Strike The Gold, Best Pal to Stay Home

Although Strike The Gold tightened the point standings in the nine-race American Championship Racing Series on Saturday, it is unlikely that the 1991 Kentucky Derby winner and Best Pal, his West Coast rival, will meet again in the series.

Strike The Gold, winner of the Pimlico Special last month, came from 16 lengths behind to win race No. 5 in the championship series, the $500,000 Nassau County Handicap, at Belmont Park.

That victory gives Strike The Gold 20 points in the standings that determine $1.5 million in bonus money. First place is worth $750,000.

Best Pal, winner of the Santa Anita and Oaklawn Handicaps and fourth in the Pimlico Special, has 23 points. He probably will stay in California for two $1-million races, the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 27 and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30. Best Pal won the Pacific Classic last year.

The other races remaining in the championship series are the New England Classic at Rockingham Park on July 18 and the Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park on Aug. 8. Strike The Gold may not compete in them. His trainer, Nick Zito, said that the 4-year-old colt’s next start probably will be the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 4.

Eddie Delahoussaye, who won the Belmont aboard A.P. Indy, might have overtaken Strike The Gold with Pleasant Tap in the Nassau County, but had a troubled trip and had to settle for second place, a neck behind. Sultry Song finished third, and the rest of the order of finish was Out Of Place, In Excess, Silver Ending, favored Fly So Free, Twilight Agenda and Dance Floor. There were suicidal early fractions in the 1 1/8-mile race, with Dance Floor and In Excess running 44 4/5 seconds for a half-mile and 1:08 2/5 for six furlongs.

“I got into a traffic problem at the quarter pole, and I think that cost us the race,” Delahoussaye said of Pleasant Tap’s trip. “I wanted to get out(side), but everybody was spread out. So we cut the corner, but the horses in front of me were stopping and they came together and just stopped.”

Craig Perret rode Strike The Gold, who ended a 12-race losing streak in the Pimlico Special. He was timed in 1:46 3/5 over a muddy track.