Magic Mark at his favorite track for Bertrando Stakes

Magic Mark is home with trainer Ron Ellis at Santa Anita, but many of the 7-yearold’s best races have occurred more than 30 miles away at Los Alamitos.

In three starts at Los Alamitos, all in stakes, Magic Mark has never been worse than third, and he won the 2015 Bertrando Stakes for Californiabred milers. Last September, he was second to Soi Phet in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for Calbred milers.

That record makes Magic Mark a contender in Saturday’s $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Magic Mark has been fifth in his last three starts – the Cary Grant Stakes for Cal-breds at Del Mar last November, the Tiznow Stakes for Cal-breds at Santa Anita on Feb. 26, and the Santana Mile against open company on April 1.

The Santana Mile was won by Collected, who later won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita.

“He was way overmatched in that race,” Ellis said. “I tried to get him in an allowance about a month ago, and the race didn’t fill. I was left without a race.”

Magic Mark races for Dorine and John Lanza. In the Bertrando Stakes, Magic Mark will no doubt take his typical position on or near the lead.

“He wants to be first and second,” Ellis said. “We generally have to use him early.”

Magic Mark is part of a projected field of seven in what could be an excellent running of the Bertrando. Other candidates are Ambitious Brew, Avanti Bello, Gold Rush Dancer, Smokey Image, Soi Phet, and Taman Guard. All are stakes winners except for Taman Guard, who was third in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar last August.

Soi Phet has won 3 of 6 starts at Los Alamitos, with all the wins coming in stakes. Now 9, Soi Phet won the 2014 Bertrando at Los Alamitos, finished eighth in 2015, and was second last year.

The Bertrando is one of two stakes on Saturday’s program.

Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, will be favored to win her second stakes of 2017 in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs, a race she won at Los Alamitos in April 2016.

Other probable starters are Constellation, Cuddle Alert, Pretty N Cool, Skye Diamonds, and So Sweetitiz.

Constellation won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita last December and has not raced since finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 8.

Songbird cooperative in work

Songbird worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 under jockey Mike Smith at Santa Anita on Wednesday as she prepares for the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap on July 15.

Smith said he is pleased by Songbird’s willingness to go only as fast as asked in her works.

“She’s been doing anything I want her to do,” Smith said. “If I ask her to pick it up, she will. If I ask her to gear down, she does.”

Songbird was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2016. In her only start this year, Songbird won the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park on June 10. The $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park is run at 1 1/4 miles, which would equal the longest race of Songbird’s career.

Owned by Rick Porter and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird has won 12 of 13 starts and earned $4,112,000. She won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga last August.

Roman, Prat tie for title

Apprentice jockey Evin Roman and journeyman Flavien Prat shared the riding title at the Santa Anita springsummer meeting, which ended on Tuesday.

Each won 41 races, with Prat winning twice on Tuesday to tie Roman.

The rematch will take place at the Del Mar summer meeting, which begins on July 19. During the current Los Alamitos meeting, which runs through July 16, Prat is scheduled to ride only the Los Alamitos Derby program on July 15, according to his agent, Derek Lawson. Prat, 24, is riding at Belmont Park this weekend.

Roman, 19, could easily win the Los Al title. He is booked to ride six of the eight races on Friday.

Roman began riding in California in February and won his first title at the spring-summer meeting. He is the first apprentice jockey to win or share a riding title at Santa Anita since Gordon Glisson at the 1948-49 winter-spring meeting.

Prat was the leading rider at the track’s winter-spring meeting.

Peter Miller led all trainers with 36 wins, well clear of Richard Baltas and Phil D’Amato, who tied for second with 25 each. Miller does not expect to contend for the Los Alamitos title. He said last weekend that he will not have enough runners to play a leading role.