Better Outcome for Willow O Wisp

Beaten in a photo finish by Osidy in their first meeting on May 28, Willow O Wisp reversed the outcome on Sunday, going wire-to-wire in the $153,450 Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Jockey Garrett Gomez slowed the pace with the 3-year-old Misnomer gelding, then kicked clear through a rapid final three-eighths of a mile to win by two lengths over the 9-10 favorite and three others.

This was the second win in three California races for Willow O Wisp, the 5-2 third choice in the Grade III. He had lost six of his first seven starts at Calder Race Course in Miami.

Owned by Robert Alexander and trained by Vladimir Cerin, the Florida-bred has flourished in Inglewood. In his lone local loss, he was defeated by a head in the Will Rogers. His other victory came when he was almost 21-1 in a $52,600 allowance on April 23.

“He’s matured,” Cerin said. “In Florida, he came up sick after one race and had a gate mishap in another race, so he had really good excuses. I don’t think distance will a problem for him. I think the longer the better.”

Osidy, who was trying to give jockey Alex Solis his fifth win of the afternoon, was second, two lengths ahead of Honorable Coach, the longest shot in the small field at 21-1. Legal Precedent, who lost for the first time in three outings as the 2-1 second choice, and Johnny High Brite completed the order of finish. Sultry Bard was scratched earlier in the day.

“Garrett rode a great race,” said Solis. “He got an easy lead and he got the jump on me. It takes a little while for my horse to get in gear. We just couldn’t catch him today. Next time.”

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Jockey Patrick Valenzuela’s second collaboration with Wild Desert went much better than their first.

Eighth in the Arkansas Derby when teamed with Valenzuela on April 16 at Oaklawn Park, Wild Desert, a 3-year-old Wild Rush colt, rebounded to win the $1-million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine in Toronto.

Owned by a partnership and trained by Bobby Frankel, Wild Desert, a 3-1 shot, took over in the late stretch from pacesetter Gold Strike, who wound up third, and won for the third time in 12 starts. King Of Jazz, who was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, was second.

To win the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, Wild Desert didn’t even have to run fast. The final time of 2:07.37 featured a final quarter that went in about 28 seconds and was more than six seconds off the track record for 1 1/4 miles.

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Naughty New Yorker, the second longest shot in the field at nearly 9-1, rallied from last to win the $108,000 Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park.

The 3-year-old son of Quiet American, who is trained by Pat Kelly for Fox Ridge Farm, ended a six-race losing streak in beating 4-1 shot Sort It Out by 2 1/4 lengths. He ran the seven furlongs in 1:23 under jockey Jean-Luc Samyn. Blue Sunday, the 11-10 favorite, was third.