Friendly Island frolics in a small field

The competition and the prize money will increase significantly when Friendly Island makes his next start.

Making his first appearance of 2007, the 6-year-old Crafty Friend horse did the expected as the 1-2 favorite Saturday, winning the $147,000 Palos Verdes Handicap against only three opponents at Santa Anita.

The probable next stop for the New York-bred is the $2-million Golden Shaheen on March 31 in Dubai, a Group 1 at six furlongs that was dominated by California sprinters last spring.

Idle since finishing second at nearly 58-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, Friendly Island gave trainer Michael McCarthy his first stakes win. McCarthy is the chief local assistant to Todd Pletcher, who is serving a 45-day suspension that ends in February.

In winning for the eighth time in 18 starts for Stuart and Anita Subotnick’s Anstu Stables Inc., Friendly Island tracked the pace set by Limited Creole, took the lead into the stretch and went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Garrett Gomez in 1:08.95 for the six furlongs.

The victory was the third of five consecutive for Gomez. The meet’s leading rider through 19 days, Gomez preceded his win aboard Friendly Island with a sweep of the early double for trainer Jack Carava on Roosevelt and Christmas Stocking, then followed the Palos Verdes success with victories on Seven Steps and Comoros.

It was the first time Gomez had won five races consecutively and the second five-win day of his career. The other was July 11, 1991, at Arlington Park.

McCarthy indicated Friendly Island probably wouldn’t run before the race in the United Arab Emirates. “I think Dubai is in the cards,” he said. “This horse has run well fresh before. He’s one of the favorites at the barn. He has a great disposition, and he tries hard every time he runs.”

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Tiz Wonderful, an unbeaten 3-year-old son of Tiznow, is off the Kentucky Derby trail because of a slight tendon injury in his right front leg.

Owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and trained by Steve Asmussen, Tiz Wonderful will be sidelined indefinitely.

As a 2-year-old, Tiz Wonderful was perfect in three starts. After breaking his maiden by a dozen lengths during the summer at Saratoga, he won a pair of stakes races at Churchill Downs.

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A trip north and a class drop did not prove to be a cure for what ails Declan’s Moon. The 5-year-old Malibu Moon gelding ran last for the third time in his last four starts, beaten by a little more than seven lengths as the 4-5 favorite in a $40,000 allowance at Golden Gate Fields.

Fitted with blinkers for the first time and teamed with new rider Jose Valdivia Jr., Declan’s Moon, the champion 2-year-old of 2004, lost his fifth in a row after winning the first five starts of his career.

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Liquor Cabinet, the 6-5 favorite, earned a nine-length win over six opponents in the $109,800 Aqueduct Handicap at Aqueduct in New York and Any Limit, the 5-2 second choice, won the $100,000 First Lady Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

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There is a pick six carry-over of $162,699 today at Santa Anita.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com