Hollywood Gold Cup (Grade 1)

THERE were three Grade 1s on the Memorial Day card at Santa Anita on Monday and topping the bill was another success for the Bob Baffert team with the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup going to the five-year-old chesnut gelding Defunded.

It was Bob Baffert’s ninth victory in the race taking him ahead of the famed trainer Charlie Whittingham.

Defunded and Juan Hernandez led throughout despite a determined outsider Piroli staying with him throughout the 10 furlongs.

Defunded led Piroli on the backstretch, only to have the longshot close ground again and pulled even with Defunded on the second bend.

But by the line, Defunded had extended his lead back to a length, completing in 2m02.85secs. Another longshot, Kiss Today Goodbye finished third.

“This horse got the lead and he wasn’t going to let anybody pass him. He’s getting better, and I was happy to see him get the mile and a quarter,” Baffert reported through BloodHorse.

“He broke really comfortably. He was pulling me on the backside, which is a really good sign. I waited until the last quarter, and he switched leads and gave me two good jumps toward the wire,” Hernandez said. Defunded, a son of Dialed In, races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

“The mile and a quarter has always been a question mark with him. Juan rode him very well, and the horse has really matured and is relaxing. It’s an honour to win this race,” said Baffert. “It’s a very important race.”

Shoemaker Mile (Grade 1)

EARLIER on the card, Juan Hernandez had taken his first Grade 1 when partnering the Peter Eurton-trained Exaulted to win the Shoemaker Mile.

The son of Twirling Candy won by half a length from outsider Irideo with the Irish-bred Hong Kong Harry finishing well but a length back in third.

The speedy Lamplighter Jack set the pace, a first quarter in 22.58secs and leading to the far turn.

Exaulted and Juan Hernandez grabbed the lead in the straight and held on to win by a half-length in 1m34.08secs for the mile.

The six-year-old son of Twirling Candy is now four-for-four on the turf with first Grade 1 victory and the Breeders’ Cup Mile his target.

“I was just saying he just looks like a genius,” winning owner Lee Searing said of his trainer. “I mean, take the horse off the dirt, he’d had a few problems, put it on the grass, win four in a row.”

Eurton was pleased to win a race named for famous jockey and trainer Bill Shoemaker.

“It’s the kind of race you wanted to win ever since you were a kid. I knew Bill (Shoemaker). I played golf with him and my father-in-law. All those things together make it a great day.”

Gamely Stakes

Phil D’Amato won his first Grade 1 Gamely Stakes when Macadamia, a Brazilian-bred racing for Japanese interests (she is by Japanese sire Hat Trick), came from behind to win under Tiago Pereira.

Queen Goddess winner of the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January, went off as the 4/5 favourite in the nine-furlong contest.

School Dance took the early lead but midway through the race, Macadamia, back in sixth early, began her move for Pereira.

“I saw Tiago coming on the outside with Macadamia stocking up a run, and I thought maybe we’d have a chance to run one-two,” D’Amato said.

Queen Goddess was still there around the second turn and grabbed the lead with a quarter-mile to go but Macadamia came on to put her head in front at the half furlong marker and held on by a length from Irish-bred Quattroelle (Mehmas), just as she had in a Grade 3 here in early May.

Churchill Downs

The other graded race of note was the Grade 3 Winning Colors over six furlongs at Churchill Downs where the top two-year-old filly of 2021 Echo Zulu looked like her old self in a five and a half length win for Steve Asmussen and Florent Geroux.

The filly had been confined to just four runs at three but had taken two wins and a second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.