From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (April 27, 2022)—Alfred Pais’ streaking homebred Brickyard Ride seeks his fourth consecutive stakes victory at the current meet as he meets comebacking fellow California-bred Tigre Di Slugo in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita.
Trained by Craig Lewis, Brickyard Ride comes off a scintillating 1 ½ length win versus statebreds going 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in the Sensational Star Stakes on March 20, a race in which the lightning-quick 5-year-old son of Clubhouse Ride carved out splits of 21.20, 42.60 and 1:05.20 en route to a final clocking of 1:11.40.
A 7 ½-length winner of the one mile Tiznow Stakes on Feb. 21, he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in taking the California Cup Sprint by 1 ¾ lengths going six furlongs on Jan. 15. Although he’s faced Cal-breds in his last three starts, Brickyard Ride is a proven commodity in open company, as his four length triumph in last year’s Grade II San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs will readily attest.
Out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride, who was second in last year’s Kona Gold, has six stakes victories to his credit from an overall mark of 21-11-1-2, resulting in earnings of $680,977.
Fresh off a neck win in an ungraded six furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 19, Miles Ahead seeks his fourth consecutive win in what will be his Southern California debut on Saturday. A Grade III sprint stakes six starts back at Gulfstream on July 31 of last year, this hard hitting 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Competitive Edge will be making his first-ever start for trainer Brian Koriner and owner Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable.
Trained by Eddie Plesa, Jr. through 21 starts, Miles Ahead has 11 wins, three seconds and one third place finish with earnings of $435,725.
Idle since April 24 of last year, trainer Mike Puype’s Tigre Di Slugo, a 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Smiling Tiger, has been favored in five out of his seven starts, including a second place finish to Brickyard Ride in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes two races back on March 6, 2021.
Owned by Slugo Racing, Tiger Racing and Mike Puype, Tigre Di Slugo is 8-3-2-1 with earnings of $195,390.
THE GRADE III KONA GOLD STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 4 of 12 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Tigre Di Slugo—Kyle Frey—122
- Strike That—Ramon Vazquez—122
- Brickyard Ride—Juan Hernandez–126
- Strongconstitution—Abel Cedillo—124
- Miles Ahead—Victor Espinoza–126