Cutting back in distance and going turf to synthetic, Blue
Tambourine made it three consecutive wins in the $48,638 allowance feature
Friday at Hollywood Park.
The gate-to-wire victory was her second since being claimed
for $20,000 by trainer Peter Miller for Altamira Racing Stable and David
Bernsen. The 5-year-old Proud Citizen mare was taken from a race in which she
defeated maidens by 3 ½ lengths Oct. 14 at Santa Anita, an outing that followed
a layoff of more than 15 months.
Providing jockey Joe Talamo with his third win of the
afternoon, Blue Tambourine, who led throughout to win going one mile on turf
Nov. 11 in her first for Miller, completed the 6 ½ furlongs over Cushion Track
in 1:16.55. The margin of victory was 1 ½ lengths.
Now 3-for-9 lifetime, the New York bred, who is out of the
Pleasant Colony mare Tantrum, increased her earnings to $87,160. She’s banked
$48,000 since the claim.
The 3-1 third choice in a field reduced to six after the
scratch of Lucky Trippi, Blue Tambourine returned $8.60, $5 and $3.60.
All On the Table, a 7-1 outsider who was second for most of
the trip in her first with blinkers, saved the place, paying $8 and $5. Teroda
was a neck back in third and paid $3.20. There Is No Limit, the 2-1 favorite,
finished fourth, a nose behind Teroda and a nose in front of 5-2 second choice
Screaming Regal.
Talamo’s other wins came aboard 1-2 favorite Si Mar’s Dear
in the first and 17-10 choice Spirit Rules, who defeated California bred
2-year-old maidens by 8 ¼ lengths, in the fifth. Talamo is fourth in the Autumn
meet standings with 22 victories.
Corey Nakatani collected his first win since returning to
Southern California, winning the fourth race aboard 5-1 shot Fear the Beard for
trainer Doug O’Neill.
The most recent victory at Hollywood Park for Nakatani, 41,
prior to Friday was with Streakin’ Mohican – also for O’Neill – May 20. The
rider has 1,172 career wins locally, leaving him eighth on the all-time list.
Fear the Beard was the first of two winners for O’Neill
Friday and came on the heels of his 500th Hollywood Park victory
courtesy of Pop the Cork in Thursday’s finale.
With two days remaining in the meet, Mike Mitchell leads the
trainer standings with 16 wins, one more than O’Neill and two more than Hall of
Famer Bob Baffert.
Joel Rosario, who doubled Friday, leads the jockeys with 34
wins, five more than his closest pursuer Rafael Bejarano.