Benchmark Isn’t Hamstrung by Rivals in the Goodwood

If all goes well, trainer Ron Ellis and owners Marty and Pam Wygod will have plenty to cheer for on Breeders’ Cup Day Nov. 8 at Hollywood Park.

Twice The Vice, who is scheduled to participate in the Lady’s Secret Breeders’ Cup Handicap a week from today, is aiming for the Distaff. Exotic Wood, who won an allowance race four days ago, is being pointed for the Sprint. And Benchmark earned a trip to the Classic with a 1 3/4-length victory over Score Quick in the $248,700 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Perfect in three starts in Arcadia, the 11-10 favorite trailed for most of the way behind some moderate fractions, then took charge in the stretch to win going away in 1:47 3/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Bothered by a problem in a hind leg, the 6-year-old Alydar horse looked fine in the final quarter of a mile. He should be suited to the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

“You’re always concerned about [stifle] trouble,” Ellis said. “I’d compare it to an athlete having a hamstring injury. The faster ones get them and they deal with them.

“Some horses just won’t run when they have small things bothering them. It’s not a life-threatening thing with him, but it has to irritate him quite a bit.

“He forgets about it when he runs, like a lot of good athletes do. I’m just hoping he comes out of the race well.

“This horse obviously has a lot of heart. It was a very gallant effort out there today. He’s a winner, that’s all there is to it.”

Fresh off a victory in the Pomona Handicap, Score Quick, the longest shot in the field at 17-1, took advantage of the slow splits (22 4/5 and 47 for the half-mile) and held on to beat Hesabull by a head for second place.

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Elmhurst may have earned himself a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with a head victory over 16-1 shot Swiss Yodeler in the $155,000 Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Making his first start at six furlongs, the 7-year-old Wild Again gelding took advantage of a fast early pace and got up to win in 1:08 4/5 under Corey Nakatani.

If Elmhurst, the 5-1 third choice in the field of seven Saturday, does run in the Sprint next month, he’ll provide his connections an opportunity to win the race for the second consecutive year. In 1996, Nakatani, owners Carol and C.N. Ray and trainer Jenine Sahadi won in Toronto with Lit De Justice, who was then voted the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top sprinter.

The Breeders’ Cup looks out of the question for Lakota Brave. The 7-10 favorite and defending Ancient Title champion finished sixth under Eddie Delahoussaye and another layoff seems likely.

“It looks like he pulled up lame,” trainer Bruce Headley said. “When Eddie pulled him up, he was bobbling. He must have hurt himself somehow. Maybe he re-injured an old injury.”

An 8-year-old, Lakota Brave has started only 18 times.

The victory Saturday was the seventh in 42 races for Elmhurst.

“I would think he would [run in the Sprint],” said Sahadi, who owns Elmhurst along with the Rays. “I think the sprint division this year is wide open, and he loves Hollywood Park.

“I was a little undecided about running in this race because it was [six furlongs], but if we had any aspirations at all to try to run him in the Breeders’ Cup we had to find out.”

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Marje Everett, the former chief executive officer at Hollywood Park, was reported resting comfortably at UCLA Medical Center Saturday after suffering a heart attack Friday.

According to a nursing supervisor, Everett, 76, is alert and talking in the coronary care unit of the hospital and is listed in stable condition. She is scheduled to undergo further testing. “She’s much improved,” the nursing supervisor side. “She’s progressing well and she’s going to be fine.”

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Marlin and Sandpit, who finished a half-length apart in the Arlington Million, with the former getting the victory, will meet again today in the Grade I, $300,000 Oak Tree Turf Championship.

Only three others will start in the 1 1/4-mile turf affair--Lord Jain, Rainbow Dancer and Expelled--and most of the attention will be focused on the two favorites. Marlin is 8-5 on Jeff Tufts’ morning line and Sandpit is 9-5.

Continuing a campaign that has seen him win four times in seven tries on the turf, including two Grade I triumphs, Marlin will use today’s race as a springboard to the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

With Gary Stevens riding for trainer Wayne Lukas and owner Michael Tabor, the 4-year-old Sword Dance colt has won two of his previous three starts on the Santa Anita grass course.

Sandpit has the same kind of win percentage locally and has won four of six here. Nakatani will ride for trainer Richard Mandella.

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Working for the first time since he finished a shocking last in the Pegasus last month at the Meadowlands, Touch Gold went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Hollywood Park.

“I got him in 1:01 2/5 and galloping out [six furlongs] in 1:13,” trainer Dave Hofmans said. “He usually doesn’t gallop out like this. He usually pulls right up after the work.”

Expected to return in the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, Touch Gold, who won the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational this year, is scheduled to work seven furlongs Friday.

“We’ve finally got a little breathing room with the Breeders’ Cup four weeks away,” Hofmans said. “I feel really good about the way this horse is doing right now.”