OAK TREE : Favorite Upset as Caherdaniel Wins Russell Handicap

Caherdaniel isn’t among the top turf horses in the country, but nobody can deny the 4-year-old gelding’s consistency.

Campaigned at six tracks in four states this year, the son of Tank’s Prospect picked up his sixth victory with a nose verdict over favored Dream Fitz in the $106,900 Henry P. Russell Handicap Sunday at Santa Anita.

Sent immediately to the front from his outside post in a field reduced to nine after three late scratches, Caherdaniel and Alex Solis slowed the pace (24, 48 and 1:12 1/5 for six furlongs), then gamely held off Dream Fitz, the 2-1 choice, after a stretch-long battle.

Owned by the Three Point Stable of Edward, Albert and Eddie J. Corey and trained by Bob Marshall, the 4-1 shot covered the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:50 2/5. In addition to the six victories, he has four seconds and a third in a dozen starts this year.

This was the third race in California for Caherdaniel, who previously had competed at Turf Paradise, Retama Park and Louisiana Downs. In his first local start, he upset Smooth Runner at 12-1, then had a troubled trip when fourth in the Bay Meadows Handicap before the Russell.

“I was very fortunate to make the lead that I did from the outside,” Solis said. “There looked like a couple of others in there with speed. As soon as he took the lead, he relaxed right away and I was able to make my own pace.

“When I got to the half-mile [pole], I figured I better open up now because we were going pretty slow. When I saw [Dream Fitz] right up next to me at the eighth pole, my horse just kept trying and the other horse couldn’t get by. This is a really game horse.”

Dream Fitz finished nearly two lengths ahead of Golden Post, then came Polish Admiral, Saltgrass, Unrivaled, Ranger, Walter Willy, the 3-1 second choice, and Cocooning.

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Lester Holt, a longtime trainer on the Southern California circuit, died Saturday of cancer at his Del Mar home.

No services will be held for Holt, 86, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the San Diego Hospice Society, 4311 Third Ave., San Diego.

Among the best horses trained by Holt, still an owner at the time of his death, were Don B., Sharp Curve and Prince Spellbound.

Prince Spellbound won four stakes at Santa Anita--the San Rafael, California Breeders’ Champion and Alibahi Handicap in 1982 and the El Rio Rey the year before. He also took the 1983 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar and was third in both the Hollywood Gold Cup and Hollywood Invitational Handicap that year.

Sharp Curve won the Las Flores Handicap in 1967 and the Santa Paula Handicap the following year. Don B. won the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes in 1968 and the San Miguel in 1968 before finishing seventh after having the lead in the Kentucky Derby.

Survived by a daughter, Beverly Yuhause-Becker, and son-in-law, Charles Becker, Holt was also well-known in the San Diego area for being co-owner of four restaurants, including Bully’s North in Del Mar.

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Score Quick collected his fifth victory of 1995 and pushed his earnings for the year past $250,000 with a three-length victory over Desert Pirate in the $60,500 Hyannis Port.

Well off the fast pace set by longshot A.J. Jett, who wound up last in the field of five, Score Quick rallied on the turn under Kent Desormeaux and drew off to win in 1:09 for the six furlongs. A 3-year-old son of Northern Score, owner Bill Thomas’ colt now has six victories in 25 lifetime starts and he has been worse than third only five times in 16 races this year.

Score Quick paid $8 as the 3-1 second choice. He is trained by Mel Stute, who also saddled Desert Pirate. Profit Margin, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth, his first loss in five starts.

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Trainer Mike Mitchell was fined $750 by Oak Tree stewards Pete Pedersen, Tom Ward and Ingrid Fermin for two medication violations. Who He, who finished last in the first race at Hollywood Park on July 14, and Turbulent Dancer, who won the El Cajon on Sept. 13 at Del Mar, tested positive for methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant. It is a permitted medication, but it can’t be in a horse’s system on race day.