Ten promising 3-year-olds will vie for their first graded stakes win in the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park May 24.
Triumphant Flight, Backbackbackgone and Charlie's Moment figure to be among the favorites in the seven-furlong Barrera, to be contested on Cushion Track. Two undefeated sons of Aldebaran (Canonize and Carbonite) should also attract attention, as will Zayat Stables' flashy maiden winner Zensational.
Triumphant Flight, with three wins and three seconds in six starts, upset a six-horse field while leading gate to wire in the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes March 28 at Santa Anita.
Trained by Eric Kruljac for owner Tyler Seltzer, the California-bred son of Chullo also won the Barretts Juvenile last September and is coming off a runner-up showing in the 1 1/8-mile Snow Chief Stakes for state breds on the Gold Rush program at Hollywood April 25. In his only other start on Hollywood's main track, the dark bay colt broke his maiden at first asking.
Charlie's Moment ran second in the San Miguel, a half-length behind Triumphant Flight. He followed that effort with a fourth-place finish in Santa Anita's one-mile La Puente Stakes April 11, his turf debut.
Trained by Walter Solis, the Indian Charlie gelding has two stakes victories to his credit -- at Golden Gate Fields and Fairplex -- and placed third in both Del Mar's Best Pal (gr. II) and Hollywood's Real Quiet as a 2-year-old.
Backbackbackgone won his turf debut in the six-furlong Harry Henson in his last start for trainer Peter Miller on opening day at Hollywood April 22. The versatile Florida-bred son of Put It Back has won three sprint stakes over different synthetic surfaces as well -- at Golden Gate, Santa Anita and Hollywood.
Owned by Gerson Racing and partners, the chestnut colt has won five of his seven starts.
Mercedes Stable homebred Carbonite, victorious in his first two starts at Golden Gate Fields this year, will be ridden by Chad Schvaneveldt for trainer Dennis Patterson. The Kentucky-bred colt broke in with a 2 1/2-length maiden victory March 14 and then captured a first-level optional claiming allowance race by a half-length April 11. Both wins were at six furlongs.
Canonize, a facile 2 1/2-length allowance winner over six furlongs at Hollywood on May 3, began his career with a three-length triumph against maidens a month earlier.
“He should love seven-eighths,” said trainer Ron Ellis, who conditions Canonize for for Jay Em Ess Stable.
Bob Baffert saddles Zensational, who finished second in a one-mile allowance race March 27 after opening a 10-length lead on the backstretch as the 1-5 favorite. The Unbridled's Song colt romped to victory in a six-furlong maiden test prior to that.
Quindici Man defeated Zensational in March for trainer Craig Lewis and came back April 26 with a fast-closing runner-up effort, finishing a half-length behind Cape Truth.
Position A, a third horse in the race sired by Aldebaran, ran second to Backbackbackgone in the Henson for Richard Mandella and owner B. Wayne Hughes.
All Saint won the California Breeders Championship at Santa Anita Dec. 26.
Bet On Victor was supplemented for $2,000 by trainer Vladimir Cerin. Garrett Gomez will ride the gelding, who broke his maiden first time out at Hawthorne Park in December. In two California starts since, he finished second at Santa Anita March 11 and sixth at Hollywood on April 26.
$100,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III, Race 8, 4:30 p.m.), 3-Year-Olds, 7 Furlongs (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight
1. Quindici Man (KY), J Rosario, 117
2. Canonize (KY), J Valdivia, Jr., 117
3. All Saint (CA), M Garcia, 121
4. Zensational (KY), M E Smith, 115
5. Charlie's Moment (FL), A O Solis, 119
6. Triumphant Flight (CA), J Talamo, 121
7. Backbackbackgone (FL), R Bejarano, 119
8. Carbonite (KY), C P Schvaneveldt, 117
9. Position A (KY), V Espinoza, 115
10. Bet On Victor (KY), G K Gomez, 115