Seven Seek Graded Glory in Lazaro Barrera

The Triple Crown trail didn't work out for much of the Lazaro Barrera (gr. III) field, and all seven entrants will seek their first graded stakes win in the $100,000 seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds May 14 at Santa Anita Park.

Five of the seven entered tried Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) preps, including three Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) runners—Denman's Call (sixth), Smokey Image (seventh), and Iron Rob (eighth).

I Will Score tried the Robert B. Lewis (gr. III, third) and San Felipe (gr. II, sixth). Smokey Image also finished fifth in the San Felipe and Bistraya came in ninth in the Risen Star (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Although they lack two-turn success at the graded level, Iron Rob, Denman's Call, and Smokey Image have shown sprinting ability.

Iron Rob won back-to-back sprint stakes—the Baffle and San Pedro—before the Santa Anita Derby, Smokey Image was a four-time stakes winner sprinting at 2, and Denman's Call finished third behind the top two runners in the Kentucky Derby—Nyquist and Exaggerator—in the seven-furlong San Vicente (gr. II) in February.

Two Barrera entrants were not on the Triple Crown trail, Reddam Racing's 2-year-old stakes winner Mrazek and debut winner Westbrook, who scored in his debut April 17 at Los Alamitos Race Course for trainer Mike Puype and Little Red Feather Racing.  Mrazek, a son of Square Eddie  , has never finished worse than second in five starts, including a standout score in the Graduation Stakes in August at Del Mar, in which he defeated eventual grade I winner and Doug O'Neill stablemate Ralis.