HOLLYWOOD PARK : Unfinished Symph Hits Right Note

Anybody who thought Unfinished Symph’s 16-1 upset in the Will Rogers Handicap last month was a fluke was surprised again Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Continuing to outperform his pedigree, which indicates he should be merely a sprinter, the Aloha Prospector colt took command in the final quarter of a mile under under Gary Baze and went on to a two-length victory over a troubled Vaudeville in the $108,100 Cinema Handicap for 3-year-olds.

Owned by Nancy Rice, Wesley Ward and Terry Hatcher and trained by former jockey Wesley Ward, Unfinished Symph has now won four of eight starts. He completed the 1 1/8 miles on turf in a stakes-record 1:46 2/5 and paid $9.40 as the 7-2 third choice.

Unbeaten in two races entering the Cinema, Vaudeville lacked room inside entering the stretch, then finished well once he was able to get clear to beat 3-2 favorite Fumo Di Londra by two lengths. Timbalier was a nose behind Fumo Di Londra in fourth.

“We had a pretty clean trip,” said Baze, the third-leading rider at Yakima Meadows who has come south for two stakes victories on Unfinished Symph.

“I worried about (Fumo Di Londra) turning for home, so I kind of wanted to keep him within my view. When I got even with him turning for home, I asked my colt and he went on with it.”

Said Gary Stevens, who rode Vaudeville: “We had a nightmare trip. Anybody who watched it, well, it speaks for itself. He was hemmed in the whole way and never got loose.”

Fumo Di Londra, who had beaten Unfinished Symph by three lengths in the Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap on May 21, set the pace under Alex Solis, but offered no resistance when challenged.