Burns rallies up fence for La Jolla

"This is a horse that is only going to get better and better," said Abrams,

who is recovering from surgery for throat cancer.

"I'm sure this means a lot to Barry," assistant trainer Richard Baltas added.

"We broke our maiden for the meeting; we'd been 0-for-24 or something like that.

The horses have been running good all the time just not getting home, seems like

we've had a lot of seconds."

Thirtyfirststreet (Good Journey) showed the way after the break, leading the

field through opening fractions of :24 1/5 and :49 1/5 with Surrey Star (Ire) (Dubawi)

tracking in second. Burns was three-to-four lengths back in fourth, racing to

the inside of Midnight Interlude down the backstretch. He began to advance

approaching the conclusion of the far turn, but had to wait briefly for room to

the inside of Thirtyfirststreet after entering the stretch. The pacesetter

obliged, drifting slightly off the rail, and Burns accelerated through the small

opening to the lead.

"I was down there inside saving and waiting," Valenzuela said. "The horse in

front of me (Thirtyfirststreet) was trying to get out on both turns and I knew

the rail was going to open up. I just had to be patient and hope it happened at

the right time. At the eighth pole I made it through and he fired. He ran huge.

And he'll run farther. I have no doubt about that."

Lil Bit o' Fun came flying from last to pose a serious threat in deep

stretch, but the winner dug in gamely in the final yards to deny the 8-1

outsider. It was another half-length back to the 10-1 Thirtyfirstreet, who edged

Midnight Interlude by a half-length for third.

"No room; no luck. I had lots of horse," jockey Rafael Bejarano said

following a tough trip on Midnight Interlude. "If I get out, I win. But I got

pushed down inside. I couldn't let him run."

Surrey Star and Fort Hastings (Ire) (Aragorn [Ire]) came next under the wire.

Temple's Door (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]) was withdrawn.

Out of the winning mare Little Hottie (Afternoon Deelites), Burns is a full

brother to Brushburn, who placed in the 2010 Charles Whittingham Memorial (G1);

a yearling filly named Inflamed; and a 2011 colt. This is the female family of

Grade 1 queen Minstrel's Lassie (The Minstrel) and stakes winner and multiple

Grade 2 runner-up Northerly (Northern Dancer).