Rapport
made it two wins in a row in California,
easily dispatching six rivals in a $44,058 allowance on Wednesday at Hollywood Park.
Even
though Rapport was heavily favored at 9-10, there were plenty of upsets in the
Pick Six, so there will be a carryover of $63,149 when racing resumes Friday
night. Post time is 7:05 p.m. Hollywood
Park
will be open for simulcasts only Thursday, beginning at 10:15 a.m. General
admission is free.
Owned
by Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, the
3-year-old Songandaprayer filly out of the At The Threshold mare Irene’s Talkin
quickly established command under jockey Martin Garcia and was never menaced at
any point.
The
win in Wednesday’s sixth was reminiscent of her 5 ¼ length maiden breaker on
May 22, her initial start of 2010 and first for Baffert.
In
three races in Kentucky
and New
York as a 2-year-old,
Rapport, who was purchased for $475,000 as a yearling in 2008, managed to
finish in front of only one horse.
Bred
in Kentucky
by Glencrest Farm LLC, Rapport cruised home by 4 ¾ lengths Wednesday, covering
the six furlongs over Cushion Track in 1:08.99. Cost Of Freedom ran the fastest
six furlongs of the meet on May 6, winning in 1:08.36.
A
winner of two of five, Rapport pushed her earnings to $51,294. She returned
$3.80, $3 and $2.40.
Toro
Bonito, a 9-1 shot also trained by Baffert, finished second, a half-length in
front of 7-2 second choice Madel. Toro Bonito paid $7.20 and $3.60. The show
price on Madel was $2.40.
Baffert
also finished 1-2 in the third race when Premier Cru defeated favored Tweebster
in a $42,400 maiden route.
One
race after Rapport’s victory, apprentice jockey Johnny Gihua earned his first
victory in North America,
guiding El Scorpio to a 12-1 upset in a $43,688 optional claimer on turf.
Peru’s top apprentice in
2009, Gihua, 24, had failed to win with his first 35 mounts at Hollywood Park
before El Scorpio defeated Derive by a half-length as the longest shot in a
field of four.
Providing
trainer Doug O’Neill with the second of his three wins Wednesday, El Scorpio
ran the six furlongs in 1:08.25.
It
was the second victory in six starts for the 4-year-old gelded son of
Vindication and the Distorted Humor mare Then She Laughs. El Scorpio, who has
earned $50,200, is owned by Westside Rentals.com and W.C. Racing, Inc.
The
triple enabled O’Neill to increase his lead in the trainer’s race. He has 23
victories, four more than Mike Mitchell.