‘Story Runs to Happy Ending

Maybe Hollywood Story should run only in December.

The 3-year-old Wild Rush filly has two victories in her 12-race career, and both have come near the end of the year.

Nearly 12 months after her maiden win in the Hollywood Starlet, Hollywood Story ended a six-race losing streak with a 5-1 upset over Royally Chosen and five others in the $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Bouncing back from a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Oct. 30, Hollywood Story made a sweeping run while wide on the far turn, then took command in the final sixteenth to prevail by one length under jockey Victor Espinoza.

In winning the Grade II for owner George Krikorian and trainer John Shirreffs, who has won the Bayakoa a record four times, Hollywood Story ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.11.

“She came back very, very impressively,” Espinoza said. “When I got on her in the paddock, she looked awesome -- totally different than beforehand.

“We didn’t want her too far back. I wanted to be about four lengths behind the leader. When I turned for home, she moved like she had just broken out of the gate. I didn’t have to do much. She did it for me. She’s much more mature now and better than ever.”

A.P. Adventure, the 17-10 favorite, was third in her first race since she finished sixth in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30. She finished two lengths behind Royally Chosen, the 9-2 fourth choice.

“Of course, I would have liked to have won, but I thought she ran dynamite for her first race back,” said Mike Smith, A.P. Adventure’s rider. “I think she ought to really move forward off of this race.”

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Black Bart, who was taken off the track in a van after suffering an injury in Saturday’s Native Diver Handicap, was euthanized.

A 5-year-old Stage Colony gelding bred in California by Ed and Sharon Hudon, Black Bart finished his career with nine wins in 34 starts and earned more than $346,000. Claimed by trainer Troy Bainum for owner Tom Metzger last year, Black Bart had his best year in 2004, winning six of 13, including a victory in the Khaled on April 24 at Hollywood Park.

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Declan’s Moon, who is unbeaten in three starts, worked five furlongs in 58 3/5 Sunday morning prepping for Saturday’s Hollywood Futurity. Proud Accolade, another Futurity contender, worked the same distance in 1:01 4/5 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Besides that pair, the 1 1/16 -mile Futurity also could bring out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile upsetter Wilko, Bushwacker, South Africa, Lucky Bid, General Jumbo and Giacomo.

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There is a pick six carry-over for Wednesday of $137,599 thanks primarily to a 30-1 surprise by Proud Phil in Sunday’s ninth and final race.

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Trainer Paul Jones made it two Grade I wins in as many nights when Prankster Cf, the preferred half of the favored entry, gamely held off 5-2 second choice Bang to win the $164,000 Marathon National on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

A 3-year-old gelded son of Favorite Trick owned by breeder Joan Dale Hubbard, Prankster Cf was under pressure throughout while part of a multi-horse battle for the lead, but was able to win for the fifth time in 17 starts. Ridden by Saul Ramirez Jr., Prankster Cf completed the 870 yards in 44.76 seconds.

“He ran an impressive race,” said Jones, who had won the $500,000 Champion of Champions the night before with longshot Cash For Kas. “He really stepped up to the plate.”

One race later, jockey Alex Bautista, who began the weekend with a win aboard Ocean Runaway in the Los Alamitos Million Futurity, got the money again with Hawkish ($6.60) in the $130,950 Southern California Derby.

The win in the Southern California Derby, the last Grade I of the year at Los Alamitos, was the eighth for the 3-year-old Dash Thru Traffic colt in his 17th and final start. Trained by Felix Gonzalez for Enrique Gonzalez’s E G High Desert Farms, Hawkish ran the 400 yards in 19.50.