HOLLYWOOD PARK : A Runaway for Olympic Prospect

After being plagued by various ailments during his career, Olympic Prospect is feeling good these days.

“He’s sounder now than he’s ever been,” trainer John Sadler said.

Olympic Prospect’s improved health is evident on the track. Hardly a slouch before, the 5-year-old Northern Jove gelding is better than ever right now.

Thirteen days after a 10-length victory over a solid allowance field, Olympic Prospect turned the $105,200 National Sprint Championship at Hollywood Park on Saturday into a one-horse race.

The Grade III event was billed as a match between Olympic Prospect and Sam Who, but Olympic Prospect was a clear winner despite a less-than-alert takeoff.

At the finish, the 6-5 second choice had a bit more than a length on the 4-5 favorite and his 12th victory in 24 lifetime starts.

In the process, he capped a three-winner afternoon for Sadler, who moved into a tie with David Hofmans atop the trainer standings, and provided Alex Solis with his fifth stakes victory of the 24-day-old meeting.

“We think he’s at his best,” Sadler said after Olympic Prospect’s 1:08 4/5 journey, which included :21 3/5, :43 3/5 and :55 4/5 fractions.

“He’s a lightly-raced horse who’s kind of in the middle of his campaign rather than at the end of a long year. He’s doing really well, and I just wish he had performed a little better on the East Coast (in the Breeders’ Cup where he finished fifth, then was placed fourth on Sam Who’s disqualification).

“Being inside of Sam Who didn’t bother me, but I was concerned when he stumbled at the start and then had to run head and head with Ron Bon for about a quarter of a mile. When he shook him loose, I knew we’d be in pretty good shape.”

Being sounder, Olympic Prospect is also more willing to change leads. Reluctant to do it in the past, he has come through in each of his last two starts.

“That’s the difference this year,” Solis said. “He used to stay on his left lead from the three-eighths pole to the wire. Now, he switches, and he’s able to find another gear.

“He was anxious and moving when the gates opened and he stumbled a little bit. He’s a fast horse and was able to get up with that other one right away, then he finished well. John’s done a great job with this horse.”

Having ridden Sam Who all year, Laffit Pincay decided to remain with the Lypheor gelding Saturday, even though he was aboard for Olympic Prospect’s 1:08 2/5 allowance win on Dec. 3.

Still, at the top of the stretch in the Sprint Championship, he thought he had made the right choice.

“I thought I was going to get the other horse,” he said. “But Olympic Prospect didn’t come back to me. My horse ran his race and he finished well.

“You have to give the winner credit. He didn’t break that good, and when (Ron Bon) went with him, I thought he’d stop, but he just kept running.”

Olympic Prospect could return in two weeks for the six-furlong Palos Verdes at Santa Anita.

“He’s nominated, but (racing secretary) Tom Robbins will decide that for us,” Sadler said. “It’ll depend on the weights.”

Olympic Prospect’s victory followed wins by Royal Eagle and first-time starter Devine Force and left Sadler batting .300 for the meeting. His nine victories have come from 30 starters.

“I’ve got plenty of horses,” he said in regards to a possible run at the local training title. “I’m going to have to look at a condition book pretty seriously now.”

Heartlight No. One’s second foal is already a step ahead of her first.

Several months after his highly touted half-brother, Alyone, bombed in two starts at Santa Anita, Spotlight No. One won at first asking for trainer Gary Jones and owners Burt and Carol Bacharach in the sixth race Wednesday.

The 2-year-old son of Cox’s Ridge did a lot of things wrong in his debut, but still managed to beat heavily favored Indian Wind a neck in 1:16 2/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs, a distance that didn’t figure to be his best.

Besides racing greenly, Spotlight No. One got loose and ran off briefly in the post parade with Chris McCarron.

“It scared the hell out of us when he got loose, the way things have been going for us,” Jones said.

“I thought he was awfully impressive, but he still doesn’t know what he’s doing. He looks like a 3-year-old and he thinks he’s something special.”

McCarron said the colt, the 3-1 second choice, galloped out strongly, and he’ll likely try two turns in his next start. “We’ll give him three weeks to a month,” Jones said. “We want to be careful with him.”

The victory was especially gratifying for Burt Bacharach in light of what happened to another of Heartlight No. One’s foals.

“This colt’s half-sister by Lyphard died on the farm,” he said. “She would have been a yearling. This win takes some of the sting out of that loss.”

Tanker Port, who continued Hofmans’ hot streak with a win in Friday’s feature, may return in the Native Diver Handicap Saturday.

One of 11 nominees to the 1 1/8-mile event, Tanker Port is now unbeaten in four appearances on the main track after running seven furlongs in 1:21 2/5 Friday while defeating Perceive Arrogance by almost three lengths.

“He came out of the race well,” Hofmans said. “We’re not certain if he’ll run. If the field comes up short, there’s more of a chance of him going.

“This horse has changed so much since Del Mar. Maybe he’s maturing now. He loves this track and he likes Santa Anita.”

Horse Racing Notes

Ray Seeley, who spent eight years on the California Horse Racing Board, has retired. He will be replaced by an appointee by the governor. . . . Hollywood Park linemaker Russ Hudak has established Grand Canyon the solid 6-5 favorite for today’s $1 million Hollywood Futurity. The Ron McAnally entry of Silver Ending and Single Dawn is next at 4-1, then comes Dominant Dancer and Individualist I (5-1), Farma Way (6-1), Phantom X. (15-1), Talented Pirate (20-1) and Elikos (30-1).