DEL MAR : Gold Land Prospers in Bing Crosby Stake

Day by day, there is evidence that Hollywood Park form is being lost in the translation at Del Mar.

Jewel Princess, beaten by 5 3/4 lengths by Auriette in Inglewood, beat the same filly by 1 3/4 lengths in Saturday’s San Clemente Handicap, and on Sunday there was another track-to-track flip-flop when Gold Land drubbed Concept Win in winning the $156,800 Bing Crosby Handicap.

Gold Land drubbed other challengers as well, closing strongly in the six-furlong stake to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Lucky Forever. A length farther back was G Malleah, who was a half-length in front of D’Hallevant. Polar Route and Concept Win were the last two in the six-horse field.

Concept Win, the third choice, finished a half-length ahead of Gold Land in the Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 24. Gold Land had won twice earlier in the meet, but the Triple Bend was the first stakes start in the United States for the 4-year-old gelding from England.

Neil Drysdale, not very successful at Del Mar in recent years, saddled Gold Land, who paid $6.20 after reaching the wire in 1:08. Gold Land, carrying 116 pounds, three less than the top-weighted Concept Win and two less than Lucky Forever, was the slight favorite over Lucky Forever and Concept Win.

Eddie Delahoussaye, given a five-day suspension by the Del Mar stewards earlier in the day, rode Gold Land to victory for the third time. Delahoussaye sat behind rapid fractions as Lucky Forever and Concept Win dueled for the lead through a :44 1/5 half-mile. G Malleah joined the chase at the top of the stretch, before Gold Lane passed them all with about a sixteenth of a mile left.

Penalized for the disqualification of a horse he rode Saturday, Delahoussaye will sit out five days starting Thursday.

“Didn’t take any chances today,” Delahoussaye said Sunday. “I went up on the outside coming for home. I went nice and wide.”

Horse Racing Notes

Concern is coming from Maryland for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 13, and Gary Stevens will be his new rider. Mike Smith has been riding the 4-year-old colt this year, including a victory in the Californian and a sixth-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup. With Cigar not expected to run in the Pacific Classic, Concern is the probable favorite. In the third running of the race, Stevens won with Bertrando in 1993. . . . Marty and Pam Wygod enjoyed a successful season at Hollywood Park, and another horse they bred, the 3-year-old filly, Sound Wisdom, won the $77,250 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar Sunday. . . . Russell Baze, who won his 5,000th race at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday and started Sunday with 5,001 victories, rode Cobra King to an easy maiden victory at Del Mar. . . . Composer won the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.