By DRF.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2016) – Boozer caught Richard’s Boy in the final strides to win his first stakes in 16 months in Saturday’s $102,070 Sensational Star Handicap for Golden State Series eligibles at Santa Anita.
Boozer ($14) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:13.03. Boozer had endured a seven-race losing streak since winning the 2014 California Flag Handicap for state-breds on the hillside turf course in October, 2014.
Boozer, a 6-year-old gelding by Unusual Heat, has won 6 of 20 starts and earned $461,192. Owned by Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Boozer has had three starts at this meeting, finishing fifth in an optional claimer on dirt on Jan. 3, and third in the $251,000 California Cup Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Jan. 30.
Boozer was bred by Abrams, Loverso, Perez, Huston Racing and Auerbach and he gave jockey Gary Stevens his seventh stakes win of the winter-spring meeting. He leads all riders in that category, three of clear Flavien Prat.
“He loves this turf course,” said Stevens. “He runs well off the hill even though he hasn’t run off it for a while. Mark had him sharp today and he broke real sharp. I just followed Mike (Smith, aboard Forest Chatter) the whole way down the hill and when we crossed the dirt, I pushed the button and he just ground it out. He’s a lot of fun to ride, he’s a true professional.”
Stevens had Boozer within stalking range throughout, running in fourth place on the hillside. Crossing over the main track onto the turf oval, Boozer was third, about 2 1/2 lengths behind pacesetter Richard’s Boy. With a furlong to go, Richard’s Boy led by a length, but he could not hold off Boozer, who won by a head.
“At the eighth pole, I could see he had a chance,” winning trainer Mark Glatt said. “He comes with his game every time. Sometimes they’re a little bit better than him and sometimes we’re running him at a distance that he’s not at his best, because he’s a good Cal-bred, and to run against Cal-bred company, sometimes the distances fluctuate a little bit. I think a mile, a mile and a sixteenth are his best distances, a mile and an eighth is a hair too far, and he runs good down the hill. I wasn’t really concerned about him shortening up. He’s pretty versatile.”
Richard’s Boy, who won the Desert Code Stakes on the hillside turf course last May, held second, a length in front of 8-5 favorite Forest Chatter. The Sensational Star was Forest Chatter’s first loss on the hillside turf course in his sixth career start on the surface.
McHeat finished fourth, followed by Alert Bay, Pat the Fine, Lucky J Lane, Poshsky, Aotearoa, Image of Joplin and Solid Wager.
Glatt said the Cal Cup Turf Classic distance was beyond Boozer’s ideal trip. He plans to start Boozer in races on the hillside or a mile on turf in coming starts.
“He’s definitely paid his way for us,” said Al Kirkwood. “We’ve had a lot of fun with him. He’s always competitive. He’s hardly ever off the board. He won a hundred -grander coming down the hill before (California Flag Handicap, Oct. 18, 2014). We ran him a mile-and-an-eighth last time, he ran third behind some real good horses, so we decided he had a little extra wind for this race and he sure did. Gary did a good job riding him and Mark Glatt’s done a good job training him.”