Super Tuesday’s Stakes Victory Is Anything but Dull

In terms of quality, Sunday’s $100,000 California Sire Stakes was probably the most unattractive stakes race that has been run at the current Hollywood Park meet.

At least the contest restricted to 3-year-old fillies bred in California was exciting.

Three of the six entrants finished together on the wire with 7-5 second choice Super Tuesday prevailing by a nose. Ace’s Valentine, who set all the pace, and 16-1 shot Dena’s Diamond couldn’t be separated after a lengthy photo-finish delay and wound up in a dead heat.

A daughter of Political Ambition owned and bred by John Harris and Sheila Williams, Super Tuesday won for the third time in eight starts. She completed the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:42 3/5. Trained by Dean Pederson, Super Tuesday won for the second time in three tries on the grass and gave jockey Alex Solis the first of his three winners to begin the program.

“I wasn’t sure if I got there or not, but I got lucky,” Solis said. “She hopped a little bit leaving the gate, and then I got into a little bit of traffic on the inside. I finally got through around the eighth pole and she came home very strongly.”

With six days left in the Hollywood Park meet, Solis holds a 57-55 advantage over Laffit Pincay Jr. in the jockey standings.

Among the trainers, Jack Carava, who is looking for his first title, has 21 winners, four more than Bob Baffert and five ahead of Richard Mandella.

A stumbling start didn’t keep E Dubai from turning the tables on Hero’s Tribute in the $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.

No match for Hero’s Tribute in the Peter Pan Handicap on May 26, E Dubai, a 3-year-old son of Mr. Prospector, rolled to a 5 3/4-length victory in the Grade II race over a sloppy track.

As the 6-5 second choice in a field reduced to four after Griffinite and I Love Silver were scratched, the $1.35-million yearling completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 1/5 under jockey Jerry Bailey.

E Dubai, owned by Godolphin Racing, Inc. and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, has now won four of six, but the Dwyer was his first graded stakes victory.

“The only thing that worried me was when he stumbled at the start,” said Tom Albertani, the colt’s assistant trainer. “I didn’t want to see him rushed up to the lead. When I saw him in front, I was relieved because he was well in hand.

“The time between races definitely helped today. I’d love to see him go on to the Jim Dandy [Aug. 4 at Saratoga] and the Travers [on Aug. 25].”

Hero’s Tribute, second while E Dubai was setting extremely fast fractions (22 1/5, 44, 1:07 4/5 and 1:33 2/5 for the mile), weakened late and finished third as the 9-10 favorite, beaten by early trailer Windsor Castle. Regal Shivers finished a distant last, about 22 lengths behind E Dubai.