Pat Valenzuela Proves Point in a Hurry

For more than two years, Pat Valenzuela has been pleading with trainer John Sadler for a chance to ride Olympic Prospect.

After the 6-year-old gelding’s disastrous seventh-place finish in the Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 25, Sadler decided to grant Valenzuela’s wish.

The wait turned out to be more than worth it.

Once Olympic Prospect popped the gate in the $102,900 Potrero Grande Handicap Wednesday at Santa Anita, the only things to wonder about were how wide a margin he would win by and what his time would be.

At the end of the 6 1/2 furlongs, the 1-2 favorite had seven lengths on Raise a Stanza and had covered the distance in 1:14 1/5, a tick off Mark’s Place’s 13-year-old track record.

Actually, the record would have been his had Valenzuela not geared him down in the final yards.

En route to his 13th win in 27 starts, Olympic Prospect went :21 flat for the first quarter, an amazing :42 4/5 for the half mile, and equaled Sunny Blossom’s track record for six furlongs at 1:07 1/5.

“With our new rider, it was a case of speed on speed,” said Sadler, who scratched Frost Free after determining that the track, despite the morning rain, would agree with Olympic Prospect.

“We thought Pat would give him that extra half step at the gate and really kick him out there like only Patrick can do. We thought this horse was better overall, but a half-step slower out of the gate.”

Valenzuela had a hard time comprehending the fractional times he noticed on his way back to the winner’s circle.

“Forty-two and four-fifths!” he said. “That’s unbelievable. I wasn’t asking him. I was just sitting on him. John had him super ready and the track was not lightning fast.

“I was pulling him up the last 15 to 20 strides. He was just galloping to the wire.”

Horse Racing Notes

Doncareer and Downtown Davey completed the order of finish in the Potrero Grande, which was also reduced by the scratch of Timeless Answer. . . . Olympic Prospect may head next to New York for a start in the Carter Handicap on May 5. . . . Frost Free is slated to run at Keeneland a week from today in the Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup at seven furlongs.

Bothered by a sore collarbone injured in a spill Saturday, Russell Baze took off the remainder of his mounts Wednesday after finishing second aboard Naturally Mitch in the first. Ron Anderson, Baze’s agent, said X-rays proved negative, but that Baze would not ride today and is hoping to return Friday. . . . On a mandatory payout day in the Pick Nine, 21 tickets had eight winners and each was worth $26,985.80.