Burns stuck to the rail to win the Grade 2 La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar for the first time for trainer Barry Abrams
The three-year-old gelding, Burns, provided trainer Barry Abrams with a special moment when the 48-year-old jockey Patrick Valenzuela held off Lil Bit O’Fun to win the Grade 2 $150,000 La Jolla Stakes at Del Mar on 13 August, 2011.
Trainer Barry Abrams, who is coming out of a surgery for recurring throat cancer, placed in his first victory of the Del Mar Meeting with his 28th career start.
Burns is the son of Unusual Heat, out of Little Hottie by Afternoon Deelites, and the Alfred Pais owned gelding broke his maiden this year in his second attempt at Santa Anita over at a mile on 20 January, 2011.
Burns, since his maiden race, has gone on to race 10 times and the La Jolla Stakes being his 10th race in a single year.
Out of all those starts Burns has manage three wins and the Grade 2 La Jolla Stakes by far hold the most significance over any race he won this year and in his 2 year career.
Jockey Patrick Velanzuela mounted the gelding last time in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar on 20 July, 2011, where the pair was frustrated after a wide trip runner up finish, but the jockey certainly made amends this time around as he kept him on the rail.
The tactics kept the pair near striking distance of the leader, as they closed in from third entering the final furlong, and took on the leader Lil Bit O’Fun, winning the 1 1/16 miles on grass by a neck in the Grade 2 race for the 3-year-olds and over.
The Oceanside Stakes winner Mr. Commons was an early scratch and would have been the favourite to win the race had he not bruised his foot.
The Grade 2 Del Mar Derby seems to be the likely start for the John Shirreffs trained Mr. Commons on September 4, 2011, where most likely he will get to face the La Jolla Stakes winner Burns.
Jockey Patrick Velanzuela has ridden Burns three times now, and since he took the responsibility, the gelding’s performance has taken a dramatic upwards curve.
The jockey has mounted Burns in the last three consecutive starts and the stats speak for themselves, with 2 wins and a runner up finish, it’s the best run the gelding is experiencing for the first time in his career.
Burns lost ground in the Oceanside Stakes which was run at 1 mile and lost the race to Mr. Commons, but this time around there was distance and he loved the distance, held on to deliver the killer blow.
Burns has improved to 4 wins from 12 starts now and has earned $245,838.
Tags: