Gomez closes in on title

Jockey Garrett Gomez rode Lady Gamer to victory in the $83,985 Playa Del Rey Stakes on Sunday at Hollywood Park and continued to close in on the fall meet’s riding title.

Gomez, with 29 wins, leads Tyler Baze by six with seven days remaining in the 32-day session. And Lady Gamer’s handler, John Sadler, leads the trainer standings with 16 wins, five more than Mike Mitchell.

Gomez, the national earnings leader with more than $23 million in purses, extended his one-season record for stakes wins to 75.

Lady Gamer, a 4-year-old California-bred filly, covered the six furlongs on Cushion Track in 1:08.99 for a three-quarter-length victory over You Are The Answer. Selvatica finished third, another 2 1/4 lengths back, in a field of five.

Lady Gamer has won all three times she has been ridden by Gomez, is four for four on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track and has five wins in 12 starts overall. The $52,525 first prize raised her earnings to $292,115.

Sadler said Lady Gamer would next run in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Jan. 26.

One winning ticket in pick six paid $169,807.60. The large payoff was triggered by a victory in the seventh race by Mighty Clever, a 54-to-1 shot.

Hollywood Park announced that the Lava Man DVD, which was a give-away item Saturday, is available for sale for $10 at the Hollywood Park gift shop. Proceeds will go to the family of Lava Man groom Noe Garcia, whose left arm was severed in a car accident in July.