Kona Gold Is Acquitted in Crosby

DEL MAR — Jockey Alex Solis, who had just finished first with Kona Gold in the $194,000 Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap, got off the phone with the stewards here Saturday and didn’t sound too impressed with Victor Espinoza’s foul claim against his horse.

“I think Espinoza’s hair is burning up his brain,” joked Solis, referring to the other jockey dyeing his hair gold before a win with Early Pioneer in the Hollywood Gold Cup.

The three Del Mar stewards thought enough of Espinoza’s objection, on behalf of his mount, Love That Red, to review the Crosby for about five minutes before allowing Kona Gold’s three-quarter-length win to stand. The horses brushed during the stretch run.

Lexicon, the pace-setter with Levelled until Kona Gold went into high gear, finished third in the six-horse field, with Son Of A Pistol, who broke awkwardly, finishing fourth. Son Of A Pistol, with Solis riding, had won the six-furlong Crosby in 1998.

Kona Gold is headed for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, with a race here, the Pat O’Brien Handicap on Aug. 20, and the Ancient Title at Santa Anita on Oct. 14, in between. Kona Gold, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Bruce Headley, was second, half a length back of Artax, in last year’s Sprint at Gulfstream Park, and ran third at Churchill Downs in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup.

Headley said Son Of A Pistol will also come back in the O’Brien. Two years older than Kona Gold, Son Of A Pistol was 13th in last year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Going into the Crosby, Kona Gold hadn’t run in more than three months.

“He was in as good a shape as I could get him off workouts,” Headley said, “but racing always makes him tighter.”

Kona Gold’s preparation for the Crosby included a couple of sub-minute five-furlong workouts, one at Santa Anita and a more recent conditioner at Del Mar.

“When I asked him [Saturday], he showed his class,” Solis said. “He’s a warrior, a laid-back warrior.”

Kona Gold, clocked in 1:08 2/5, ran as an entry with Son Of A Pistol and paid $3.20 to win. The first-place purse of $124,200 pushed his career total over the $1-million mark. He has had six wins, six seconds and one third in 15 starts.

Love That Red had won the Malibu on opening day at Santa Anita in December.

“[Kona Gold] hit my horse in the rear and he lost his balance,” Espinoza said. “It cost me. I had to claim foul. I honestly didn’t think I’d win it, but I had to do it. That’s my job. When my horse made that big move on the turn, I thought I was going to win.”

Kona Gold carried 123 pounds, high weight and five pounds more than Love That Red.

In the next race, Eddie Delahoussaye rode the winner of the Osunitas Handicap for the second consecutive year when Smooth Player, who was 4-1, beat Beautiful Noise by half a length. Evening Promise ran third and the favorite, Polaire, was fourth. Tranquility Lake, Smooth Player’s entrymate, was scratched.

Delahoussaye won the Osunitas last year with Que Belle.

*

Corey Nakatani, injured in a postrace spill on Friday night’s card, suffered a broken right thumb, a late-afternoon announcement from the track said, and without the track doctor’s clearance will not ride today. Nakatani’s agent, Bob Meldahl, had said earlier that the injury was a sprain and that he expected Nakatani to ride.

Nakatani’s absence means trainer Bobby Frankel will need a rider for Chester House in the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap today. Chester House, who returns to grass after three losses on dirt, the most recent a seventh-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup, is 6-1 on the morning line. The favorites are Dark Moondancer, 9-5, and Ladies Din, 5-2.

*

With Nakatani unable to travel to Saratoga on Saturday for the $250,000 Test Stakes, Shane Sellers deputized on favored Chilukki, who had a tough trip while finishing sixth as Dream Supreme, ridden by Pat Day for owner George Steinbrenner and trainer Bill Mott, beat 10 other 3-year-old fillies at 7-1.

Dream Supreme, running seven furlongs in 1:22 3/5, was 1 1/4 lengths better than Finder’s Fee, who finished third. Dream Supreme scored her first stakes win.

*

Frankel, who has won the Eddie Read seven times, won Saturday’s $150,000 Arlington Handicap with Northern Quest, who finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Profit Option, running 1 1/4 miles on a soft grass course in 2:02.

Northern Quest, ridden by Robby Albarado, who has joined the jockey colony at Del Mar, paid $5.80 for $2. The 5-year-old French-bred notched his first win for Frankel in his second start in the United States.

Horse Racing Notes

Captain Steve, winner of the Swaps at Hollywood Park, will run in the $1-million Haskell Handicap a week from today. Another California invader will be Dixie Union. . . . At Los Alamitos on Friday night, Dashing Knud, at 29-1, won the $441,500 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity for quarter horses. Secret Card, the favorite, was second and Corona Cocktail finished third. . . . In England, a crowd of 36,604 went to Ascot to see Montjeu win the $1.1-million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. Owned by Michael Tabor and ridden by Mick Kinane for trainer John Hammond, Montjeu finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Fantastic Light, with Daliapour running third. Montjeu, the 1-3 favorite, ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:29 4/5, winning for the 10th time in 12 starts.