Claimer Seeking the Sherif Reaches BC Sprint

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No one claiming a horse for $12,500 does so thinking that the horse will participate in a Breeders' Cup race. But that is just what the connections for Seeking the Sherif have accomplished as they prepare the former claimer for the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) Nov. 1.

"He's had to earn his way there," said trainer Ron Ellis at his Santa Anita Park barn. "But he has never trained better, and he loves this racetrack."



Seeking the Sherif races for Steven and Sabina Romo Zolotas and Tim Goodwin. Ellis quickly gives Steven Zolotas credit for the claim last Dec. 28 at Santa Anita.



"Steve just called me up and said he wanted to claim this horsewhat did I think?" Ellis recalled. "The horse had about a year and a half layoff and one that was about nine months. I said it was very, very risky. It's hard to tell off layoffs."



A son of OfficerSeeking Adel, by Seeking the Gold, Seeking the Sherif debuted for owner-breeder Diamond A Racing Corp. and trainer Gary Mandella at 2 in May 2011 at Hollywood Park. He finished eighth and didn't run again until early 2013. He won a $20,000 maiden claiming event at Santa Anita and went on the shelf again until the $12,500 claimer that brought him to Zolotas' attention.



Zolotas and Ellis won a two-way shake for Seeking the Sherif after he won that race by 4 1/4 lengths as the 9-10 favorite.



"When I got him, I was really happy with him," said Ellis.



A compact little gelding, Seeking the Sherif turned out to have plenty of heart. Ellis jumped him up to a $32,000 tag at six furlongs at Santa Anita.



"He ran a huge race," said Ellis. "He ran fast (on the lead) all the way, really tried hard. I was really impressed with his guts and determination in the race. He ran a good second."



That ended Seeking the Sherif's days as a claimer. Ellis found a starter allowance race for him and then three consecutive allowance/optional claimers. He won them all, and by the time Santa Anita's meeting ended in June, Seeking the Sherif had won five races with the one second in six starts.



Seeking the Sherif
Photo: Benoit Photo
Seeking the Sherif.





The circuit moved to Del Mar, with its synthetic Polytrack. Ellis had run through all of Seeking the Sherif's conditions and took a shot in two Del Mar stakes, the July 27 Bing Crosby Stakes (gr. I) and the Sept. 3 Pirate's Bounty Stakes. Seeking the Sherif ran third in both on a surface Ellis feels he didn't like.



"In the Bing Crosby he broke bad for the first time," said Ellis. "He still made a nice run and was only beat two lengths. I think it was a good experience for him. It was the first time he tried to come off the pace."



Eager to return the gelding to the dirt, Ellis next entered him in the Sept. 20 Katella Stakes at Los Alamitos, resulting in a 1 1/2-length victory by 1 1/2 lengths over graded stakes-placed Distinctiv Passion as the 6-5 favorite.



"He's done so well that I've had the Breeders' Cup in the back of my mind for a while," said Ellis. "He's competed with several of the horses that are going to be in there."



Seeking the Sherif doesn't know that claimers don't belong in the Breeders' Cup. The gutsy gelding is bringing a dirt record of seven wins and one second, ranging from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 furlongs.

While others may have more graded race experience, but Seeking the Sherif brings a consistency and a love for Santa Anita that will be hard to match.