HOLLYWOOD PARK : Distinguish Forum Makes a Fast Start

If nothing else, Distinguish Forum will be the answer to a trivia question.

The California-bred daughter of Shanekite became the first local 2-year-old winner of 1995 on Monday at Hollywood Park, easily dispatching her six rivals.

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for trainer Jerry Dutton and owners Barbara Dutton and J&J; Racing Stable, Distinguish Forum broke next-to-last, but quickly got to the front, had a lead of four lengths after a 22-second opening quarter, then rolled home by 13 lengths in 51 3/5 for the 4 1/2 furlongs.

The time was three-fifths of a second off the track record for the distance. Cat’s Cradle ran 51 flat when breaking her maiden last May 19. She has become a multiple-stakes winner for owner Georgia Ridder and trainer David Hofmans. Most recently, she won Oaklawn Park’s Fantasy Stakes.

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Cocooning continued to be the best $10,000 claim in recent memory when he beat stakes winners Celtic Arms, Alex The Great, Inner City and Raintrap in Monday’s feature, a $60,000 allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Sent immediately to the front by Sal Gonzalez Jr., the 6-year-old Saros gelding beat favored Celtic Arms by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:46 4/5, but only after surviving a stewards’ inquiry.

Cocooning has three victories, two seconds and a third in eight starts since owner-trainer Sam Aldabbagh claimed him last July 13. He has earned $93,200.