Southern California trainer Craig Lewis was weighing his options.
Three days ago, they packed a preponderance of poundage.
Then the smoke cleared, Santa Anita entries were taken Friday morning and the Los Angeles native, who began his accomplished training career 44 years ago, made his decision on which horses to enter where.
He had two horses nominated to one of Monday's Presidents' Day features, the $100,000 Tiznow Stakes, they being Brickyard Ride and Warren's Showtime.
The Tiznow is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses, restricted to 4-year-olds and up at a mile.
“I could run one, maybe both, maybe neither,” Lewis said on Wednesday, two days in front of entry time for Monday's races while keeping the door wide open for Brickyard Ride, a 5-year-old full horse and winner of nine of 19 starts, and Warren's Showtime, a 5-year-old mare, winner of eight of 25 races who would have been making her first start against males.
In the end, Warren's Showtime was not entered, leaving the Tiznow assignment to the lightning quick Brickyard Ride. “We don't know if Brickyard Ride can go two turns, so that's the issue there.
“We've been attempting to try it, and we still might, but with Flightline out of the San Carlos (presented by Fan Duel on March 5), that race became more interesting for us, and Brickyard Ride won it decisively last year (by four lengths in typical front-running fashion).”
A chestnut horse owned and bred by Alfred Pais, Brickyard Ride has raced beyond seven furlongs only once, failing to finish at a mile on turf when he ducked through rail late in an overnight race on Jan. 17, 2020.
Owned by Benjamin and Sally Warren, Lewis allowed as to how “Warren's Showtime is a pretty nice filly and she'd have been running against colts, but I think she'd be competitive in (the Tiznow).
“However, I'm weighing the opportunities for her on March 5, to run in the (Grade 2) Buena Vista at a mile on the grass for fillies and mares, or the (Grade 1) Beholder (Mile on dirt) for fillies and mares. She has earned more than $800,000 ($843,431) and I'm hoping to make her a millionaire by year's end.
“I had options for both horses. It's a nice situation to be in, yet was a bit difficult,” he said, concluding with a Yogi-ism: “You never know if you made the right move until you make it.”
The Tiznow, which goes as race eight Monday with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Seattle Bold, Umberto Rispoli; Peaceful Transfer, Edwin Maldonado; Wilder Than Most, Flavien Prat; Brickyard Ride, Juan Hernandez; and Touchdown Brown, Kyle Frey.
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