Horse Racing Roundup : King Glorious Wins in Ohio by 4 Lengths

California’s King Glorious ventured outside his home state for the first time Saturday at North Randall, Ohio, and liked what he found.

Ridden by Chris McCarron, King Glorious took the lead out of the gate and led comfortably most of the way to win the $300,000 Ohio Derby by four lengths over Roi Danzig.

The winner covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 2/5 and paid $6.40, $4.60 and $3.20.

Roi Danzig, ridden by Eddie Maple, closed within a length of King Glorious on the final turn but was unable to keep up, finishing second and paying $8.20 and $4.40.

Caesar, with Pat Day aboard, was third for his first loss in five races. He finished six lengths behind Roi Danzig and paid $4.80 to show. Launch A Ruler was fourth in the 10-horse field.

King Glorious added the first prize of $180,000 to his previous earnings of nearly $700,000. His biggest previous victory came in the $1-million, Grade I Hollywood Futurity last year.

He had never run farther than 1 1/16 miles before Saturday.

“I think he proved that he can go 1 1/8 miles,” McCarron said.

Frankly Perfect ran down Brown Bess and held off the late bid of Pleasant Variety to win the $300,000 Golden Gate Handicap by a neck at Golden Gate Fields.

Great Communicator, the 4-5 favorite ridden by Ray Sibile (and last year’s winner of the 1 3/8-mile turf race), finished last in the seven-horse field and was never a threat.

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, Frankly Perfect was fifth, 3 3/4 lengths behind leader Brown Bess after a mile run in 1:37 3/5. Finding room midway around the turn, Frankly Perfect, a 4-year-old colt, responded with a big move.

Frankly Perfect caught Brown Bess, the only mare in the lineup, just inside the sixteenth pole and then dug in to hold off the charging Pleasant Variety.

Owned by the Summa Stable and Wayne Gretzky of the Kings, Frankly Perfect covered the distance in 2:15 and returned $9.60, $5.20 and $3.80 as the 7-2 third choice in the wagering.

Pleasant Variety, under Robbie Davis, paid $6.00 and $4.40. Brown Bess, ridden by Tom Chapman, paid $3.40.