Sign Of Lanty Tries to Start Right With Win

Sign Of Lanty, who finished 2002 in style, has a chance to kick off the new year in the same way in tonight’s $26,300 Moonshiner Handicap.

The gelding, who turned 9 on Jan. 1, had some off nights as an 8-year-old, but he wrapped things up by winning the Marathon National, the richest race ever run at 870 yards. He has 28 victories in 65 starts and has earned more than $545,000.

Owned by Jackie and Rod Macpherson Jr. and trained by John Cooper, Sign Of Lanty will break from the outside in a field of five in the Moonshiner. A win in the Grade III would be his third in a row in the race and give him 17 stakes victories at Los Alamitos.

Among his challengers is Sterling Sport, the 6-year-old he beat by a neck in the Marathon National. Owned by Muller Racing and trained by Dennis Ekins, Sterling Sport has the rail as he tries for his ninth win in 39 lifetime starts.

The picks: 1. Leeper. 2. Paicines Lady. 3. Lp Josey. 4. Scuba Steve. 5. Chicago Joe. 6. Taime. 7. Your First Moon. 8. Heza Class Man. 9. Sign Of Lanty. 10. Jordans Streaker.

Four! Use Leeper, Maximillions and Bonny Johnny in the first, Paicines Lady and Ageless in the second, single Lp Josey in the third and Scuba Steve, Propellant, Ripped Fuel and Ima Pritzi Boy in the fourth.

Shots in the dark: Swedish Sights steps up in the fifth after finishing third in his local debut last month. Pj Flying Phoebe could rebound in the seventh after a slow start two weeks ago.

Post time: 6:30 p.m.

On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/