Photo: Hollywood Park
Ultra
Blend made it consecutive victories against California
breds, taking charge late to win the $80,400 Cat’s Cradle Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Although
the Cat’s Cradle had a formful result, there were some surprises in the Pick
Six, including a 56-1 shocker by first time starter Ave Atalanta in the seventh
race.
As
a result, there will be a carryover of $106,356 when racing resumes Thursday.
Post time is 12:30 p.m. The Pick Six begins in the third race.
Six
weeks removed from a win in the California Cup Matron, Ultra Blend, a
4-year-old daughter of Richly Blended and the Desert Classic mare Ankha ran
past Word Association in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by 3 ¼ lengths.
Owned
by Nels Erickson and trained by Art Sherman, the 13-10 favorite ran the 7 ½
furlongs over Cushion Track 1:29.76. Ridden by leading jockey Joel Rosario, she
returned $4.60, $2.60 and $2.20. The $50,400 payday increased her earnings to
$367,646.
Bidding
for her third win in a row, Word Association, the 4-1 fourth choice in the
field of six, finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 15-1 shot Warren’s Jitterbug.
Word Assocation paid $4.60 and $3.80. The show price on Warren’s Jitterbug was $4.
Warren’s Got Game, the
longest shot in the field at 24-1, was fourth ahead of Camille C and defending
champion U R All That I Am.
“She
just tries all the time,’’ said Rosario
after his fourth stakes win of the meet, tying him with Joe Talamo for the
lead. “She broke a little slow and it took her a little while to find her
stride. She’s been running long the last three races, so I wanted to give her
time to get into a good stride. She picked it up and picked it up and
eventually she got it right. She never quits and she loves to run. She’s a
little filly, but she can run.’’
Sherman said Ultra Blend,
who has won seven of 17 and been worse than third only twice, would be pointed
to one of two Sunshine Millions races Jan. 29. The options are the $200,000
Filly and Mare Sprint at six furlongs at Gulfstream Park
or the $300,000 Distaff at 1 1/16 miles on the new dirt surface at Santa Anita.
Rosario won two other
races Sunday. With four days left in the Autumn meet, Rosario, the defending
champion, holds a 39-27 lead over Rafael Bejarano. Talamo is third with 26
victories.