From Los Alamitos Publicity
CYPRESS, Calif. (Sept. 6, 2017) – Gold Rush Dancer, a dominant winner of the Grade III Longacres Mile last month at Emerald Downs, will seek his first victory at Los Alamitos in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds on Saturday.
The one-mile Johnston, won a year ago by Ambitious Brew, is part of a stakes doubleheader on the third day of the Los Angeles County Fair meet. Seven 3-year-old fillies will get together in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis at six furlongs.
The Lewis is the eighth of nine races while the Johnston will go as the third. Post time Saturday is 2 p.m.
Owned by breeder John Parker and trained by Vann Belvoir, Gold Rush Dancer won the Longacres Mile by 4 ¾ lengths under apprentice jockey Evin Roman, ending a six-race losing streak for the 4-year-old Private Gold colt.
Out of the In Excess mare Dances On Water, Gold Rush Dancer is 6-for-18 with earnings of $510,613. He was third behind Ambitious Brew and Magic Mark in the Bertrando Stakes – at the Johnston distance – in his Los Alamitos debut July 8.
Soi Phet, the defending champion bred by ARCHA Racing, will be seeking his fourth stakes win at Los Alamitos for the Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell and Paul Viskovich.
Trained by Leonard Powell, the 9-year-old Tizbud gelding, who has won 12 of 54 and banked $834,170, captured a pair of local stakes – the Bertrando and Los Alamitos Mile – in 2014 prior to his half-length score in last year’s Johnston.
He Will, who finished eighth of 13 in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap at 11 furlongs on turf Aug. 19, returns to dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. He was bred by Old English Rancho and Berumen.
Owned by a parternship that includes Hollendorfer, All Schlaich Stables LLC, Team Green, Mark Randall and George Todaro, the 5-year-old Cyclotron horse out of the Lear Fan mare Could She has won five of 16 and earned $241,619.
Winless in five races in 2017, He Will, who was supplemented to the Johnston for $1,500, has prevailed twice on the main track, but both of those victories came around one turn. He broke his maiden at first asking at 6 ½ furlongs April 4, 2015, then won a starter allowance by 3 ½ lengths March 31, 2016 going six furlongs.
After a horrid trip in the Grade II San Diego July 22 in which he stumbled at the start and saw Roman lose his irons, El Huerfano will make his first start at Los Alamitos for owners Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber.
Trained by Peter Miller, the 5-year-old Tannersmyman gelding out of the Capsized mare Adriftinthebay and bred by M.A. Douzos has won five of 28 and earned $309,041. Like He Will, El Huerfano was supplemented for $1,500.
Lucky J Lane, bred by Sky Chase Farm, will be looking for his third win in four starts at Los Alamitos.
Trained by Steve Knapp for Charles Ortega, Irene Salas and Leticia Yuzefpolsky, the 6-year-old Lucky J.H. gelding won an optional claimer July 15 at today’s distance and also scored a nose victory over this track during the 2016 LACF meet when trained by Ron Ellis.
Out of the Emerald Jig mare No Peso No Dance, Lucky J Lane has seven wins in 32 attempts and earnings of $354,107.
A 9-1 upset winner on turf Aug. 18, Start a Runnin will try for his third victory on dirt for breeder BG Stables and trainer Hector Palma.
The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred by California stallion Tribal Rule has been unplaced in two starts at Los Alamitos, has won four of 18 and banked $122,630.
From inside out, the field for the 37th running of the E.B. Johnston Stakes: Lucky J Lane, Edwin Maldonado rides, 122 pounds; Start a Runnin, Brayan Pena, 122; Gold Rush Dancer, Evin Roman, 124; Soi Phet, Kent Desormeaux, 124; He Will, Rafael Bejarano, 122 and El Huerfano, Flavien Prat, 124.