Race Offers a Good Case Study

Case Study, who broke his maiden at first asking in Sunday’s second race at Hollywood Park, might have been better off entering a race later on the program.

Given how fast he ran five furlongs compared to the six 2-year-olds who competed in the $94,725 Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes, the son of In Excess might very well have been a winner in the supposed tougher spot.

Trained by Dave Hofmans, Case Study was clocked in 58.46 seconds in his victory and Wild Uncle Kurt, the even-money favorite in the Proctor, ran 58.85 to remain unbeaten.

Ridden by Isaias Enriquez, who had won with It Was Meant To Be earlier in the day, Wild Uncle Kurt ran down 5-2 second choice and pacesetter The Missile Came in the final eighth of a mile to win by two lengths. The son of Swiss Yodeler had broken his maiden locally May 1.

“This horse has so much class,” Enriquez said. “The first time I rode him, he was so nice, so kind. He didn’t even know where he was going. I had to tap him on the shoulder to keep him alert.

“When I got on him today, he was ready. He knew what he was doing. When I asked him at the top of the stretch, he exploded.”

June’s Prince was third, five lengths behind The Missile Came.

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Sauvage, a 16-1 shot, prevailed by half a length over an unlucky Angara, the 3-1 third choice, to win the $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park.

Javier Castellano rode the 4-year-old Sri Pekan filly, who won for the fifth time in 14 starts. She ran the 1 3/8 miles on turf in the Grade II in 2:15.65.

Angara had trouble finding room in the stretch and flew late once clear to beat 3-1 second choice Barancella by a neck for the place.

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Giacomo, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and a distant third in Saturday’s Preakness, was flown from New York to California and was back in his stall in trainer John Shirreffs’ barn at Hollywood Park late Sunday afternoon.