Kona Gold Goes the Distance to Win San Carlos

Making a successful return in the $200,000 San Carlos Handicap, champion sprinter Kona Gold accomplished a couple of firsts Sunday at Santa Anita.

The 7-year-old gelding, who capped his Eclipse Award-winning 2000 season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last Nov. 4, won the Grade II San Carlos for the first time after finishing second the previous two years.

He also earned his first victory at seven furlongs in his third try, taking control from pacesetter Blade Prospector early in the stretch and going on to win by two lengths in 1:21 1/5. The clocking was the fastest of the meet for the distance.

Owned by Andrew and Irwin Molasky and trainer Bruce Headley, the 125-pound high weight and 3-10 favorite won his fifth in a row and made it 10 victories in 18 starts.

“It’s good to get this one behind us, especially without the rain,” Headley said. “This horse always does everything you want him to do. When we wanted him to work [five furlongs] in 58, he worked in 58 and when we wanted him to work in 1:01 and 1:10, he worked in 1:01 and 1:10. He’s very cooperative.

“We’ll choose between the [Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup Stakes on April 14] race at Keeneland or the [$200,000] Potrero Grande [April 1 at Santa Anita]. It depends on how much weight they put on him next time. He should have a lot of weight here, but I want to keep him around.”

Jockey Alex Solis, who has ridden Kona Gold in all but one of his races, says the son of Java Gold is better than ever.

“In the post parade, he was walking like he had so much confidence,” said Solis. “After he came back from the Breeders’ Cup, I told Bruce that the horse knew he had done something incredible. His confidence level is sky high. His last two races at seven furlongs were good, but now, he’s on a different level.

“I had a good trip. I got through on the rail, and when I tapped him a couple of times down the stretch to get him running, he just flew home.”

Blade Prospector, the 6-1 third choice, finished two lengths in front of Grey Memo, then came Dixie Dot Com, the 5-1 second choice who was making his first start since Sept. 16; Hopewell Heart, Regal Thunder and Son Of A Pistol.

Coupled with Kona Gold in the wagering, 9-year-old Son Of A Pistol is now winless in six races since defeating Kona Gold in last year’s San Carlos.

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Tiznow, the easy winner of Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Handicap, came out of the race in good order, according to trainer Jay Robbins.

Rebounding from his loss in the Strub Stakes, Tiznow won for the seventh time in 12 starts and for the fifth in his last six races. He isn’t scheduled to run again until the $500,000 Californian on June 10 at Hollywood Park.

Notes

Spain, who has won the La Brea and La Canada Stakes so far at the Santa Anita meet, was assigned top weight of 122 pounds for Saturday’s $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap. . . . De Bertie ($8.20) won the $200,000 Rampart Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Jorge Chavez for owners Richard Bertram and Elaine Klein and trainer Bernie Flint, De Bertie beat even-money favorite Apple Of Kent by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:50 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles. . . . A race later at Gulfstream, the Kleins and Flint won the $65,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes with Swept Away ($8.80). Hurricane Bertie, a multiple stakes winner owned by the Kleins and trained by Flint, died earlier this year. . . . Favored Include, owned by Robert Meyerhoff and trained by Bud Delp, won the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap at the Fair Grounds.