Racing at Del Mar : Olympic Prospect Is Good as Gold

Jockey Alex Solis was scrambling around the jockeys’ room at Del Mar after the feature race Wednesday, getting ready for a mount in the ninth. For Solis, it had been a day to move fast.

Solis had just ridden Olympic Prospect to victory in the $75,000 Bing Crosby Handicap, pulling away early in the 6-furlong race and finishing in a quick 1:08 4/5 to defeat Faro by 1 lengths. Sebrof was third.

“I never rode a horse that fast in my life,” Solis said. “He always shows a lot of speed. That’s the way he runs.”

Olympic Prospect’s trainer, John Sadler, and Solis had a short strategy discussion before the race. Sadler told his jockey to take the lead from the gate and pressure Sebrof, who went off a slight favorite.

“To me, Sebrof’s best race is when he’s in front on the rail,” Sadler said. “I said, ‘I want Sebrof to come around and beat you. I don’t want Sebrof to get that position.’ If we got beat, we wanted to be in front and have him catch us.”

Sebrof never came close. Olympic Prospect faltered slightly at the start, which Solis had expected. Olympic Prospect, Solis said, usually takes about 10 yards to get into stride.

“Today, it took more time because of the awkward break,” Solis said. “At the 5 1/2 pole he took the bit and was gone.”

After taking a lead of 3 1/2 lengths midway through the race, Olympic Prospect faded some in the stretch, but held off Faro, who closed from the outside.

Solis noticed his horse was tiring but said he wasn’t worried.

“I could tell I had enough left to get to the wire,” he said.

Olympic Prospect is building a reputation for his sprinting--Wednesday was his fourth consecutive victory, all at 6 furlongs. At Hollywood Park, he narrowly missed one track record in the Los Angeles Handicap (running 1:08 4/5, which was 2/5 of a second off the record), then ran 1:08 on the turf, 3/5 of a second off that record, to win the Budweiser Breders’ Cup Handicap.

Sadler said Olympic Prospect has a mild temperament but is all business at the track. He has earned $288,260 since he was claimed for $50,000 by Christiana Stables in Kentucky.

“There are no tricks involved with this horse,” Sadler said. “He just wants to outrun you. He’s not the fastest horse in the world out of the gate. But once he gets in gear, he’s tough.

Sebrof recently set a track record of 1:15 for 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park, defeating Don’s Irish Melody July 4, and won the Pat O’Brien Handicap July 30 at Del Mar. He has 7 wins and 2 second-place finishes in 14 starts.

Synastry, the 5-year-old son of Seattle Slew, finished fifth in the Crosby but has shown promise in recent races, finishing second to Sebrof in the O’Brien at 42-1 odds.

Gary Stevens, who rode Sebrof Wednesday, said he positioned his horse as well as he could, but Olympic Prospect was simply too fast.

“I’ve got no excuse,” Stevens said. “It was the only place I could be when they go :21 1/5 (for the first quarter).

Olympic Prospect returned $6.20, $4 and $3 to his backers in the crowd of 13,728. Faro paid $11 and $3.80, Sebrof $2.60.