Stable Situation Sets Up Frankel for Record Day

For a man who had just seen one of his horses disqualified in a Grade I race worth $250,000, trainer Bobby Frankel was chipper.

Even though the stewards, after a lengthy inquiry, disqualified Epicentre and placed him third in the 23rd Hollywood Turf Cup, Frankel still had the winner.

Continuously, one of three horses the country’s leading trainer ran in the Turf Cup on Saturday at Hollywood Park, was moved up from second after finishing a nose behind his stablemate.

Frankel’s latest big-money score was a milestone on two fronts. It was his 24th Grade I of the year, enabling him to surpass the world record of Aidan O’Brien, who had a combined 23 Grade I and Group 1 victories in Europe and the U.S. in 2001.

The win also was Frankel’s record 860th at Hollywood Park, enabling him to break a tie with the late Charlie Whittingham, who won 859 in a career that spanned six decades before his death in 1999.

Ridden for the first time by Alex Solis and getting the patient ride he prefers, Continuously, the 6-1 fifth choice in a field with six betting interests, was awarded his first stakes win because Epicentre was cited for bothering pacesetter and 2-1 favorite Bowman Mill.

Naturally, the decision by stewards Dave Samuel, Tom Ward and Jack Williams didn’t sit well with Corey Nakatani, the rider of Epicentre.

“Those stewards must be blind,” he said. “[Bowman Mill] floats off the fence and goes four wide. I’m staying right next to him and when the rider [David Flores] switches sticks to hit him left-handed, his horse hits mine on the left shoulder.

“I kept my horse straight all the way from there on and he came out and bumped me. I just don’t understand it. My horse ran a great race, the other horse ran a good race and it didn’t affect the outcome. I’m sure of that.”

Although the result was still to his liking, Frankel also believed there should have been no disqualification.

“It’s a shame [Epicentre] got taken down,” said Frankel, who joined John Gosden and Whittingham as the only trainers to win the Turf Cup three times.

“It’s great to get the record here, but the other one [24 Grade I wins] is better. I’m real proud. Charlie was a friend of mine. I wish he was alive to see this.”

Runaway Dancer, who was far back for most of a 1 1/2-mile race that was completed in 2.29.01, finished fourth, half a length behind Bowman Mill, then came Staging Post, who raced coupled in the wagering with Epicentre; Hatif and Labirinto.

Second in last month’s Carleton F. Burke Handicap at Santa Anita, Labirinto flipped leaving the walking ring, injuring jockey Brice Blanc. Mike Smith took over on the gelding, who had been in the top three in 11 of 14 previous starts this year.

Blanc was taken to nearby Centinela Hospital Medical Center complaining of pain in his right leg.

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Nearly a month after finishing last in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Balto Star ($11.80) went wire-to-wire to win the $150,000 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct.

Owned by Anstu Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old Glitterman gelding beat 2-1 favorite Macaw by 3 1/4 lengths under jockey John Velazquez. Winning for the 10th time in 32 starts, Balto Star ran the 1 3/8 miles over a soft turf in 2:18.86.

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Riskaverse ($7.40) surpassed $1 million in earnings with a three-quarters-of-a-length win over 2-1 favorite Bien Nicole in the $175,200 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.