Guided Tour Wears Down 7-10 Favorite Captain Steve

Guided Tour capped a parade of longshots in four stakes races at Churchill Downs on Saturday, defeating 7-10 favorite Captain Steve in the $831,000 Stephen Foster Handicap.

A consistent 5-year-old gelding trained by Niall O’Callaghan for owner Morton Fink, Guided Tour ($33.40) provided jockey Larry Melancon with his second surprise victory. One race earlier, Melancon won the $167,250 Regret with Casual Feat ($59.40).

Winless in three starts since taking the San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita in February, Guided Tour, who increased his career earnings to nearly $1.4 million with his $551,220 payday, wore down Captain Steve in the final sixteenth to win by a half-length in 1:47 3/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Making his first start since winning the $6-million Dubai World Cup nearly three months earlier, Captain Steve finished almost three lengths in front of Brahms. The 123-pound high weight spotted 10 pounds to Guided Tour.

“I don’t know if Dubai hurt him as much as the 10 pounds,” said Mike Pegram, Captain Steve’s owner.

Although Captain Steve failed, trainer Bob Baffert won the $333,000 Fleur De Lis Handicap with 6-1 shot Saudi Poetry. Owned by Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corporation and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Saudi Poetry defeated 19-10 favorite Secret Status by a little more than a length in 1:49 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Compendium began the run of longshots with a 24-1 stunner in the $100,000 Northern Dancer Handicap. He completed the mile in 1:34 3/5 to defeat 3-2 favorite Meetyouathebrig by nearly two lengths.

There was a pick-four wager on Churchill Downs’ four stakes races and a winning ticket was worth $118,097.10.

In order to entice Point Given to make his next start in the Swaps Stakes on July 15, Hollywood Park management and the Thoroughbred Owners of California will increase the purse of the race by $100,000, to $600,000, if the winner of a Triple Crown race starts in the Grade I.

Richard Mulhall, the racing manager for the Thoroughbred Corporation, indicated the Swaps was a possibility for Point Given, who followed up his fifth in the Kentucky Derby with victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

If Point Given or Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos runs in the Swaps, $50,000 of the increase will come from the purse fund and $50,000 from Hollywood Park.

In a race reduced to five starters after the Saturday morning scratch of likely favorite Early Flyer, Bayou The Moon is the 6-5 choice to run his win streak to four in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

Owned by Ed Allred and R.D. Hubbard and trained by Richard Mandella, the 3-year-old son of Dixieland Band finished seventh in his only start as a 2-year-old--a maiden race in which Point Given finished second--but is perfect in three starts in 2001.

After breaking his maiden on the Santa Anita turf, Bayou The Moon has won two in a row on the Hollywood Park main track. He will again be handled by leading rider Alex Solis.

Until Sundown, who finished a neck behind Bayou The Moon in last month’s Alydar, is the 7-5 second choice. Completing the field in the Affirmed, which is the final prep for the Swaps, are Top Hit, Mr. Joe C and Take My Note.

Pegram and Baffert also had to settle for second with 3-5 favorite Love At Noon in Hollywood Park’s main event Saturday.

Starrer, the 7-2 third choice in the field of six, rallied in the final eighth of a mile to win the $100,000 Princess Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.

Owned by George Krikorian and trained by David Hofmans, the 3-year-old daughter of Dynaformer completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 4/5. Starrer provided jockey Chris McCarron with his meet-high ninth stakes victory.

Proud Man ($9.20) won for the sixth time in eight turf starts, beating 20-1 shot Package Store by a neck under jockey Rene Douglas to capture the $114,600 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park.

A 3-year-old son of Manlove owned by a partnership that includes Robert Kaufman, Double R Stable and Stephen Weiss, and trained by Harry Benson, Proud Man won despite suffering a cut on his right hind leg that forced him to be vanned off the track after the Grade III was over.

One race later, Dat You Miz Blue, the 17-10 second choice, rolled to a 6 3/4-length win over 4-5 favorite Dream Supreme in the $106,800 Vagrancy Handicap.