This Rainbow’s End Has a Sahadi Smile

A meeting trainer Jenine Sahadi wouldn’t number among her finest improved considerably Saturday.

Able to win only three times in the first 34 days here after leading the standings at Hollywood Park for most of the spring-summer season, Sahadi found a good spot to get her fourth victory.

Victimized by a lack of pace in the Sunset Handicap last month at Hollywood Park, Rainbow Dancer got some rapid splits to chase Saturday and earned a thrilling nose decision over 2-1 favorite Dowty in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap.

Ridden by Alex Solis for owners C.N. and Carol Ray’s Evergreen Farm, the 6-year-old Rainbow Quest trailed for six furlongs while outclassed longshot Perim and 2-1 third choice Mufattish set fractions much too fast for the distance, then rallied to get the lead in the stretch and outfinished Dowty in 2:13 3/5 for the 1 3/8 miles on turf.

This was a meet-high ninth stakes win for Solis and was the second in five American starts for the 2-1 second choice. Rainbow Dancer scored a 19-1 surprise against the now-retired Sunshack and Marlin in the Hollywood Turf Handicap last May 26.

“This sort of makes up for [the slow meeting],” Sahadi said. “I thought it might be a slow meeting because we had a good Santa Anita and Hollywood Park and it’s hard to keep that kind of pace up.

“This is a very difficult horse and Alex deserves to be commended. He’s spent a lot of time with this horse, working with him and talking to him and trying to get comfortable with him. Alex has a lot of faith in this horse.”

Of course, the victory wasn’t without anxious moments. The finish was extremely tight and Rainbow Dancer caused some problems at the starting gate.

“Every time something happens at the start here, I’m scared,” Sahadi said. “Alex was smart, though. He told them to unload the horse and then he got back on once he was outside, and then he reloaded fine. He’s never been a problem at the gate before, but he’s a strange horse.”

He’s also one who apparently doesn’t care for the whip, which might gladden the hearts of some followers of the sport.

“We got some pace to run at today and he got a chance to show that he’s a good horse,” Solis said. “He needs to have things his own way. That’s what he wants. I’ve been working with him in the mornings; getting on him, figuring him out and being his friend.

“I hit him one time in the stretch and he didn’t like it and he let me know it. It was like he was saying, ‘Hey, I’m doing the best I can.’ So I didn’t hit him anymore. I just kept riding him and made sure he could see [Dowty]. He was determined not to let [Dowty] get by.”

Winner of the Escondido Handicap earlier this meet in his return to California, Dowty finished a length clear of 26-1 shot Lord Jain, then came Seaborg, Old Chapel, Cloud Forest, Mufattish and Perim. Rene Douglas, who rode Lord Jain, claimed foul against the winner, but it was quickly dismissed by the stewards.

“He ran great,” Gary Stevens said of the runner-up. “You don’t mind getting beat when they ran that hard. He was coming back on again at the finish.”

Looking to win for the fifth time in his last six starts, Mufattish had nothing to offer at the end, having gone through 23 1/5, 47 1/5 and 1:11 2/5 fractions with Perim, the second longest price in the field at 29-1.

“He never relaxed today,” Eddie Delahoussaye said. “He just wanted to go. He relaxed the first time I rode him [in a 3 1/2-length win in the Wickerr Handicap on July 31], but going this far, he just wanted to go.”

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Favorite Trick, the most accomplished 2-year-old in the country and the overwhelming early favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile later this year at Hollywood Park, remained unbeaten with a decisive win in the $200,000 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga.

Ridden by Pat Day for owner Joseph LaCombe and trainer Patrick Byrne, the Phone Trick colt won for the sixth time, easily dispatching of K.O. Punch in the final furlong to win at 2-5 odds in 1:23 4/5 for the seven furlongs.

K.O. Punch, who was unbeaten in three starts at Hollywood Park earlier this year, lost for the second consecutive time to the favorite, but finished well clear of Jess M, who finished third at 43-1.

Tentative plans call for Favorite Trick to make one more start in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 18, three weeks before the Nov. 8 Breeders’ Cup. Byrne also trains the promising 2-year-old filly Countess Diana, who romped to her third win in four starts in the Spinaway on Friday at Saratoga.

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Two streaks will be on the line when Radu Cool, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, goes against six other fillies and mares in today’s $300,000 Chula Vista Handicap.

The 5-year-old Carnivalay mare is perfect in three starts on the Del Mar main track and her rider, Chris McCarron, has won the last three Chula Vistas with Paseana, Borodislew and Different.

Trained by John Shirreffs for the 505 Farms, Radu Cool will be looking for her second victory of the current meeting. She won the Bayakoa Handicap on July 28, taking advantage of a fast early pace in front of her.

Toda Una Dama, who will be looking to give trainer Ron McAnally his fourth Chula Vista victory win since 1990, is the 5-2 second choice in her U.S. stakes debut. She has won three in a row, including a victory on the turf here on Aug. 3.

Completing the field are Chile Chatte, the 3-1 third choice who will be racing on Lasix for the first time, Swoon River, Supercilious, Traces Of Gold and Real Connection. Ocean View was scratched Saturday in favor of a softer spot on Monday.