YOU CAN RUN AND GABRIEL LARA SHINE

       Steve Burns’ You Can Go won for the first time since the 2021 Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap when he outdueled a strong group of aged runners in the $15,000 allowance feature on Saturday, January 13.

The now 7-year-old son of Favorite Cartel looked more like a spry 3-year-old in winning, as he flew away from the gate and had a little trouble maintaining his ½ length advantage to the finish line. The Mike Casselman-trainee covered the 350 yards in a solid :17.655 to record his seventh career win in 25 starts.

“We gave him some time off and he came back in good form,” Casselman said. “He was not paid into the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials (on January 28). We’ll just find some handicaps for him.”

Possible spots for You Can Go include the Moonist Handicap to be held in March. He’s also eligible to race in the Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap on July 27.

Cruz Mendez piloted You Can Go to victory from the outside post eight. The field include Ed Allred’s always solid Nevada Charles, who was second throughout in this event. He’s finished in the money in 11 of 24 career starts. Eleazar Gonzalez’s Up The Interest, winner of the Adequan California Derby Challenge, was second, while S & S Horses Fortunate Corona, a stallion who could be a strong contender in stakes races this year, ran fourth. Four others competed in this event.

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      Gabrial Lara, cousin of jockey Irving Lara, added two more Quarter Horse victories to his name this past weekend and is now the breed’s leading rider through the first six nights of racing. Lara piloted Allred’s Chivalry to victory at even money on January 13. He added two more wins for Allred’s barn on Sunday, first with Angelic at 3-1 odds and then with Just Watch Her at 4-1 odds. All three of these are trained by Scott Willoughby. For the meet, Lara has six meets from 12 mounts, giving him four more victories than any other rider this season.

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