Photo: Hollywood Park
Caught a Flyer battled back after surrendering the lead to
favored Dance With Gable to win the $57,550 feature Friday night at Hollywood
Park.
The $15.60 surprise was one of four double digit winners in
the Pick 6, so there is a carryover of $83,506 for Saturday. Post time is 1
p.m. The Pick 6 will begin in the fifth race. Scheduled post time is 3:03 p.m.
Owned by Laura Bailey and trained by Dominic Fama, Caught a
Flyer, a 5-year-old son of Skimming and the Partner’s Hero mare Millie’s
Flight, won for the fourth time in 23 starts.
Ridden by Kayla Stra, the gelding completed the six furlongs
on turf in 1:09.14.
Third and second in two previous starts at the Spring/Summer
meet, Caught a Flyer quickly gained the advantage, drifted out entering the
stretch, leaving plenty of room for Dance With Gable, then came back on in the
final yards to win by a neck.
Caught a Flyer, who increased his earnings to $89,119, paid
$4.40 and $2.80 in addition to the win mutuel.
Seeking his third consecutive victory, Dance With Gable, the
11-10 choice, returned $2.80 and $2.40. A 7-year-old gelded son of Dance Floor,
Dance With Gable was claimed out of the race by trainer Ted H. West for
$25,000. West won a nine-way shake.
Pop’shandsarehot, the longest shot in the field at 12-1, was
third, a head in front of Casual Obsession and three-quarters of a length
behind Dance With Gable. The show price on Pop’shandsarehot was $3.80.
Aliza’s Dream and the 11-year-old Shadow of Illinois
completed the order of finish in a race restricted to state breds.
Jockey Patrick Valenzuela was taken to nearby Centinela
Hospital Medical Center after being involved in an incident in the fourth race.
Sunburn, the 2-1 favorite in the race for California bred
maiden fillies and mares, stumbled badly shortly after the start, unseating
Valenzuela. The rider, who earned his first Grade I win at Hollywood Park
in seven years July 2 aboard Courageous Cat, was awaiting x-rays after
complaining of hip, leg and left shoulder pain.
The highlight of the Saturday card is the 72nd
running of the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup.
A Grade I at 1 ¼ miles over Cushion Track, the Gold Cup is
headed by 4-5 morning line favorite Twirling Candy. Owned by breeder Jenny
Craig’s Family Trust, William S. Farish and Marty Wygod, Twirling Candy is the
122-pound highweight and will break from the rail.
The Gold Cup will be televised on ESPN (4-5 p.m. PDT).
Scheduled post time for the Gold Cup, which is the eighth of 10 races, is 4:40
p.m.
The $150,000 Swaps Stakes, a Grade II for 3-year-olds at 1
1/8 miles, is the fourth race. Scheduled post time is 2:34 p.m.