Horse Racing Roundup : Super Diamond Wins Fourth Straight

Super Diamond, taking command at the top of the stretch, held on to record his fourth straight victory Thursday in the $106,200 On Trust Handicap before a crowd of 20,791 at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Laffit Pincay and carrying high weight of 126 pounds, Super Diamond ran the mile in 1:35 while beating Nostalgia’s Star by three-quarters of a length.

Super Diamond, who won the Gold Cup at Hollywood Park last summer and recently returned to action with a victory in the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita, returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Nostalgia’s Star paid $2.40 and $2.10, and Bozina paid $2.10 to show.

At Hollywood Park today, 10 top sprinters are scheduled to start in the $150,000-added National Sprint Championship at six furlongs.

Pine Tree Lane, second in the Breeders’ Cup sprint, and Bedside Promise, third in that race, figure as the favorites. Bedside Promise, ridden by Gary Stevens, will carry top weight of 122 pounds.

Also in today’s feature is Rosie’s K.T., a half brother to Melair, and Bold Brawley, who has not run since winning the Pat O’Brien Handicap at Del Mar in August .

In addition to his win in the feature race, Pincay won the ninth race with the favorite, Rising Chum. Pincay’s two wins gave him 31 for the meeting, two behind Stevens, the leader.

Also scoring a pair of victories Thursday were Luis Ortega, who swept the first two races on Develish Dazzler ($55.20) and Danchai ($10,80), thus producing a $285 daily double, and Eddie Delahoussaye, who won the fourth on Primrose Kitchens and the fifth with Sebucan.

Second favorite Mt. Pleasant took the lead in the backstretch and was never threatened afterward in winning the 60th running of the $143,940 Grade III Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes by four lengths at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

A record Thanksgiving Day crowd of 12,716 watched Mt. Pleasant, carrying Keith Allen to his third win of the afternoon, cover the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 2/5 and return $10, $6.20 and $5.60.

Mondulick, leaving the post at 50-1 under Dean Kutz, paid $34.40 and $12.60 in finishing a nose ahead of Funny Tunes, a 25-1 longshot who paid $11.20 with Steve Bass aboard.

The win was Allen’s 26th of the fall meet, enabling him to pass Pat Day as the leading rider in the meet.

“I was going to settle and make a good run, but when we broke and no one took the lead I just had too much horse to wait for anyone,” Allen said. “I wanted someone to come to me to keep me company. When they came, he sprinted away.”

The victory was worth $93,561 to owner John E. Anthony and boosted the Kentucky-bred juvenile’s career earnings to $122,401.