Bienamado Takes Firm Stance in Victory

Put Bienamado on a firm turf course and the striking 5-year-old chestnut is unbeatable.

At least the son of Bien Bien has been since coming to trainer Paco Gonzalez’s barn last year.

Bienamado, a 1-2 favorite against eight rivals in the $350,000 Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap on Sunday at Hollywood Park, won by 1 1/2 lengths over 7-2 second choice Senure.

With Chris McCarron aboard, Bienamado tracked the slow pace set by longshot Bombard, who wound up last, took the lead into the stretch and went on to his eighth win in 15 lifetime starts. Completing the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 1/5, he earned his second consecutive Grade I win for owners Trudy McCaffery, John Toffan and Robert Sangster. He had won the San Juan Capistrano on April 14 at Santa Anita.

Senure, one of two entrants saddled by trainer Bobby Frankel, finished a nose in front of stablemate Timboroa, who was a head better than 5-1 third choice White Heart.

Jockey Victor Espinoza inherited the mount on White Heart when Gary Stevens was injured in a mishap during the post parade of the eighth race. Stevens, who suspended his career for several months because of knee problems, apparently twisted his right knee when Pride Of Cats, a maiden trained by Ron McAnally, unseated the Hall of Famer minutes before the start of the race. Stevens said he will undergo an MRI exam today.

Now perfect in four races on the Hollywood Park turf course and six for six overall on grass, Bienamado will probably have two more starts before the Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Belmont Park. Next up is the Arlington Million on Aug. 18.

“I think he’s at his best right now,” said Gonzalez, who also had won the Whittingham with Bien Bien in 1993 when the race was called the Hollywood Turf Handicap. “I think he’s as good as his father. I think he’s getting better and better. He’s sounder than he was last year.”

Many watching the $500,000 Californian had little doubt about the winner before the field had run a quarter of a mile.

Once Skimming was able to establish a clear lead over longshot Blade Prospector, the Grade II was his for the taking.

Rated perfectly on the pace by Garrett Gomez, who has been on a stakes roll at Hollywood Park, the 5-year-old Nureyev horse won for the sixth time in 16 starts, defeating 2-1 second choice Futural by a length in 1:48 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Coupled in the wagering with Aptitude, who finished a non-threatening third, Skimming returned $3.20 as the Juddmonte Farms-owned entry was the 3-5 favorite.

The stakes win was the sixth of the meet for Gomez, second to McCarron’s eight. He could go for another on Skimming in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 1.

“He’ll come back if he’s OK,” Frankel said. “I might go to New York with Aptitude and go through his conditions, get his confidence back. I’m a little disappointed, to be honest with you, but he still ran well.”

In what amounted to little more than a well-paid workout, Albert The Great, the 3-5 favorite, toyed with his six rivals in the $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park.

Ridden by Jorge Chavez, the 4-year-old Go For Gin improved his record at Belmont to five wins in six starts with a gate-to-wire, 3 1/4-length win over Perfect Cat in 1:47 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.