Mambo Slew Dances Away From Field

Less than two weeks after winning a stakes with a talented 2-year-old colt named Lion Heart, trainer Patrick Biancone won another with a promising 2-year-old filly Friday at Hollywood Park.

Mambo Slew, a daughter of Kingmambo, is perfect in two starts on the grass after beating Ticker Tape and nine others in the $100,000 Miesque, the first race in Hollywood Park’s three-day, $1.85-million Autumn Turf Festival.

Giving jockey Mike Smith his first Turf Festival victory in his 12th attempt, the 3-1 favorite won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:36.17 for the mile.

Owned by Frank Manganero, Mambo Slew will be given the rest of the year off, according to Biancone, and probably will remain on the turf.

“This is a very nice filly,” Smith said. “Actually, I probably hit the front a little too soon with her. She’s still green. This is a very talented filly, with, I think, a very big future.”

Making her first start in the U.S. for trainer Jim Cassidy, Ticker Tape, the 9-2 fourth choice, rallied from last to second, half a length in front of 7-2 third choice Winendynme.

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With his victory as the 9-10 favorite in Friday’s $150,000 Hollywood Turf Express Handicap, King Robyn became the first horse to win a stakes at all six meets on the Southern California racing calendar.

Owned by Cornejo Racing Inc. and trained by Jeff Mullins, King Robyn, who began his career in Florida, won the Baldwin and San Pedro during the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita, the Harry Henson during Hollywood’s spring-summer season, the Green Flash at Del Mar, the Foothill at Fairplex Park and the Morvich at Oak Tree last month.

A winner in 11 of 18 lifetime, the 3-year-old Robyn Dancer gelding is unbeaten in three races on the Hollywood Park grass after beating Geronimo by half a length. Ridden by Tyler Baze for the first time, King Robyn, who has won four in a row, completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.08.

“He gives you everything he’s got every time,” Mullins said. “He’s the kind of horse that needs a firm surface to run on and it doesn’t matter if it’s turf or dirt. As long as it’s firm and he can get ahold of it, he’ll run.”

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Quest, a 17-1 shot, crossed the wire second in the $582,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs but was declared the winner after the stewards disqualified favored Evening Attire. It was the first disqualification in the Clark, a race that has been run since the Louisville, Ky., track had its first meet in 1875.

Owned and bred by Arthur Hancock and Gerald Healy and trained by Nick Zito, the 4-year-old Seeking the Gold colt, who lost by a nose, was moved up after his rider, Javier Castellano, claimed foul against Cornelio Velasquez, the jockey on the original winner, for interference near the wire. After a long deliberation, the stewards made the change.

The victory was the fifth in 18 starts for Quest. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy track was 1:52.42.

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Randaroo ($20.40) remained unbeaten in three starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin with a two-length victory over 11-1 shot Beauty Halo and 10 others in the $150,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct.