LOYALTON WINS THREE-HORSE PHOTO FINISH
IN LARKSPUR STAKES AT GOLDEN GATE FIELDS
Loyalton held off Seattles Best Joe and 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Wilko down the stretch to capture the $60,800 Larkspur Stakes in a three-horse photo finish Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.
Loyalton won the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds by nose over Seattles Best Joe, who finished a head in front of Wilko. Ridden by Russell Baze, Loyalton was timed in 1:08.59.
The victory marked the fourth straight stakes victory for Hollendorfer, who won seven of the 11 stakes run at the fall meeting. Seven days remain at the fall meeting, which concludes Dec. 19, but the Larkspur was the final stakes event.
Loyalton raced just off leader Wind Water, who went the opening quarter of a mile in a slow 22.51 seconds, and then moved to the lead after a half-mile in a modest 45.14 seconds.
Seattles Best Joe and Wilko were fourth and sixth, respectively, coming into the stretch and both finished strongly but couldn’t quite catch Loyalton.
“Today I let him break and show a little speed and then let him settle,” said Baze, who had sent Loyalton hard from the gate in his previous race and watched the colt wilt late to finish last in an allowance/optional claiming race. “I waited until the quarter pole to ask him to run and he really set sail for the wire. When I got that response, I thought the other guys were going to be in trouble.”
Loyalton, owned in partnership by Hollendorfer and Lee Tucker, garnered his first stakes victory and his second win in six career starts. He was the third largest price in the wagering at 12-to-1 and paid $27.00 – a payoff rarely seen for a horse with the Hollendorfer-Baze combination.
Wilko, the 6-to-5 favorite who was making his first start since finishing12th in the Preakness Stakes on May 21, ran well in his comeback race. Wilko had surgery to remove a chip from his right ankle following the Preakness and his trainer, Craig Dollase, was using the Larkspur as a prep for the Grade I $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa
Anita on Dec. 26.
Southern California-based Corey Nakatani, Wilko’s regular jockey, made the trip to Golden Gate Fields for the Larkspur and was satisfied with his colt’s effort.
“They went too slow early and it killed us,” said Nakatani. “We wanted him to settle and make a run. I got him motoring but it was just two noses too short. There’s no disgrace in getting beat in 1:08 2/5 in your first race back from a layoff. They came home strong and he was making up ground. I think he got what he needed out of this race. It should have him all set for the Malibu.”
Seattles Best Joe, who was coming off an impressive win in the Sausalito Stakes, ran another big race Saturday.
“My horse did everything he could,” said jockey Kevin Krigger of Seattles Best Joe. “He ran game. To hold off Wilko all the way down the stretch says a lot about him.”