HOLLYWOOD PARK : Jazzing Hi Wins Classics Sprint

Jazzing Hi, returning from a nine-month layoff, won the $32,000 Breeders Classics Sprint by a head at Hollywood Park on Saturday night.

It was Jazzing Hi’s first victory in three Breeders Classics races. He was was second in the 1990 Breeders Championship Classic and was fourth in last year’s Championship Classic.

Eight stakes were held Saturday at Hollywood Park and seven were Breeders Classics events. In other races, Ima Ladys Alibi won the Distaff Classic, Smooth Movin Gal won the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Assn. Breeders Futurity--the only non-Breeders Classic race on the card--and Short Dash won the Breeders Classic Juvenile by a nose, upsetting 6-5 favorite Mega Dash.

Jazzing Hi is owned by Kenneth Wright of Fresno and Wayne Charlton of Ogden, Utah. The 6-year-old horse had not started since winning the Horsemen’s Quarter Horse Racing Assn. Invitational at Los Alamitos in January. He then stood at stud in Fresno before being prepared for the races last July. His owners’ goal this winter is the $250,000 Champion Of Champions at Los Alamitos.

Jazzing Hi took the lead from the start, but lost the lead briefly to Stochastic before coming on in the final strides to cover the 350 yards in 17.47 seconds.

“He left (the gate) like a bullet,” winning rider Bruce Pilkenton said. “He really dug in when Stochastic came up to him. I wasn’t very concerned, but I gave him a whipping to make him think about it (anyway).”

Jazzing Hi paid $5.80 to win. Stochastic, who could have been claimed for $12,500 two months ago, finished second, a nose in front of One Slick One.

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Jack Van Berg, the all-time winningest thoroughbred trainer, won his debut as a quarter horse trainer when he sent out Ed Allred’s Spencers Secret in the third race.

Spencers Secret ran 350 yards in 17.83 seconds and was victorious by a head. He was the betting favorite in the field of five two-year-olds and returned $4.40 to win.

“He fell down and at the start, got up and beat them,” Van Berg said. “It’s the first quarter horse I’ve started. It’s fun.”

Van Berg was in a hurry to find Blane Schvaneveldt, the all-time winningest quarter horse trainer, to give him some good natured ribbing.

“I want to tell him I’m a better student then he is,” Van Berg said. “I tried to tell him how to train his thoroughbreds, but he wouldn’t listen. I just did what they told me to do.”