Reraise Makes Speedy Return

If all goes well, a couple of Breeders’ Cup Sprint winners could hook up for the first time early in 2001.

Eight days after Kona Gold earned his Sprint win at Churchill Downs, Reraise, who won the race in 1998, made a successful comeback Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Running for the first time since winning the Oakland Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on May 2, 1999, the 5-year-old gelding led all the way against only three opponents and won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:09 3/5 for the six furlongs.

Reraise, a 3-10 favorite trained by Craig Dollase for a partnership and ridden by Corey Nakatani, scored for the eighth time in nine starts. Back from a leg injury, the son of Danzatore could return in the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood on Dec. 10. Any showdown with Kona Gold would come in one of Santa Anita’s sprint stakes.

“He’d been training awfully well and couldn’t have come into the race better,” Dollase said. “It’s a big win to come back off the injury he had.

“We gave him the time he needed. Everybody was patient with me and it all worked out. A great bunch of people own this horse.

“He came back a little tired, but it looks like he came back fine. He wasn’t blowing too bad.”

Purchased privately by his current connections after a win against $62,500 maidens in his debut on Oct. 29, 1997, Reraise has earned his last five victories with Nakatani.

“This afternoon was a big test being down on the inside and having been away for such a long time,” said Nakatani. “I was just glad to see him break sharp and put himself right back into the race.

“I was able to get a little breather at the three-eighths pole. Turning for home, I asked him to kick on and he did. He’s back and hopefully he’ll just keep getting better.”

The Morris Monroe, the longest shot in the small field at 10-1, gained the place by a nose over Son Of A Pistol, who is the only horse to defeat Kona Gold this year, and Orville N Wilbur’s was last. Old Topper was scratched off the program.

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Anyone who thought Senure was in trouble with a quarter of a mile to run in Sunday’s $76,450 Steinlen Handicap didn’t remember the way the 4-year-old finished in his first two races in this country.

Making his first start since May 29 for trainer Bobby Frankel, the 2-1 favorite staged the same kind of rally he did in victories earlier this year to win for the fifth time in 13 career starts.

Senure, ridden by Victor Espinoza for the Juddmonte Farms, ran down Self Feeder, who was looking for his second consecutive win in the Steinlen, in the final yards for a half-length victory in 1:39 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Last for a half mile, the son of Nureyev started to move while wide around the far turn and was going away at the finish. He has won three of four in the U.S. with his only loss coming when he was fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Grade I Charlie Whittingham Handicap in the spring.

Notes

After the first five days of Hollywood Park’s seven-week fall-winter meet, David Flores is atop the jockey standings with six victories, one more than Corey Nakatani. . . . Mike Mitchell leads the trainers with four wins, one more than Ian Jory. . . . Breeders’ Cup Mile winner War Chant, who may run next in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 26, worked an extremely easy half mile in 54 4/5 Sunday morning for trainer Neil Drysdale.