Kettle Corn completed a triple for jockey Joel Rosario and
trainer John Sadler, rallying from well off the pace to win the $52,350 feature
by a half-length Thursday at Hollywood Park.
Winning for the third time in five starts on a synthetic
surface, Kettle Corn, the 5-2 second choice in a field of six, completed the 1
1/8 miles over Cushion Track in 1:50.49.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, the
4-year-old Candy Ride colt out of the Lil E. Tee mare Somethingbeautiful won
for the fifth time in 11 outings. He increased his earnings to $111,891.
Two of Kettle Corn’s victories have come in four races since
being privately purchased by his current connections earlier in the year.
The defending titlist at the Autumn meet, Rosario has nine
winners through the first five days, leaving him three ahead of Joe Talamo.
In addition to Kettle Corn, Rosario and Sadler also teamed
for victories with first time starter Unusual Hottie in the second and Coluda,
who led throughout to capture the fourth.
Seeking his third Autumn training championship in five
years, Sadler leads Bob Baffert 5-4 with 21 days remaining. Sadler topped the
standings in 2007 and 2009.
Campaigned in Indiana and Illinois before joining the Sadler
stable, Kettle Corn paid $7.20, $3.60 and $2.20.
Dynamic Host, a 7-1 shot who gained the lead early in the
stretch, returned $5.80 and $3.60. The show price on Uncle Sam, the 8-5
favorite who finished 1 ¾ lengths behind Dynamic Host, was $2.60.
Making his first start since finishing second behind Great
Warrior in the Pomona Derby Sept. 24 at Fairplex Park, Uncle Sam sat second
behind longshot Commander for most of the journey, took over approaching the
final quarter mile, but didn’t offer much resistance under jockey Rafael
Bejarano.
Commander, who opened a four length advantage through a
46.74 half mile, wound up fourth, 11 ¾ lengths behind Uncle Sam. Java Man, the
other Sadler trainee, and Bonfire Knight completed the order of finish.
Jockey Patrick Valenzuela was taken off his five mounts by
Hollywood Park stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer and Tom Ward after he failed
to appear Thursday. Valenzuela, 49, won twice the first four days of the meet.