CYPRESS, Calif. (Sept. 8, 2018) – Former claimer Shades of Victory turned his first dirt route into a stunning upset in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds at Los Alamitos. Shades of Victory’s win price of $162.60 was the second largest since daytime thoroughbred racing returned to Los Alamitos in 2014. Devils Triangle, who won the fourth race Dec. 11, 2016, holds the record at $185.80. Owned by trainer Reed Saldana and bred by C-Punch Ranch, the 5-year-old son of Thorn Song, out of the Street Sense mare Sensible Girl, has five wins in 17 starts and earnings of $136,449. He is 2-for-5 since Saldana claimed him for $12,500 April 7 at Golden Gate. “Down the stretch I was just hoping he could hold on,” said Saldana. “(Jockey) Martin (Pedroza) rode a great race. We decided to run him here because another race we wanted to run in at Del Mar didn’t fill, so this worked out great. I thought the distance would be to his benefit. One of... ...
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