Gomez wins three races in California return

All jockey Garrett Gomez did in his first day back in California was win three races, including the $111,300 Carleton F. Burke Handicap with favored Spring House on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Gomez, the country’s top money-winning rider in 2007 who had spent most of the last six months in New York, won the third race with Bartok’s Bling and the fifth with Outra Rafaela before the comfortable score in the Grade III Burke.

Trained by Julio Canani for owner R.D. Hubbard, Spring House, the 19-10 choice, relaxed well for his new rider, angled outside Isipingo into the stretch and went on to the victory. Winning for only the second time in his last 17 starts, Spring House ran the 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:24.13.

“It’s good to be back home,” said Gomez, who was coming off a pair of Breeders’ Cup victories Saturday. “Looking at this race, Julio didn’t tell me a whole lot. We just tried to get on the same page as far as the pace and everything. I was able to bide my time early, was able to follow [Isipingo] and everything worked out.”

Isipingo, the 7-2 second choice who had finished third in the Clement L. Hirsch three weeks earlier, saved the place, 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner, and Runaway Dancer, who won the race in 2003, was third in the Burke for a second year in a row.

Fishy Advice, a 9-2 shot, was up in the final yards to defeat Thorn Song and seven others in the $112,900 Knickerbocker on at Aqueduct.

Javier Castellano rode the 5-year-old Woodman horse, who has now won eight of 19 on turf, to the victory for trainer David Donk.

In other stakes on the card, Etched, the 1-2 choice, ran away from four overmatched rivals to win the $10,7800 Nashua to remain perfect in two starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and Elusive Lady, a 5-1 shot, is two for two after wiring the field in the $108,500 Tempted.

Jockey Julien Leparoux won both Grade III stakes on the opening-day card at Churchill Downs, winning the $171,500 Iroquois with 8-1 outsider Court Vision and the $185,700 Pocahontas with 10-1 shot Pure Clan. The Iroquois was one of two races Leparoux won for trainer Bill Mott. The duo also teamed with 5-1 shot Rich Hero in the sixth.

Rulings issued by Oak Tree stewards Martin Hamilton, John Herbuveauxt and Tom Ward on Sunday disqualified Medici Code from purse money in two different stakes races at Del Mar.

Medici Code, who is owned by Herrick Racing and trained by Darrell Vienna, tested positive for excess levels of the bronchodilator clenbuterol after finishing second in a division of the Oceanside on July 18 and when he won the La Jolla on Aug. 11. The purse money will be redistributed in both instances.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com