Yahoo Tahoe flies in stretch to win Oak Tree Sprint at fair

Yahoo Tahoe is so good right now that not even a significant step up in class or a track heavily favoring horses with early speed could prevent him from storming down the stretch to win the $62,350 Oak Tree Sprint on Tuesday at the Alameda County Fair.

The 6-year-old gelding had used similar rallies to win $40,000 claiming events in his previous two starts at Golden Gate Fields. Those came after he had lost 12 straight races (but never finishing worse than fourth) since trainer Jerry Hollendorfer claimed him for $40,000 on Feb. 2, 2016.

“Sometimes horses get good and move up the ladder,” Hollendorfer said. “The reason we ran in the stakes is that we knew there was a lot of speed in there. When they hit the quarter in 22.14 (seconds), I knew he had a chance because they’ve been running a lot slower there.”

Five of Yahoo Tahoe’s seven opponents in Tuesday’s 6-furlong race had shown front-running speed, but none was faster than the aptly named Rocket Heat, who set the pace with pressure from Kaabraaj.

Rocket Heat hung in to finish second after being challenged by Right Hand Man in early stretch. Yahoo Tahoe, dismissed at 11-1 in the odds, was 7½ lengths back in next-to-last going into the turn and won by 2¼ lengths.

“There was a lot of speed in there and I tried to go, too, but my horse couldn’t do it,” jockey Irving Orozco said. “I stayed in the two-path on the turn, swing out and when it was time to go he did his thing.”

Running in the first stakes race of his career, Yahoo Tahoe collected his 10th win in 38 career starts to go with seven seconds and eight thirds.

“He hadn’t won a lot until now, but he’s always shown up and he showed up at the right time today,” Hollendorfer said.

Briefly: Kimberlea K, who won her debut against fellow 2-year-old fillies by 5 lengths June 17 at Golden Gate Fields, meets eight male opponents in the $100,000 Everett Nevin Stakes for California-breds Saturday at the Alameda County Fair. … Percy’s Bluff, whose winning streak ended at eight when he finished third in a 11⁄8 -mile grass event May 21 at GGF, captured the fourth race Tuesday at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old gelding ran 5 furlongs on dirt in 56.77 seconds — just 0.43 from the track record. Percy’s Bluff has 10 wins, three seconds and four thirds in 18 starts with $179,708 in earnings since Hollendorfer claimed him for $20,000 on March 6, 2016.