Zambrana and Bar On the Beach made it look easy, romping home 8 1/4 lengths clear in the 5 1/2-furlong $5,000 claiming event for older runners that have never won two.

Sent off as the 2.60-1 second choice in a field of nine, Bar On the Beach broke alertly and was already four lengths clear after an opening quarter-mile in 21.76 seconds. That margin grew to six lengths after an additional furlong and was 10 lengths with just an eighth to go.

The final running time on a fast main track was 1:05.06. Bar On the Beach paid $7.20 to win and now has two wins from 10 starts.

Bar On the Beach was Zambrana’s only mount on the Thursday evening card. He is named on two horses Saturday at Laurel Park, Preparefortakeoff in the first and Sister Spirit in the fifth.

DOPPELGANGER LOOKS TO MAKE IT TWO STRAIGHT AT LAUREL

SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm’s Doppelganger, victorious in his return to racing last month, chases a second straight victory when live racing returns Friday to Laurel Park.

Twice graded-stakes placed and fourth behind Cyberknife in the Arkansas Derby (G1) last year, the 4-year-old Doppelganger went unraced from July until posting a 2 ½-length open allowance triumph Jan. 27 going 1 1/16 miles at Laurel in his debut for new trainer Brittany Russell.

Doppelganger is the 8-5 program favorite in Friday’s Race 5, a one-mile optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up where he drew Post 3 in a field of seven. Also among the entries are Shaft’s Bullet, a nose shy of being undefeated in three starts, and Jalen Journey, promoted winner of the 2021 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3).

Similar connections to Doppelganger also recently transferred San Vicente (G3) third-place finisher Fort Warren to Russell from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The 3-year-old Fort Warren has yet to register a timed work since the Jan. 29 San Vicente.