Diodoro looks for reversion to form from Violent Ridge

Trainer Robertino Diodoro envisions a different kind of trip for Violent Ridge in Wednesday’s seventh race at Lone Star Park than the horse had in his most recent start.

The feature is a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Violent Ridge enters off a fifth-place finish at this same level May 24 at Lone Star. He was favored in the sixfurlong race off a strong meet at Oaklawn Park, but ran an unconventional race.

“His last start, I don’t know what went on there,” Diodoro said. “Around the turn he dropped all the way back to last and looked like he wasn’t going to [do anything]. All of the sudden, he took off and only got beat three and half lengths.

“I think he looks pretty good in here. He’s been training well.”

Violent Ridge won a conditioned-claiming sprint at Oaklawn wire to wire in February, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 92. In his subsequent starts, he was second and third in a pair of starter allowances. Violent Ridge will break from post 7 under Ramon Vazquez.

“He ran few good races at Oaklawn on the lead,” Diodoro said. “At the same time, he can sit just off of it. In a perfect world, we’d sit right on the heels of [Heritage Park] and hopefully he can carry it home.”

Violent Ridge is a son of Violence who races for his breeder, B G Stables. Earlier in his career, Violent Ridge was third in the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita. The start came one race after he won a maiden special weight sprint at the track in January 2018.

Defender cuts back to one turn after finishing third around two turns in a local allowance route June 9, while Soap Bubble could get an ideal stalking trip behind Heritage Park, Violent Ridge, and Shifty Henry.

Shifty Henry is a halfbrother to the multiple stakes winners Triumph and Song and Bravura – as well as Still of the Night. Still of the Night could go favored one race earlier, in a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds bred in Texas.

More Ice back on turf

More Ice, who ran in last year’s Santa Anita Derby, returns to turf Wednesday for the sixth race at Louisiana Downs.

The optional $17,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up carries second-level allowance conditions. It will be run at about a mile on the grass. There are two other turf routes with similar conditions on the card, with one for fillies and mares and the other for horses bred in Louisiana.

More Ice last raced at Oaklawn, finishing sixth in a $40,000 conditioned claimer at a mile Feb. 27. Earlier in his career, he won his debut and a first-level allowance at a mile on turf at Del Mar in 2018 and also ran third in that year’s Eddie Logan at the same distance on the grass at Santa Anita.

More Ice earned his shot at the Santa Anita Derby after running third in the El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic surface at Golden Gate in 2019. He would go on to finish sixth in the Santa Anita Derby.

More Ice will break from post 4 under Gerardo Mora on Wednesday, when he makes his first start for Louisiana Downsbased trainer Joey Foster.

The chief threats appear to be Make Me Smile, who returns to the John Franks turf course over which he ran second in last year’s A.L. “Red” Erwin, and Lucky Andy, who could go favored for trainer Karl Broberg, who is winning races at a 43 percent clip at Louisiana Downs.

Wind of Change invades

Wind of Change, who worked a bullet half-mile Sunday at Gulfstream Park, was among nine older horses entered Sunday in the $75,000 Lone Star Park Mile. The race highlights a card of three open-company stakes this coming Sunday.

Wind of Change breezed in 46.80 seconds, and the move was the fastest of 81 at the distance. He is shortening up from 1 1/8 miles. Wind of Change ran fifth at the trip in the $75,000 Sunday Silence on May 17 at Gulfstream. Before that race, he won an allowance at the track. Hector Berrios has the mount for trainer Amador Sanchez.

Wind of Change was a Group 3 winner in his native Brazil last year, and his rivals Sunday include the Grade 3 winners Mocito Rojo and Runaway Ghost. The Lone Star Mile also drew stakes winners Pioneer Spirit, Sleepy Eyes Todd, and Leader of Men.

The $75,000 Lone Star Turf Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile drew Curlin’s Journey, who won the local allowance prep June 3. Danny Sorenson has the mount for trainer Dallas Keen.

Little Menace will make his two-turn debut in the $75,000 Grand Prairie Derby over 1 1/16 miles. The Oaklawn allowance winner is a son of Into Mischief. Stewart Elliott has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.

◗ Evangeline Downs will increase purses by 15 percent beginning with the July 1 card, according to a notice from the Opelousas, La., track.