Forward Thinking Earns a Win for Willow O Wisp

A return to Hollywood Park and an opportunity to dictate the pace were enough Saturday for Willow O Wisp to end a three-race losing streak.

Hustled to the front out of the gate by jockey Victor Espinoza, the 4-year-old Misnomer gelding never came close to surrendering the lead and won the $100,000 Inglewood Handicap.

This was the third win in four starts on the Hollywood Park turf for Willow O Wisp, who is trained by Vladimir Cerin. In winning the Grade III by 1 1/4 lengths, Willow O Wisp, the 3-2 favorite, ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.05.

“I just put him in front and didn’t look back,” said Espinoza, who won two other races Saturday. “That’s the way he likes to run.”

Artiste Royale, an 8-1 shot making his first start since last July 23, was second and New Export, who had won three of eight in Brazil, was third in his U.S. debut for trainer Bobby Frankel. Red Fort, another comebacker who had been the runner-up in the 2005 Inglewood, was fourth as the 2-1 second choice.

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Bluesthestandard, a multiple stakes winner, has been retired after being purchased by trainer Kristin Mulhall from owner Steve Sobel.

Claimed for $12,500 by Sobel earlier this year and turned over to trainer Bob Hess Jr., Bluesthestandard was scratched out of a $10,000 claimer Thursday at Hollywood Park.

A winner of 19 of 47 in his career, Bluesthestandard finished with earnings of $1,041,618. His biggest victories came in the Texas Mile at Lone Star Park and in the Potrero Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita in 2003, and he won the 2004 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita. In addition, he was second to Cajun Beat in the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.

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Apprentice jockey Martin Garcia, who is scheduled to begin riding full time at Hollywood Park on May 10, broke a bone in his left wrist in a spill at Golden Gate Fields on Friday and will miss the rest of that meet, which concludes a week from today.

According to David Seftel, Golden Gate’s track physician, Garcia, 21, might be able to resume riding shortly with the aid of a wrist brace.

Garcia, who was named on several horses as part of the Gold Rush Day card this afternoon in Inglewood, was hurt when Danzig Fox, the horse he was riding in the fourth race Friday, clipped heels and fell.

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Record, a 5-1 shot, beat Spotsgone, the longest price in the field at 54-1, by a neck to win the $114,939 Derby Trial on opening day of the Churchill Downs spring-summer meet.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Sunset Stables, the 3-year-old son of Devil His Due ran the mile in 1:36.32 under jockey Rafael Bejarano. Mister Triester finished third. Noonmark, the 9-5 favorite, finished sixth and Protagonus, the 2-1 second choice, broke down around the turn and had to be vanned off the track with an injury to his right foreleg.

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Bernardini, the 9-5 second choice, easily won the $142,500 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. Javier Castellano rode the 3-year-old A.P. Indy colt for Darley Stable and trainer Tom Albertrani.

In winning the Grade III by 3 3/4 lengths over Doc Cheney, Bernardini ran the mile in 1:35.07. Luxembourg, the 3-5 favorite in the field of four, was third.

Later in the card, Pommes Frites, a 5-2 shot, won the $100,000 Beaugay Handicap, a Grade III at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Cornelio Velasquez rode the 4-year-old Dynaformer filly for Haras Santa Maria de Aras and trainer Bill Mott.

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Baffert also had success at Lone Star Park, winning the $300,000 Texas Mile with Preachinatthebar ($6.80).

The 5-year-old Silver Charm horse won in 1:36.81 under jockey Jon Court. Stockholder finished second and Texcess was third.

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Trainer Julio Canani picked up his fifth win in the $400,000 San Francisco Breeders’ Cup Mile as Charmo, despite racing very wide, rallied to beat favored Aragorn and six others at Golden Gate Fields.

Charmo, a 5-year-old Charnwood Forest horse, won in 1:34.28 under jockey Martin Pedroza.