INGLEWOOD – Working by long-distance remote control, Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel masterminded another major stakes coup here yesterday.
From his New York base, Frankel dictated a version of the race strategy bromide “go to the front and improve your position” to trusted West Coast assistant trainer Humberto Ascanio and jockey Tyler Baze. And that strategy was executed perfectly with Mast Track in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup to provide Frankel with his third victory as a trainer and first as an owner in the signature race of the Hollywood Park meeting.
In winning his first Gold Cup in his second try, Baze, 25, got Mast Track away smartly from the No. 1 post and had the 4-year-old son of Mizzen Mast two lengths clear while posting pedestrian fractions of 24.41, 24.47 and 24:10 for the first three-quarter miles of the 1¼-mile race.
Following that untaxing early cruise, Mast Track responded nicely when Baze asked for a strong closing effort to produce a 2¼-length victory over 5-2 favorite Go Between in a record 2 minutes, 1.37 seconds for the distance in two years that races here have been run over the synthetic Cushion Track surface.
Mast Track paid $23.60, $11.20 and $7.40. Heatseeker, the anticipated odds-on favorite for the 69th running of the event, was scratched Friday morning because of swelling in a front ankle. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said X-rays did not show a break and that “we're working on it with ice and hope it gets better soon.”
For the past several years, Frankel has spent the spring, summer and early fall with the New York branch of his empire and left the West Coast operations at that time – mainly the Hollywood Park and Del Mar meetings – to Ascanio.
“Bobby told me this morning to make sure this horse was put onto the lead,” Ascanio said. “When they went (the slow early fractions) I thought, 'Man, that's it.' I was a little bit worried the last 16th of a mile, but he still had a lot left.
“To win it for my boss feels really good.”
Mast Track became the 12th wire-to-wire Gold Cup winner. Marquetry (1991) led from the start to provide Frankel with his first Gold Cup victory. Aptitude (2001) was Frankel's second winner. Frankel has five second-place finishes and one third in addition to the three victories from 20 Gold Cup starters.
“Everything just worked out right,” Baze said. “We knew there was no speed in the race. I just let him get comfortable and find his own stride.”
Garret Gomez, aboard Go Between, had no recourse but to swallow a dose of frustration.
“He (Go Between) handled everything I needed him to do,” Gomez said. “But when they went that slow, when my horse kicked in, the (winner) did, too. I thought McCann's Mojave (fourth) would sooner or later go up and (challenge) but he never did. The winner got to go too slow and we couldn't get it done.”
Ascanio said he would await word from Frankel regarding Mast Track's next assignment. Expectations are that the colt will stay in California and race on the Polytrack surface at Del Mar.
Sadler's sweep
Trainer John Sadler saddled the winners of all three stakes on the Gold Cup undercard. In chronological order:
Emmy Darling ($8.40) surged late to pass Glitter City and notch a two-length victory in the $102,900 Landaluce Stakes, running six furlongs in 1:09.52 under David Flores. Sadler said Emmy Darling's next start will come in either the Sorrento Stakes or Debutante at Del Mar.
Whatsthescript ($60.20) ran down Storm Military in the deep stretch for a 1¼-length upset victory in the $250,000, Grade II American Handicap. Isaias Enriquez guided Whatsthescript over the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.34. Daytona, the 3½-5 favorite, finished sixth of seven. Sadler said Whatsthescript would be pointed toward the Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar and the Arlington Million.
Dearest Trickski ($15.80) hung the first defeat in four starts on 2-1 favorite Magnificence, taking the $150,000 A Gleam Handicap by 2¼ lengths under Mike Smith. Sadler said the winner's next start will be in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar.
Next year in Inglewood
Racing will continue to be conducted here through the spring-summer meeting next year at least. Hollywood Park President Jack Liebau made the commitment speaking before the California Horse Racing Board at its meeting Friday in Pleasanton. When the Bay Area Land Company purchased the facility from Churchill Downs Inc. in 2005, the agreement guaranteed it would be used for racing, and not developed, only through 2008.
Liebau said Hollywood Park would ask for its usual racing dates for the 2009 spring-summer meeting and would provide six months' notice if a fall meeting was not in the plans.
Hank Wesch: (619) 293-1853; hank.wesch@uniontrib.com
