Avanzado and Age Get to Kona Gold

Kona Gold had won the Palos Verdes Handicap before, but that was three years and a few pounds ago.

Trying to join Native Diver (1965-66) as the only double winner of the six-furlong stake, the 9-year-old Kona Gold menaced briefly Sunday at the head of the stretch, but then finished last in a six-horse field at Santa Anita as Avanzado won the 51st edition of the Palos Verdes in a sparkling 1:07 4/5. Sunny Blossom set the Palos Verdes -- and track -- record with a 1:07 1/5 clocking in 1989. Avanzado was only the third Palos Verdes winner to run faster than 1:08 since then.

This was Kona Gold’s 28th race, over a track where he had racked up seven wins and five seconds in 13 tries. It was the first time he had finished last in a race and his worst finish at Santa Anita since a fifth-place finish in the Ancient Title Handicap in 1998.

Kona Gold carried 124 pounds, eight more than Avanzado, who ran sixth on Jan. 1 when Kona Gold won the El Conejo Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs.

“The weight and his age are all catching up to him,” said Alex Solis, who has ridden Kona Gold 27 consecutive times and for all 14 of his wins. “I think they should be giving him weight now, because he’s an old man. He really got tired in the last [sixteenth of a mile].”

Solis just rode Kona Gold, the 7-5 favorite, to the wire after his mount ran out of gas in the stretch. They were beaten by more than six lengths. Mellow Fellow finished second, 4 1/2 lengths back, and Disturbingthepeace was third.

Bruce Headley, who trains Kona Gold, the 2000 national sprint champion, did not use the “r” word (for retirement) in discussing the race.

“He came back good,” Headley said. “He might have bounced [regressed] off his last race, but he’s got weight and age against him. They started him off at 123 pounds [in the El Conejo], which I think was kind of high. If they want him to compete, they’re going to have to consider the weight he carries.”

Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Tyler Baze, the Argentine-bred Avanzado began his U.S. career with three wins late last year but had been seventh and sixth in his two most recent starts. The 6-year-old paid $15 as the third betting choice.

At the suggestion of Baze, O’Neill ran Avanzado with blinkers Sunday.

“He’s pretty active in the gate,” O’Neill said, “but because of the small field, he didn’t have to stand very long, and he sat quiet while he was in there.”

More than the blinkers, the scratch of Hombre Rapido, who was 8-1 on the morning line, improved Avanzado’s chances, according to O’Neill. Hombre Rapido might have pressured Avanzado on the lead.

“He broke on top and never stopped,” Baze said.