Awesome Gem wins Hollywood Gold Cup

In the 36th start of his racing career, the 7-year-old gelding Awesome Gem finally became a Grade I winner on Saturday, rallying along the rail under jockey David Flores to pull off a half-length victory over heavily favored Rail Trip in the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park.

“He’s like fine wine. He’s just getting better with age,” trainer Craig Dollase said.

A patient, ground-saving ride by Flores was critical to the victory. Compari led from the start of the 1¼-mile race, setting relatively slow fractions. Rail Trip rallied four-wide around the final turn. Flores sent Awesome Gem, at odds of 8-1, charging through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch, passed a tiring Compari and turned away Rail Trip. Richard’s Kid finished third.

“When that hole opened up, I couldn’t look for any better spot than that,” Flores said. “That was the most beautiful thing, when you have a horse that can accelerate like that at any time. He’s just been unlucky before, but today he did the job.”

Keeping the son of Awesome Again healthy through the years has been the challenge for Dollase, which made victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup so satisfying. Awesome Gem is the oldest horse to win the Gold Cup since Native Diver in 1967 at age 8.

“It’s been a great ride and a tribute to a lot of hard work,” Dollase said.

Awesome Gem has been racing for so long that Dollase is hoping to run him in a fourth Breeders’ Cup race this fall. With $2,274,682 in career earnings, Awesome Gem has proven his versatility. Saturday’s victory was Awesome Gem’s seventh.

“This horse can run over anything,” Dollase said. “Synthetic, grass, mud, you name it.”

Another old-timer, jockey Martin Pedroza, who turns 45 on July 20, guided E Z’s Gentleman to a 3¼-length win over Sangaree in the Grade I, $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap at seven furlongs. It was Pedroza’s 1,000th career victory at Hollywood Park. He was showered with ice, shaving cream and eggs by fellow jockeys afterward.

“I’m sweating so much because this is like winning the Santa Anita Handicap or six races in a day,” Pedroza said. “To get my 1,000th win here in a Grade I, it means a lot to me.”

Trainer Bob Baffert’s horses finished first and second.

Saturday was a day for upsets, which resulted in no winning tickets for the pick six for the second consecutive day, producing a two-day carryover pool of $514,127 for Sunday’s nine-race card. The biggest upset came in the fifth race, when Living Word, at odds of 75-1, won and paid $159.20.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com