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BOOZER MAKES LAST CALL A WINNING ONE IN $100,000 SENSATIONAL STAR STAKES;
STEVENS GUIDES GLATT TRAINEE TO HEAD VICTORY WHILE GETTING 6 ½ FURLONGS DOWN HILLSIDE TURF IN 1:13.03
Boozer and Gary Steven (inside)
ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2016)—Third a quarter mile from home, Boozer wheeled three-wide at the top the stretch and was up to win Saturday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes by a head under Gary Stevens. Trained by Mark Glatt and owned by Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Boozer negotiated 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:13.03.
Breaking from post position 10 in a field of 11 older horses bred or sired in California, Boozer sat a comfortable trip early behind pacesetter and eventual runner-up Richard’s Boy and favored Forest Chatter.
“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 favored Forest Chatter) the whole way down the hill and when we crossed the dirt, I pushed the button and he just ground it out.
“I knew when we got to the top of the hill before the race…He was on his toes. He was dancin’ and prancin’ around. He went to the gate very aggressive. I told Mark this morning that I was going to try and put him on the lead or close to it and he just smiled at me.”
A 6-year-old California-bred gelding by Unusual Heat, Boozer cut back in distance from a third place finish in the 1 1/8 miles California Cup Turf Classic here on Jan. 30, and he got his fourth win from eight tries down the hillside turf.
“He comes with his game every time,” said Glatt. “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 wasn’t really concerned about him shortening up. He’s pretty versatile.”
Off at 6-1, Boozer paid $14.00, $6.60 and $4.20. With the winner’s share of $60,000, Boozer increased his earnings to $463,192. His overall mark now stands at 20-6-4-4.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Richard’s Boy broke on the lead from his number eight post and whistled through fractions of 22.01, 44.03 and 1:06.74. Although he repelled a stout challenge from Forest Chatter, he was unable to hold off the winner in the closing strides.
Off at 11-1, Richard’s Boy paid $11.60 and $7.00.
“Last time I rode him, I wasn’t on the lead and I think being on the lead today made all the difference,” said Prat. “He’s so much better on the turf. He did a great job. It’s always sad to get beat by so little, but I don’t have any excuses.”
Ridden by Mike Smith, Forest Chatter, who was undefeated in five hillside tries coming into the Sensational Star, had no apparent excuses other than a lack of recency, as he’d been away since Nov. 22 at Del Mar. Off at 8-5, he finished one length behind Richard’s Boy and paid $3.00 to show.
First post time for a nine-race card tomorrow at Santa Anita is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.
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