 19.

“He was supposed to win second time out and did,” continued Ike. “He’s been training well since, and even though going from a maiden win to a stake is a big step, we think he has the quality to fit with these.”

Baffert, who trains seven of the 14 nominees for the Barrera, is also considering Hoorayforhollywood and Sinai to join Flightofalifetime for the race. Sinai, fourth in the Harry Henson Stakes April 21, worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:12 Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Runflatout, another Barrera probable from the John Sadler barn, also drilled six furlongs in 1:12 here Sunday. Garrett Gomez, who rode the ridgling to a maiden win first time out in January, returns to ride. Runflatout fizzled after a suicidal speed duel in the San Felipe Stakes March 12.

Bench Points, a two-time stakes winner who finished third in the San Felipe and seventh in the Santa Anita Derby, returns with Rafael Bejarano for trainer Tim Yakteen.

Possibles are headed by Harry Henson winner Ain’t No Other, San Pedro Stakes winner Indian Winter and Generous Stakes runner-up Moment of Weakness.