From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (April 23, 2023)— California-bred Brickyard Ride was in fine fettle Sunday morning after successfully defending his title in the $100,000 Grade III Kona Gold here on Saturday.
“All good,” trainer Craig Lewis said trackside Sunday morning.
In the 6 ½-furlong Kona Gold, odds-on favorite Brickyard Ride sped to the front under Juan Hernandez and clicked off sharp fractions of 21.77 and 43.92 seconds for the opening half mile. He was being pressed throughout by 9-5 second choice Anarchist, who would prove a stubborn foe in his first graded stakes on dirt for trainer Doug O’Neill.
Brickyard Ride continued to motor in the stretch and held a one length advantage when reaching the eighth pole in 1:08.95. He held well in the final furlong, ultimately crossing the wire a half-length winner in a time of 1:15.84. The effort returned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.
“He’s a warrior. This horse has won 13 races. That’s no easy task,” Lewis said.
Of Brickyard Ride’s 13 wins, eight have come in stakes. That includes last year’s Kona Gold when it was held at the end of May at Santa Anita.
Brickyard Ride is a 6-year-old full horse by Clubhouse Ride out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen. He has now banked $816,977 for owner-breeder Alfred Pais.
Brickyard Ride was making his second start following an approximate 11-month layoff in the Kona Gold. He made his 6-year-old bow here on March 5 in the Grade III San Simeon over the hillside turf course on March 5. Brickyard Ride flashed his customary speed in his comeback but faltered late to finish third.
Heading into the Kona Gold, Lewis openly wondered whether Brickyard Ride may have lost a step as he’s gotten older. That certainly didn’t seem to be the case on Saturday.
“He didn’t train like he had lost anything, but you never know,” Lewis said. “That’s why they run the race. To find out.”
While Lewis said there is nothing on the immediate radar for Brickyard Ride, the veteran trainer has previously stated he would like to make the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which this year is being held at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. Brickyard Ride has never run in the Breeders’ Cup.
Lewis also won Saturday’s first race with California-bred Warrens Candy Girl in an open second-level allowance going a mile on turf. The 5-year-old mare, who is also by Clubhouse Ride, remained last of seven at the eighth pole but then closed with a flourish under Umberto Rispoli to win by a head as the 7-5 favorite.
“It was a fun day,” Lewis said.
Warrens Candy Girl is out of multiple stakes winner Warrens Jitterbug, by Affirmative. She is campaigned by breeders Benjamin and Sally Warren.
With a recent race under his belt, California-bred Brickyard Ride demonstrated his customary speed and considerable class on Saturday at Santa Anita, as he held off a determined Anarchist late to take the Grade III, $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes, becoming only the second horse to register repeat victories in the 38-year history of the race. Owned and bred by Alfred Pais, trained by Craig Lewis and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Brickyard Ride got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.84.
Quick from the gate but anything but lonely on the lead, Brickyard Ride was pressed to the far turn by a threesome comprised of Anarchist, Armagnac and Positivity. Approaching the three furlong pole, Hernandez managed to open up on Anarchist by a length and a half, and this proved to perhaps be the winning move as Brickyard Ride was all-out late to prevail as Anarchist was steadily closing the gap on the money.
“He made a really good move around the three eighths,” said Hernandez. “I felt the pace was really hot, these guys didn’t want to leave me alone. Of course, everybody was trying to win the race, like me. Around the three eighths, he picked it up and that was the signal that he was ready to run. I went ahead and let him open up a couple of lengths and I think that was where he won the race.
“He’s a great horse, it looks like he came back pretty good. Hopefully he can keep improving every race. He has a lot of heart because with these fractions (21.77, 43.92 and 1:08.95)…He is good, he just loves to run.”
Idle since May 29 prior to running third down the hillside turf course in the Grade III San Simeon Stakes March 5, Brickyard Ride, one of three California-breds in a field of five older horses, was off at 4-5 and paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10.
In becoming the first horse to take consecutive runnings of the Kona Gold since Bill Spawr’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winning Amazombie in 2011 and 2012, Brickyard Ride notched his third graded stakes win and his eighth overall stakes victory.
A 6-year-old full horse by Clubhouse Ride out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard picked up $60,000 for his efforts, increasing his earnings to $816,977 while running his overall race record to 25-13-1-3.
“He’s just a wonderful horse,” said Lewis. That half mile was pretty rapid. I got a little concerned but thankfully Juan had a lot of horse when the running started. He’s a fast dude, really fast. Fortunately, I’m blessed with very good help, (my) foreman was great, the groom’s great. My exercise boys are great. My operation is really good and I don’t have to do much but stand around and watch.”
Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Anarchist truly ran too good to lose, finishing 4 ½ lengths in front of stablemate and Cal-bred Positivity. The second choice at 9-5, Anarchist paid $2.40 and $2.10.
Positivity, off at 12-1 with Tiago Pereira, paid $3.00 to show.