Favorite Trick a Precocious Kid

Arriving at Hollywood Park from Kentucky a couple of weeks ago, Favorite Trick trained beautifully in his new surroundings. A five-furlong workout in 58 4/5 seconds told trainer Patrick Byrne his undefeated colt was ready.

Favorite Trick ran even better than he trained. His 5 1/2-length win in the Juvenile came in 1:41 2/5 for 1 1/16 miles, breaking the Breeders’ Cup record of 1:41 3/5 that Unbridled’s Song set at Belmont Park in 1995.

Ridden by Pat Day, who won a Breeders’ Cup race for the ninth time, Favorite Trick paid $4.40 and extended his unbeaten streak to eight races.

“He was just playing with the opposition,” Byrne said. “And those were tough horses. There were horses in there that weren’t just coming off maiden wins.”

Longshots finished immediately behind Favorite Trick. Dawson’s Legacy, at 78-1, was second, a neck better than Nationalore, 40-1. Souvenir Copy, winner of the Del Mar Futurity and the Norfolk, had too much to do after running fifth early and wound up fourth. Grand Slam, the 2-1 second choice, clipped heels with Johnbill going into the first turn, suffered two cuts on his rear left leg and was eased by jockey Gary Stevens through the stretch.

“A two-inch vertical cut into his tendon sheath is the more serious injury,” veterinarian Wayne McIlwraith said. “Our biggest fear is infection. He’s being treated with antibiotics. The leg has been stabilized with a bandage, and he is being transferred to an equine medical center in Cypress. I’ll inspect it [today], suture it and sew the skin together and reconstruct.”

Favorite Trick becomes the early favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby. But a winner of the Juvenile has never won the Derby.

Asked how good Favorite Trick is, Day said: “He gave a stellar performance and he’s a special colt. I’ve never been on a 2-year-old who was unbeaten and won a Breeders’ Cup race. That says it all.”

Favorite Trick will get six weeks off at a farm in Ocala, Fla. His pedigree doesn’t translate to distance, but Byrne is looking forward to stretching him out.

“If he ends up running on Derby day, great,” the trainer said. “If he doesn’t, there’s a mile race [the week] before, the Derby Trial, at Churchill Downs. We know he can run at least a mile.”

Chris McCarron rode Souvenir Copy.

“I had no problems and no excuse to offer,” McCarron said. “He ran very disappointingly.”

Stevens said Grand Slam also was cut on his right hind leg.

“He got cut up really, really bad,” Stevens said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

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PAST WINNERS

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Year Horse Jockey Margin Payoff 1984 Chief’s Crown D. MacBeth 3/4 length $3.40 1985 Tasso L. Pincay Nose $13.20 1986 Capote L. Pincay 1 1/4 lengths $6.80 1987 Success Express J. Santos 1 3/4 lengths $10.20 1988 Is It True L. Pincay 1 1/4 lengths $20.40 1989 Rhythm C. Perret 2 lengths $7.20 1990 Fly So Free J. Santos 3 lengths $4.80 1991 Arazi P. Valenzuela 5 lengths $6.20 1992 Gilded Time C. McCarron 3/4 length $6.00 1993 Brocco G. Stevens 5 lengths $8.00 1994 Timber Country P. Day 2 lengths $6.80 1995 Unbridled’s Song M. Smith Neck $12.40 1996 Boston Harbor J. Bailey Neck $2.40 1997 Favorite Trick P. Day 5 1/2 lengths $4.40

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