War
Pilot was primed after a layoff, scooting clear in the closing yards to win the
$58,328 allowance feature Friday night at Hollywood Park.
Trained
by Mike Pender for owner B J Wright, the 3-year-old War Front ridgling out of
the With Approval mare To Be Approved ran past favored Vaundell in his first
start since defeating maidens in a turf route here last Nov. 6.
The
5-1 third choice in the field of six, War Pilot, who was ridden by Martin
Pedroza, paid $12.20, $3.80 and $3. He ran the six furlongs on grass in 1:08.96
while prevailing by 1 ½ lengths.
Vaundell,
who got the lead briefly after tracking longshot pacesetter Caught a Flyer,
returned $2.20 and $2.10 as the 3-5 choice. Caught a Flyer, who finished 1 ¼
lengths behind Vaundell, paid $3.60 to show. Sammartino, the 4-1 second choice,
was fourth, then came Shediak and Markyg.
A
$60,000 purchase at Barretts in March, 2010, War Pilot won for the second time
in five starts. He’s earned $65,570.
Although
he was unplaced with Shediak, jockey Tyler Baze did win three times Friday
evening. Baze took the opener with first time starter Miss Ambition, the fourth
on Hunter Creek and the eighth aboard Los
Bomberos.
Racing
resumes Saturday. Post time is 1 p.m.
The
main event on the nine race card is the $150,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap.
A Grade II at 1 ½ miles on turf, the Murray
has a field of five after the Friday scratch of Restless Soul. Defending
champion Acclamation will face Falcon Rock, 2010 Hollywood Derby winner Haimish
Hy, All Saint and Buenos Dias. The Murray
goes as the third.
Between
the second and third races, Hollywood
Park will honor Michael
Baze with a moment of silence. The leading rider at the Spring/Summer meet in
2007, Baze, 24, died May 10 in Kentucky.
Members
of the local jockey colony wore black arm bands Friday night in Baze’s memory
and will do so again Saturday.