ROUNDUP: MUD ROUTE WINS FIRST STAKES RACE : NEXT UP IS HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP.Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services Mud Route won The Californian on Sunday and lost his claim to fame. Until he surged to the lead on the turn for home at Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may be several places:
Mud Route, ridden and trained by Hall of Famers Chris McCarron Christopher John "Chris" McCarron (b. March 27 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame retired jockey. He was introduced to the sport of thoroughbred racing by his older brother, jockey Gregg McCarron. and Ron McAnally Ronald L. McAnally (born July 11, 1932, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American Hall of Fame trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing. Called "one of the most honored and respected of North American trainers" by Thoroughbred Times Co. , was an early West Coast favorite for the 1997 Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. after swift maiden and allowance victories - but shin problems sidelined him until fall. At Santa Anita this winter, the colt twice finished second to '97 Derby winner Silver Charm. His reputation preceded him to Arkansas, where he was favored in the Oaklawn Handicap but ran fourth. A confidence-building victory against cheaper horses last time out set him up for The Californian, a $250,000 race whose 45 winners include 10 national champions. Mud Route ($3.80), once a speedball speed·ball n. An intravenous dose of cocaine mixed with heroin or an amphetamine. , stalked Worldly Ways for most of the 1-1/8-mile race. Deputy Commander, trying to find his Travers- and Super Derby-winning form and carrying six pounds more than the field, came wide and finished 2-1/2 lengths in front of third-place Worldly Ways. ``Right now, I'm not sure if he can beat Silver Charm,'' McAnally said of Mud Route, ``but at least he's won a stake.'' Next is the June 28 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. , where the question will be if he can beat Gentlemen and Skip Away, and the popular answer will be ``no.'' Also expected for that $1 million race are Malek, Puerto Madero, Behrens, Bagshot and Deputy Commander. No Californian winner has captured the Gold Cup since Cutlass Reality 10 years ago. This was the slowest Californian (1:48) since Another Review's in '92. Mud Route has won five of 11 starts and more than $460,000 for Janis Whitham. And finally, his resume includes black type. Later Sunday, McCarron and McAnally teamed up again to win the $150,000 Estrapade Stakes on the turf with late-running Proud Fillie ($5.40). --- Kevin Modesti Winning Quality: Elusive Quality outlasted longshot Bristling bristling see hackles. in the drive to the wire to score a head victory in Belmont Park's feature in Elmont, N.Y., the 15th running of the $86,250, Grade III Jaipur Handicap for horses 3-and-older. |
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