Torres, 60 Today, Ends Drought on 85-1 Shot

Two days after he was married and the day before his 60th birthday, jockey R.V. Torres rode 85-1 shot T.A. Thomas Alan to victory in the sixth race Wednesday at Hollywood Park.

Owned and bred by Gordon Severson and trained by Tony Locke, who had failed to win with his first 42 runners this year, T.A. Thomas Alan beat favored Cahill Mango by a head. The 3-year-old Yankee Champ gelding, who had been beaten by a combined 73 1/2 lengths in his first five starts, ran the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:04.49.

Torres was winless in 47 races in 2004 before Wednesday. The win was the second at Hollywood Park in Torres’ career. The other victory came in 1993.

“The last time I did this was at Los Alamitos,” said Torres, whose first name is Robert and who is believed to be the oldest active jockey in the U.S. “The horse [Twice The Fight] paid over $100. I was 58 and the next day was my birthday.”

In other news, the $350,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap will be a graded stakes for the first time in 2005.

A 1 1/2 -mile turf race, the Murray will be a Grade III when it is run during the next spring-summer meet at Hollywood Park. Rhythm Mad won the most recent renewal May 8.

-- Bob Mieszerski