Irish Prize Rushes Home for Win

It was fitting that a race honoring Fastness went to a horse with the quickest turn of foot.

A Grade III contest named for the multiple-stakes winner who was trained in the United States by Jenine Sahadi, the $110,400 Fastness featured an extremely slow early pace and a rapid final three furlongs Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Irish Prize, the 9-5 favorite, outkicked 7-2 second choice Timboroa to win by a neck in 1:50 for the 1 1/8 miles on turf. After the first six furlongs were run in 1:16, the last three-eighths were negotiated in 34 seconds.

Trained by Neil Drysdale for Sheikh Maktoum al Maktoum, Irish Prize, a 5-year-old Irish River gelding, won for the sixth time in 18 starts and earned his second graded stakes win of the year. On New Year’s Day, he won the Grade II San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita.

“I worked him in the morning and thought he was a nice horse, but I didn’t know he is as nice as he really is,” said Gary Stevens, who rode Irish Prize for the first time Sunday. “He’s got a helluva turn of foot. [Timboroa] and this horse flew home the last eighth of a mile. It was a great race.

“I didn’t use the stick on my horse. I didn’t need to. He was giving me everything he had.”

Making his first start since finishing 11th in the Japan Cup last Nov. 26, Timboroa couldn’t have gotten a better trip. Tracking the pedestrian pace set by City West, who was also 7-2, Timboroa slipped through an opening along the rail while Irish Prize was three-wide. The runner-up finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of City West, who dropped back after leading for six furlongs, but then was re-rallying at the wire and galloped out strongly.

“When I got through, I just let him go,” said jockey David Flores of Timboroa. “Both he and Irish Prize really accelerated at the top of the stretch. I thought there was no way they were going to beat me, but they did. The next race my horse will be more ready.”

City West, a winner of four of five in his native Argentina, wound up a neck in front of Falcon Flight, then came Wake The Tiger, Dunhill, Eagleton and Grey Memo. Trained by Patrick Biancone for a partnership, City West is scheduled to try the main track for the first time in this country in next month’s Californian and the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 1.

Palmeiro, who has been idle since finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby on April 7, is the 9-5 favorite in today’s fifth race, a $52,000 allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

Trained by John Sadler for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, the 3-year-old Pleasant Tap colt will be trying older horses for the first time. Second to Millennium Wind in the Santa Catalina Stakes, then runner-up to Crafty C.T. in the San Rafael, Palmeiro was taken off the Kentucky Derby trail after being beaten by 11 lengths by Point Given in the Santa Anita Derby.

Aiming for starts in the Affirmed Handicap on June 17 and the Swaps Stakes on July 15, Palmeiro, whose only win came here last Dec. 8, drew the outside in the field of eight and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza for the first time.

Making his first start since finishing 11th of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4, Elaborate was a comfortable winner against only three opponents in Sunday’s third race.

Owned by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trained by Paco Gonzalez, the 6-year-old gelded son of Gilded Time and 3-5 favorite won by four lengths over 2-1 second choice National Saint in 1:15 4/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

Before his sixth win in 16 starts was official, Elaborate and jockey Chris McCarron had to wait out a stewards’ inquiry involving some trouble at the start, but no change was made.

This was the second victory in three starts at Hollywood Park for Elaborate, who is likely to try to defend his title in the $300,000 Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap on July 1.

Steward Tom Ward is scheduled to have back surgery today and will be out for a couple of weeks. Jack Williams will take his place. . . . Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye won twice, scoring with 2-year-olds Fabulous Gamble in the first race and We Love Aleyna in the fourth. . . . Bon Fearless ($5.70) won the $75,000 Bouwerie Stakes at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old Mighty Magee filly completed the seven furlongs in 1:23 3/5 under jockey Richard Migliore. . . . Through 18 days of the meet, Laffit Pincay Jr. leads the rider standings with 21 winners while Neil Drysdale and Bob Baffert top the trainers with eight victories apiece. Cliff Sise is next with seven.