With four stakes victories, Bonde enjoying big month

CYPRESS, Calif. – For the third time in his career, trainer Jeff Bonde has won four stakes in a month, thanks to his success in recent weeks at Del Mar and Los Alamitos.

Two stakes wins on Labor Day weekend at Del Mar were followed by Princess Karen’s win in the Beverly Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos on Sept. 9 and Ismelucky’s win in the Barretts Debutante last Saturday.

“I knew we were running horses that were fresh and live,” Bonde said last Saturday. “You hope you have some success.”

Bonde may not be done winning lucrative races this month. As of Sunday, when he left to attend the Keeneland yearling sale in Kentucky, Bonde was considering running first-time starter Crazy Uncle Rick in Saturday’s $100,000 Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos.

Crazy Uncle Rick, a colt by Uncle Mo, was purchased for $100,000 at the Barretts paddock sale at Del Mar by Bonde in July. On Sept. 13, Crazy Uncle Rick worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:13.80 at Santa Anita.

The Barretts Juvenile, the final stakes of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos, which ends Sunday, is restricted to 2-year-old colts and geldings offered at sales conducted by Barretts.

The race may include Run Away, winner of the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar last month. Run Away finished third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 4.

Regardless of how Crazy Uncle Rick fares, Bonde is already having a memorable September.

Bonde, 62, won four stakes in July 2009 – three stakes at Pleasanton and one at Hollywood Park. In July 2011, he won two stakes at Pleasanton and two Grade 1 races at Hollywood Park – the Triple Bend Handicap with Smiling Tiger and the American Oaks with Cambina.

Bonde has race plans for three of his recent stakes winners.

Bookies Luck, who won the I’m Smokin Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds Sept. 1 at Del Mar, will be pointed to the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile for statebreds Nov. 4 at Del Mar. The Golden State Juvenile is on the undercard of the second day of the Breeders’ Cup races.

On Nov. 3, the first day of the Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar, Ismelucky is likely to run in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies at seven furlongs.

Ismelucky, whom Bonde co-owns with Jerome Russell, beat maidens at Santa Anita in May, but did not race again until the Barretts Debutante. She was rested in late spring after Bonde said the filly “got a little tight behind” while training at Santa Anita.

He said the rest of more than three months helped Ismelucky.

“She’s filled out,” Bonde said. “She’s not a big horse.”

Princess Karen is a candidate for the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes, a $250,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Oct. 21 at Keeneland. Bonde said the likely presence of Unique Bella in the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes on Oct. 8 at Santa Anita makes that race less appealing.

Unique Bella, a three-time stakes winner earlier this year, has not raced since March but has worked quickly in recent weeks for an expected comeback.

“I won’t run in the L.A. Woman,” Bonde said. “I’ve tried Unique Bella. I won’t do that again.”

Stakes trio to return in 2018

In the first four days of July at Santa Anita, Enola Gray and Pee Wee Reese won stakes and S Y Sky won an optional claimer for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Phil D’Amato.

By the end of the month, all three were out of training after sustaining what Alexander called soft-tissue injuries within days at Del Mar.

Plans are under way for the three to return in 2018, Alexander said.

Without going into detail, Alexander described Pee Wee Reese as having suffered “the least” severe injury.

“He’s back in training,” Alexander said.

“S Y Sky and Enola Gray were treated at the farm,” he said. “We’re looking toward 2018. We’ll do our best.”

Pee Wee Reese, who is back with D’Amato at Santa Anita, won the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf July 4 at Santa Anita. A 4-year-old colt, Pee Wee Reese has won 5 of 9 starts and earned $259,990.

Enola Gray, a 4-year-old filly, has won 7 of 11 starts and earned $573,100. She won 3 of 4 starts earlier this year, including the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes on July 1 at Santa Anita.

S Y Sky, a 3-year-old filly, has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $278,240. She won the Melair Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies at Santa Anita in May and an optional claimer in early July.