HOLLYWOOD PARK : Blues Traveller Wins American

The American Handicap became a foreign affair at Hollywood Park on Monday when an Irish-bred colt won the $218,000 grass race and two horses foaled in France were next across the finish line.

Blues Traveller, twice a winner at Golden Gate Fields but winless in three tries in Southern California, came from slightly off the pace to score a one-length victory, with Gothland finishing second, a half-length in front of Johann Quatz. Furiously, the 17-10 favorite, didn’t seem to appreciate the hard ground and ran fourth in a field of seven, beaten by 2 1/2 lengths.

At 150-1, Blues Traveller finished third in last year’s Epsom Derby, and two months later Gary Tanaka, a London investments manager, bought him for an undisclosed price. Blues Traveller ran once more in England, then joined trainer Rodney Rash in California.

Under Rash, Blues Traveller’s biggest victory before Monday was the Rolling Green Handicap. In his first start at Hollywood Park, he was third behind Grand Flotilla and Bien Bien in the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Turf Handicap. Chris Antley rode Blues Traveller last time, and Monday he became the first American jockey to ride him twice.

“I had a golden trip,” Antley said. “We settled in just off Eddie Delahoussaye’s horse (Silver Wizard, who ran sixth). This race was shorter in distance, and the grass was to his liking. My horse held in the stretch when those other horses came after us.”

Blues Traveler won for the fourth time in 14 starts, paying $12 as the fourth choice. His time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:46 2/5.

Gothland, ridden by Corey Nakatani, also finished second to Blues Traveller in the Rolling Green and carried high weight of 119 pounds Monday, four more than the winner.

“Maybe he has a (distance) limit, but that’s a wonderful horse,” said Wally Dollase, who trains Gothland. “He’s going to get a vacation now, and we’re going to point him for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.”

A more immediate goal for Blues Traveller is the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million on Aug. 28, with the chance that he might run one more race in between.

“I think this horse can handle anything from eight furlongs to a mile and a quarter,” Rash said. “If he gets the right trip, I think he can run with the best grass horses in the country.”

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Devil His Due won the $350,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park by a half-length over Valley Crossing.

Devil His Due, winner of the Brooklyn Handicap last month, carried high weight of 124 pounds and was hard-pressed to hold off Valley Crossing, who carried only 113. Devil His Due, ridden by Mike Smith, paid $3.60 at Belmont and $4 at Hollywood Park, running 1 1/4 miles in 2:02 2/5 and earning $210,000 to increase his bankroll to $3.3 million.

Kingdom Found, who went to Belmont because trainer Gary Jones didn’t like his weight assignment for Saturday’s Hollywood Gold Cup, led for a half-mile but quit running when Devil His Due passed him. He finished last in the five-horse field.

Despite Devil His Due’s recent achievements, the 5-year-old was no match for Holy Bull, the 3-year-old colt who easily defeated older horses in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on May 30.

Horse Racing Notes

The Suburban and the American handicaps were the first and last races in the National Best Seven, which hasn’t caught on and drew a handle of only $306,593 Monday. No one picked all seven winners and 15 50-cent tickets on six winners were worth $4,586.65 apiece. The other winners were Dinner in Rio (9-1) in the Ft. McHenry Handicap at Laurel, Hey Hazel (8-1) in the Molly Pitcher Handicap at Monmouth Park, Marastani (7-1) in the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington, Country Coy (6-1) in the Americana Handicap at Calder and Empire Pool (13-10) in the Independence Handicap at Louisiana Downs. . . . After six weeks, the jackpot carry-over pool, which is paid if there’s only one seven-horse winning ticket, is $92,774. . . . The Daily Racing Form’s cover price has gone up 15 cents to $3, plus tax.