Brickyard Ride Goes Back-to-Back in Kona Gold

With a recent race under his belt, California-bred Brickyard Ride  demonstrated his customary speed and considerable class April 22 at Santa Anita Park, as he held off a determined Anarchist  late to take the $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3), becoming only the second horse to register repeat victories in the 38-year history of the race.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais, trained by Craig Lewis, and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Brickyard Ride zipped 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.84.

"He's a fast dude, really fast," Lewis said.

Quick from the gate but anything but lonely on the lead, Brickyard Ride was pressed to the far turn by a threesome comprised of Anarchist, Armagnac  and Positivity . Approaching the three-furlong pole, Hernandez managed to open up on Anarchist by 1 1/2 lengths, and this proved to perhaps be the winning move as Brickyard Ride was all out late to prevail as Anarchist was steadily closing the gap on the money. Brickyard Ride was reluctant to switch leads until late in the stretch.

"Around the three-eighths (pole), he picked it up and that was the signal that he was ready to run," Hernandez said. "I went ahead and let him open up a couple of lengths and I think that was where he won the race.

"He's a great horse, it looks like he came back pretty good. Hopefully he can keep improving every race. He has a lot of heart because with these fractions (:21.77, :43.92, and 1:08.95)...He is good, he just loves to run."

Idle since May 29 prior to running third down the hillside turf course in the San Simeon Stakes (G3T) March 5, Brickyard Ride, one of three California-breds in a field of five older horses, was off at 4-5 and paid $3.60 to win. He was reluctant to switch leads until late in the stretch.

"He had a few surgeries and a lot of stuff going on," Pais said. "We just did everything we could do to get him good—the therapies and everything it took. He hasn't missed a beat since he's come back."

In becoming the first horse to take consecutive runnings of the Kona Gold since the Bill Spawr-trained Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)-winning Amazombie  in 2011 and 2012, Brickyard Ride notched his third graded stakes win and his eighth overall stakes victory.

A 6-year-old horse by Clubhouse Ride  out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride picked up $60,000 for his efforts, increasing his earnings to $816,977 while running his overall race record to 13-1-3 in 25 starts.

"He's just a wonderful horse," said Lewis, who praised his staff for their efforts with Brickyard Ride. "That half mile was pretty rapid. I got a little concerned but thankfully Juan had a lot of horse when the running started."

Trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Anarchist was a clear runner-up, finishing 4 1/2 lengths in front of stablemate and fellow Cal-bred and show finisher Positivity.