On The Acorn is on the money in the Murray

If Lava Man bids for a third consecutive win in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, the California-bred gelding may not be the only claiming success story in the starting gate for Hollywood Park’s most famous race.

On The Acorn, who was claimed by trainer Mike Mitchell for $40,000 last fall, continued his remarkable ascent with his second Grade II stakes victory in less than three weeks with a come-from-behind victory Saturday in the $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap.

After the victory by a half-length over 8-5 favorite Prospect Park, Jack Disney, a former sportswriter and current racing publicist who heads the partnership that owns On The Acorn, said the 6-year-old, who has blossomed since being gelded, will likely be nominated to the Gold Cup.

Given how On The Acorn has been running in 2007, why not? The English-bred’s win in the Murray, a race named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Times, was his fourth in five starts this year and pushed his earnings to $398,400. He has never run on anything other than turf, but the list is long of grass horses who have performed well when tried on synthetic surfaces, such as the Cushion track at Hollywood Park.

Under a picture ride by Victor Espinoza, On The Acorn, the 5-2 second choice, was able to win even though Prospect Park set an extremely slow pace -- the first half-mile was run in 51.93 seconds and the six furlongs in 1:17.14. The win was the first in six starts on the Hollywood Park turf for the dark bay.

“That was a terrific ride,” said Disney, whose partners include brother Doug, former Angels catcher and manager Buck Rodgers, Ross Newhan, The Times’ Hall of Fame baseball writer, Fred Krueger and Paul Salata. “To win despite that pace, this is a real racehorse.”

The Murray was the second of what was supposed to be three stakes engagements on the card for Espinoza.

He finished sixth on Courtwood in the Senorita and missed the mount on Los Angeles Handicap favorite Peace Chant, who finished second under Richard Migliore, when he was late to the track after having a flat tire on his car on the way to Hollywood Park.

“This is really an amazing horse,” Espinoza said. “It’s just unbelievable the way he has been running lately. Especially coming back so soon after a mile and three-quarters race [the distance of the San Juan Capistrano].”

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Two starts on Hollywood Park’s Cushion track have produced two Grade III victories for Sailors Sunset.

A winner at 13-1 in his first start over the synthetic track in the Vernon O. Underwood on Dec. 2, the 4-year-old Petionville gelding got the money again Saturday, taking the $105,800 Los Angeles Handicap.

The 4-1 third choice in a field reduced to five starters after the scratch of Corazondelcampeon earlier in the day, Sailors Sunset won by a half-length in 1:09.03 for the six furlongs.

Trained by Marcelo Polanco for owner-breeder Jeff Neilsen’s Everest Stables, Sailors Sunset was ridden by Jon Court as he won for the sixth time in 17 starts.

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Valbenny, the 2-1 favorite, remained perfect in two starts on the Hollywood Park turf course with a 1 3/4 -length victory over 5-2 second choice Super Freaky in the $111,600 Senorita Stakes.

The win was the third in four races in the U.S. for the 3-year-old Val Royal filly, who is trained by Paddy Gallagher and was ridden by Alex Solis.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com