Lovesick Blues Goes In Saturday’s California Flag Handicap For Statebreds On Santa Anita’s Hillside Turf Course Ahead Of Expected Start In Breeders’ Cup Sprint

LOVESICK BLUES GOES IN SATURDAY’S CALIFORNIA FLAG HANDICAP FOR STATEBREDS ON SANTA ANITA’S HILLSIDE TURF COURSE AHEAD OF EXPECTED START IN BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT

After locking up a Breeders’ Cup Sprint bid last month at Del Mar, Lovesick Blues will tote highweight of 126 going about 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s unique layout

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 7, 2025)—Three weeks ahead of an expected start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Lovesick Blues will take on fellow California-breds in Saturday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Lovesick Blues locked up an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar with a surprising 1 ¾-length win in the GI Bing Crosby going six furlongs on dirt July 26 at Del Mar. The Bing Crosby was the 7-year-old gelding’s first graded stakes win and second stakes win overall in 41 starts.

Late last year, Lovesick Blues was purchased privately by trainer Librado Barocio for his Mia Familia Stable from prominent California breeder Nick Alexander. Lovesick Blues is well-acquainted with Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course. Just since the change in ownership, Lovesick Blues was second in the GIII San Simeon on March 8, third in the Sensational Star for statebreds two weeks later, then fourth in the GIII Daytona in June prior to the Bing Crosby.

Jockey Geovanni Franco has ridden Lovesick Blues in all five starts this year and again has the call. As a handicap, Lovesick Blue will carry the highweight of 126 pounds, which is from two to seven pounds more than the rest of the field. Lovesick Blues has banked $777,370 with a record of 41: 9-10-8.

This does not figure as a layup for Lovesick Blues as the California Flag attracted an accomplished cast of horses who were bred or sired in California.

Shea Brennan, a 3-year-old, is a two-time stakes winner against statebreds but has never raced on turf. The colt by Tough Sunday won the California Cup Derby going 1 1/16 miles in January at Santa Anita and the King Glorious in December going a mile at Los Alamitos. Most recently, Shea Brennan beat older horses in an open allowance going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar. Shea Brennan, owned and bred by Alexander, and trained by Phil D’Amato, is 8: 3-2-3 with $269,530 in earnings. He’ll have Umberto Rispoli aboard for the first time.

Book Smart set the pace in the GIII Green Flash going five furlongs on turf before yielding late losing by just 1 ½ lengths short. A month earlier at Del Mar, he beat open company in a second-level allowance going five furlongs on turf. A 6-year-old gelding by Stanford, Book Smart is trained by Bob Hess Jr. for owners Eduardo Bernal, Larry S. Buckendorf, Charlotte Bullard, Tyler A. Harringer and Jeffrey Lambert. He is 21: 7-5-2 with $319,145 in earnings. Hall of Famer Mike Smith will ride Book Smart.

Man O Rose returns to turf after romping by 5 ¼ lengths in the E.B. Johnston Stakes going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos on Sept. 13. It was the first start in 10 months for the 5-year-old gelding by Stanford. Prior to the layoff, Man O Rose beat open company in a high-level allowance going six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita. Man O Rose is trained by Jeff Mullins for owner B & B Zietz Stables Inc. He is 15: 8-3-0 with $380,965 in earnings. Man O Rose will have regular rider Edwin Maldonado aboard.

__THE CALIFORNIA FLAG HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER __

Race 7 of 10 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

1. Shea Brennan—Umberto Rispoli—119
2. Lovesick Blues—Geovanni Franco—126
3. Book Smart—Mike Smith—122
4. Sir Rocket—Armando Ayuso—119
5. Cali Cat—Juan Hernandez—117
6. Man O Rose—Edwin Maldonado—124
7. Stamp My Passport—Diego Herrera—119
8. Flyover—Hector Berrios—118

First post Saturday is 1 p.m. Admission gates will open at 11 a.m.