DABSTER STRETCHES TO 10 FURLONGS IN INAUGURAL LOS ALAMITOS SPECIAL

Bob Mieszerski —-

CYPRESS, Calif. – Dabster will try for his second consecutive stakes win for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert when he faces eight opponents in the inaugural $100,000 Los Alamitos Special Sunday.

The 1 ¼ mile contest for 3-year-olds & up is the eighth of nine races Sunday, the eighth day of the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos. Post time Sunday is 2 p.m. Scheduled post time for the Special is 5:28 p.m.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, Dabster, a 4-year-old son of Curlin and the A.P. Indy mare On a Roll, led throughout to win the Harry F. Brubaker Aug. 22 at Del Mar.

The victory as the 7-10 favorite was the fourth in eight starts for Dabster and increased his earnings to $192,425. The Los Alamitos Special will be his first race beyond 1 1/16 miles and his initial try over this track.

Trainer Phil D’Amato is scheduled to start a pair – Divisor and Ya Gotta Wanna.

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Queen Bee Racing LLC, Divisor comes off an optional claiming victory Aug. 8 The win was the third in 10 starts for the 4=year-old Harlan’s Holiday gelding. Out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Unbridled Ridge, he has banked $81,800.

Ya Gotta Wanna, a 4-year-old Proud Citizen gelding out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Wahoo Gold, has won three of 10 for Mersad Metanovich Bloodstock. Michael House and Aaron Sones.

A $35,000 purchase as a 2-year-old, Ya Gotta Wanna switches to dirt after seven consecutive races on grass. He has a second and third in three tries on the main, the latest coming last Nov. 16 at Del Mar when he was fourth in a $40,000 maiden contest at six furlongs.

Trained by Peter Eurton for Gulliver Racing LLC, Giant Influence has won two of 13 and earned $115,695. The 5-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding out of the Broken Vow mare Sindy With an S will be trying to end a seven race losing streak in the Los Alamitos Special.

The chestnut is winless since springing an 18-1 upset in an optional claimer at eight furlongs June 18, 2017 at Santa Anita.

Fourth in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap on turf Aug. 18, Colonist returns to dirt – a surface on which he has earned two of his three wins – for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

A 4-year-old Pioneerof the Nile colt owned by Stonestreet Stables LLC, Colonist has banked $217,889 in 15 starts. Out of the Bluegrass Cat mare She Cat, the dark bay was fourth behind West Coast in the Grade III Los Alamitos Derby July 15, 2017 in his only previous local race.

Little Scotty will be shortening up a bit in the Special after finishing fifth of seven in the Grade II Cougar II Handicap at 1 ½ miles July 25.

Owned by a partnership that includes Martin Mueller, Harry Pellman, Michael Scott and Lauri Seymour and trained by Vladimir Cerin, the 5-year-old Paddy O’Prado gelding out of the Wavering Monarch mare Hay Jude has won five of 29 and earned $210,743.

He has done most of his running on grass, but has two wins and a second in four races since moving to dirt earlier this year.

Twentytwentyvision will be seeking to end a 15-race losing streak as he returns to dirt for Hronis Racing LLC and trainer John Sadler after finishing in a dead heat for third in a $50,000 claimer Aug. 25.

The 7-year-old son of Pollard’s Vision and the Candi’s Gold mare Miss Alphie hasn’t won since taking the Rolling Green Handicap on the Golden Gate Fields turf Sept. 5, 2016 when he was trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella.

The gelding, who was claimed for $62,500 by his current connections last Nov. 23, has earned $475,438.
The filly India Mantuana makes her first start for owner Richard Bell and trainer Ray Bell after being claimed for $40,000 out of a gate-to-wire win going 11 furlongs vs. her own sex Aug. 22.

The win was the first outside Florida for the 4-year-old daughter of Wilburn and the Tomorrows Cat mare Speed Wagon. Her lone victory on dirt came against $25,000 maidens in her second career start – at five furlongs – June 2, 2016 at Gulfstream Park when trained by Antonio Sano.

Like Little Scotty and Colonist, Engram will be cutting back in distance after an easy score at nearly 21-1 in the Humboldt County Marathon at 1 5/8 miles Aug. 26 at Ferndale.

Owned by Kathleen Dennick and trainer Quentin Miller, the 5-year-old Street Hero gelding out of the Kris S. mare Kristy Beethoven is 2-for-18 and has earned $36,810 while competing exclusively in Northern California.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Special: Twentytwentyvision, Tyler Baze rides, 120 pounds; Little Scotty, Edwin Maldonado, 120; Engram, Franciso Monroy, 120; India Mantuana, Rafael Bejarano, 117; Ya Gotta Wanna, Tiago Pereira, 120; Giant Influence, Alonso Quinonez, 120; Dabster, Joe Talamo, 122; Colonist, Drayden Van Dyke, 120 and Divisor, Santiago Gonzalez, 120.