Accelerate adds more Oaklawn history in Santa Anita Gold Cup
FROM STAFF REPORTS Accelerate became the fourth consecutive Oaklawn-raced horse to win the Grade 1 $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes a week ago at Santa Anita Park, earning a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 111 – a career high – in his 4 ¼-length victory.
A son of champion Lookin At Lucky, Accelerate was coming off a runner-up finish, beaten a neck by City of Light, in the Grade 2 $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap April 14, a 1 1/8-mile race that is Oaklawn’s biggest two-turn event for older horses.
Accelerate was making his first start outside California for Hronis Racing LLC, trainer John Sadler and Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, who also teamed to win the 2015 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes with Hard Aces. Hard Aces ran sixth in the 2015 Oaklawn Handicap.
Melatonin won the 2016 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes after finishing second in the Oaklawn Handicap in his previous start. Cupid won the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel Stakes in 2016 at Oaklawn and the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes last year.
Racing Saturday over a fast track, Accelerate covered 1 ¼ miles in 2:01.38 and paid $5.80 as the
9-5 second choice in the six-horse field. He carried top weight of 125 pounds. City of Light, a multiple Grade 1 winner, finished third. Accelerate has a
7-5-5 record from 19 starts and career earnings of
$1,712,480.
Several other 2018 Oaklawn Handicap runners have returned to perform well.
Untrapped ran third in the Oaklawn Handicap and dead-heated for second in the Grade 3
$300,000 Pimlico Special Stakes May 18 at Pimlico. Lookin At Lee, fifth in the April 14 race, won a May
5 allowance race at Churchill Downs to give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his 8,000th career North American victory. Sonneteer was fourth in the Oaklawn Handicap and finished second to Lookin At Lee in the allowance race. Oaklawn Handicap sixth Malibu Max won the $50,000 Paul Bunyan Stakes May 5 at Canterbury Park in his next start. Oaklawn Handicap seventh Hawaakom surpassed $1 million in career earnings with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 $400,000 Alysheba Stakes May 4 at Churchill Downs in his next start.
The Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes has been run at Santa Anita since 2014 following the closing of Hollywood Park. The race was previously known as the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Multiple Oaklawn allowance winner Shotgun Kowboy captured the Grade 3 $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap Sunday at Lone Star Park for breeder/owner/trainer C.R. Trout.
Shotgun Kowboy ($11.20) was a front-running 1 ½-length winner under Luis Quinonez, Oaklawn’s leading rider in 2007, covering 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.84.
The victory, Shotgun Kowboy’s 12th in 29 starts overall, increased his career earnings to $1,246,326. He surpassed $1 million in career earnings with a Feb. 3 allowance victory at Oaklawn.
Jockey Julio Felix, who rode 13 winners this year at Oaklawn, recorded his 3,000th career North American victory May 25 at Arlington Park, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.
Pinson, an allowance winner at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, captured the $65,000 Jim Rasmussen Memorial Stakes Monday at Prairie Meadows. Trained by Oaklawn regular Randy Morse, Pinson finished a nose ahead of Paganol, with Chief Know It All 2 ½ lengths farther back in third in the 1 1/16mile race. Paganol and Chief Know It All are also Oaklawn allowance winners.
Ezmosh, second to future Preakness runner-up Bravazo in a Jan. 13 allowance race at Oaklawn, won the Grade 3 $100,000 Arlington Classic Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the grass a week ago at Arlington Park. Bravazo won the Grade 2
$400,000 Risen Star Stakes Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds after his allowance victory at Oaklawn.
Two-time Oaklawn King Cotton Stakes winner Apprehender won the $65,000 Ed Skinner Stakes for sprinters a week ago at Prairie Meadows.
Treble, a two-time allowance winner this year
at Oaklawn, was second in the Grade 3 $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes for female sprinters Saturday at Churchill Downs. …
Dreamcall and Girl Power, both allowance winners this year at Oaklawn, were 1-2, respectively, in the $50,000 Jack Bishop Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles May 25 at Prairie Meadows.
Honey Bunny, Jersey Heist and Mythical Tale, all winners this year at Oaklawn, ran 1-23, respectively, in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes for female sprinters May 24 at Prairie Meadows.
Cistron, winner of Oaklawn’s
$150,000 Northern Spur Stakes last year, finished second in his
4-year-old debut, a May 25 allowance race at Santa Anita.
Abbaa, who won a meet-high four races at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, was an allowance/optional claiming winner a week ago at Woodbine for Norman McKnight, among Oaklawn’s top 10 trainers this year. McKnight claimed Abbaa out of a March 17 victory at Oaklawn for $35,000. A Feb. 10 winner at Oaklawn, Abbaa was racing for a $60,000 claiming price Saturday.