HORSE RACING: THIS VICTORY WORTH WAIT AMERICAN OAKS GETS ITS FIRST AMERICAN WINNER.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Staff Writer INGLEWOOD -- It took four years and a flashy move by Wait a While to give the American Oaks The American Oaks at Hollywood Park Racetrack is a fillies only format turf horse race on the West Coast of the United States. Since its inception in 2002, it has strived to become a world class race by bringing in some of the best fillies from all over the world and having them its first American First American may refer to:
Hollywood Park's rich turf race for 3-year-old fillies had been a playground for overseas products Megahertz One million cycles per second. See MHz. MegaHertz - (MHz) Millions of cycles per second. The unit of frequency used to measure the clock rate of modern digital logic, including microprocessors. (the British-bred winner in 2002), Ticker Tape Ticker Tape A computerized device that relays financial information to investors around the world, including the stock symbol, the latest price, and volume on securities as they are traded. (British, 2004), Cesario (Japanese, 2005) and Dimitrova (Kentucky-bred but Irish-based, 2003). But on Sunday the American Oaks was brought home by Wait a While, a gray filly who was bred in Kentucky and did her best work for trainer Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967, Dallas, Texas) is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won three consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. in Florida and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . Jockey Garrett Gomez sent her quickly from mid-pack to the lead on the turn for home outside of Attima and Foxysox, and she went on to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Asahi Rising's runner-up finish denied Japan an Oaks repeat and a weekend double, following Dance in the Mood's win in the CashCall Mile here Saturday. The $750,000 stakes was the richest on a day when 8-year-old The Tin Man ($4) won the American Handicap, as he had in 2002, to give Victor Espinoza his third stakes of the weekend; Hollywood Story ($7.20) broke a 14-month drought in the Vanity Handicap; Siren Lure ($8.60) won her 11th in 18 starts in the Triple Bend Handicap, and Charming N Lovable ($4.80) won the Flawlessly. In the Grade I American Oaks, Wait A While ($7.60) was never threatened in the stretch while covering 1 1/4 miles on turf in 1:59.38. Asahi Risig edged Arravale for second as top local hope Attima faded to eighth and last. Stewards rejected a foul claim against the winner by Alex Bisono aboard sixth-place Foxysox. Wait a While's biggest previous victory was a 14-length win in the Grade II Davona Dale on a sloppy track at Gulfstream Park. Last time out, she romped in the Grade III Sands Point at Belmont Park in a race taken off the grass in wet weather. The daughter of Maria's Mon broke her maiden at Belmont in her only previous grass race. Sunday's victory was Pletcher's first in California since Dubleo won the Nov. 27, 2004, Generous Stakes. Pletcher apparently hadn't run a horse here since Limehouse's disappointing fifth in the 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. . The aptly named Wait a While reminded California fans of the power of Pletcher, the 2004 and '05 Eclipse Award trainer and the top earner of '06. Even with a foul claim in the American Oaks, it was a clean affair compared to the Vanity, which was delayed 14 minutes by injuries to the favorite and a starting-gate crewman. Star Parade was 2-1 when she acted up in the gate. After examining her, Hollywood Park veterinarian veterinarian /vet·er·i·nar·i·an/ (vet?er-i-nar´e-an) a person trained and authorized to practice veterinary medicine and surgery; a doctor of veterinary medicine. vet·er·i·nar·i·an n. Steve Buttgenbach had the Grade I-winning mare scratched. During that delay, Mike Sherlock, the gate assistant handling Sharp Lisa, was kicked by Proposed and sustained two rib fractures. Sherlock, knocked to his knees, eventually walked to a stretcher and taken by ambulance to Centinela Hospital, where he was to be treated and released. On to the Gold Cup: Lava Man was assigned 124 pounds for Saturday's Hollywood Gold Cup, six more than he carried to victory in the $750,000 handicap in 2005. Others: Magnum, 118; Seek Gold, 117; Lucky J.H., 116, Super Frolic Frolic - A Prolog system in Common Lisp. ftp://ftp.cs.utah.edu/pub/frolic.tar.Z. , 116, and That's an Outrage. Also entered but less likely to be entered: Spellbinder spell·bind·er n. One that holds others spellbound, especially an enthralling speaker or a particularly interesting book. Noun 1. , 115; Ace Blue, 113, and Capitano, 112. The last horse to win the Gold Cup while giving six pounds or more to his opponents was Affirmed, 132, beating Sirlad, 120, in 1979. heymodesti(AT_SIGN)aol.com (818) 713-3616 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Wait a While, ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, won the American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park on Sunday. Ric Francis/Associated Press |
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