Races Are Going to a Go Go

Purchased as a yearling for $22,000 in 1998, Go Go has turned out to be quite a bargain.

Owned by Alan, Paula and Roger Thomas, Go Go--a daughter of Falstaff--pushed her career earnings to $397,280 with a half-length victory as the even-money favorite over 8-5 second-choice Kalookan Queen in the $106,000 Desert Stormer Handicap Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Warren Stute and ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, Go Go earned her sixth victory in seven races, completing the six furlongs in 1:08. A nose loss to La Feminn in the Irish O’Brien Stakes on March 17--a race voted the best of the Santa Anita winter-spring meet--is what separates Go Go from a seven-race victory streak.

After Go Go broke in front, Delahoussaye was content to sit third down the backside while Kalookan Queen, who was making her first start since April 7, 2000, set a fast pace--21 3/5 and 44 2/5 for the half-mile. Ridden confidently, Go Go took over in deep stretch for her seventh victory in 13 appearances.

“She was best,” Delahoussaye said. “Warren has her on top of her game. She’s been almost perfect in her last seven races.

“She broke real sharp today and I was happy with that. I let her settle because she runs better from off the pace. She relaxes more. This filly gives you all she’s got.

“At the sixteenth pole, I thought I had [Kalookan Queen]. A little past the sixteenth pole, I wasn’t sure. The other filly was running. She wasn’t stopping.”

Kalookan Queen finished up four lengths ahead of 19-1 longshot Wired To Fly, then came Nena Maka and Image Of Glory.

Include, who is among the nominees for next month’s Hollywood Gold Cup, won his fifth in a row--a four-length victory with Jerry Bailey aboard in the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs in Boston.

Owned by Robert Meyerhoff and trained by Bud Delp, Include--a 4-year-old Broad Brush colt--tracked the pace set by Sir Bear and even-money favorite Broken Vows, then took charge entering the stretch over the sloppy track and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 3/5.

Include, who had defeated Albert The Great in the Pimlico Special three weeks earlier, has won nine of 12 races and as the 17-10 second choice in the field of seven in the Massachusetts. Sir Bear, the 5-2 third choice, was second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Broken Vows.

In a race switched from the turf to a muddy main track, Critical Eye--the 13-10 favorite--cruised to a 7 1/2-length victory over Playact and three others in the $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park.

It was the eighth win in 21 races for Critical Eye, a 4-year-old Dynaformer filly owned by Carol and Herb Schwartz and trained by Scott Schwartz.

Critical Eye, ridden by Mike Luzzi, completed the 1 3/8 miles in 2:18. Janet, who had won two in a row in California, was third under jockey David Flores in her first start on dirt.

Jockey Victor Espinoza had three winners at Hollywood Park.