INGLEWOOD, Calif. (May 18, 2008) - Two Step Salsa gained the lead shortly after the break and sped to his third win in four starts by a comfortable three-length margin under jockey Martin Pedroza in the $107,200 Lazaro S. Barrera Memorial Stakes on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
The son of Petionville overcame a rough start while covering seven furlongs on Cushion Track in 1:20.66 to register his first graded stakes win. Two Step Salsa won his first two races at Santa Anita Park earlier this year, then finished second while testing turf in the Harry Henson Memorial Stakes here in April.
"Coming out of the gate, if you watch the head-on, I clipped heels with the two-horse (Rapidity), his left leg with my right leg," Pedroza said. "He kind of sat down for a minute and I had to ask to him to get going. Once I got to the front he was just galloping, just cruising. When I saw that horse come to me, I just chirped to him and he was gone."
Perhaps an omen came minutes before the Barrera when trainer Julio Canani won a shake when there were multiple claims in for No Ka Oi in the preceding race. The claiming tag was $50,000.
"He's a nice horse," Canani said of the winner. "Every time that he runs, he runs good."
Two Step Salsa, a home-bred owned by Jeff Nielsen's Everest Stables Inc., was the co-third choice at 3-1 and paid $8, $3.60 and $3.20. The winner's share of $64,320 boosted his earnings to $139,730.
Afleet Ruler, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, out-ran second-choice Dixie Chatter for second money, paying $3.80 and $3. Dixie Chatter returned $3.80 with Richard Migliore up.
"I was pretty relaxed back there, just biding my time but the one was just a better horse," Bejarano said. "That horse made an easy lead and didn't stop."
Salute the Sarge - the 2-1 betting choice - broke sharpest in the field of six 3-year-olds and then settled behind Two Step Salsa in perfect stalking position, but had nothing left when the field turned for home, fading to fifth.
"That was the game plan, to let him break and let the one-horse go and see if we could run him down," said jockey Michael Baze. "That horse just kept going along and I think it just broke my horse's heart. My horse was sitting real comfortable, but when they asked the winner, he just re-broke. When a horse takes off in front of you, it's hard to build up your confidence and keep hanging on."
