It's been quite the start to Santa Anita's Classic Meet for longtime trainer Steve Knapp.
Entering Saturday's action, the 66-year-old conditioner has connected at a 26 percent clip with 11 wins from 42 starts to rank fourth in the trainer standings. Last year, through the entirety of the track's six-month Winter-Spring Meet, the Knapp barn won 18 races.
“It's been a great meet,” Knapp said Saturday morning. “I've got more horses and the quality has gone up. That gives me the opportunity to win more races.”
Knapp currently has 54 horses stabled at Santa Anita. Of those, none has caused more of a stir than Bus Buzz.
A California-bred by Stay Thirsty, Bus Buzz debuted last Saturday going six furlongs against state-breds and aired by eight lengths. He blazed the opening half mile in :43.97 and kept right on going when crossing the wire in 1:09.70. The effort earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, which according to Daily Racing Form is the 14th best recorded by a 3-year-old this year.
Knapp said Bus Buzz exited the sterling effort in good order and was ticketed for a state-bred allowance on dirt for his next start.
“From the very first work he showed us he could run,” Knapp said. “Just the way he moved you could see it. Then he just got better and better every work. But I didn't expect that kind of performance. I didn't know if I had him fit enough…but obviously he was.”
Bred by Terry Lovinger, Bus Buzz is out the Bring the Heat mare Lost Buzz, who was a graded stakes winner for Lovinger. He was sent through the 2021 Fasig-Tipton California fall yearling sale where he fetched $97,000 from Thomas Halasz, who campaigns the gelding in partnership with Lovinger and Amanda Navarro.
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