(Chart, Equibase)
Hombre Rapido lived up to his name, busting to the lead early and cruising to a 2 1/2-length victory in track record time of 1:01 3/5 for 5 1/2 furlongs in Friday's featured seventh race at Hollywood Park.The victory completed a three-win day for jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., who rode back-to-back winners earlier on the card. Hombre Rapido, trained by John Sadler, carried 118 pounds while shaving three-fifths off the previous record set by Knight Prospector in 1993 and equaled by Naughty N Haughty in 1997. The race, originally scheduled for the turf, was moved to the main track following rain early Friday, reducing the nine-horse field to five.The winner clicked off fractions of :21 4/5 for the quarter-mile, :44 2/5 for the half and :55 3/5 for five furlongs.Hombre Rapido, a 5-year-old son of Falstaff, paid $6.80, $4.20 and $3.60. Teebar, second under Jorge Chavez, paid $7 and $4.60. Rapidough, third with Patrick Valenzuela up, paid $3.40.The victory was the second in five 2002 outings for Hombre Rapido, who had not started since finishing sixth in the Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood in June. He has won three of 17 lifetime starts. The pot of $27,600 boosted his earnings to $152,830.Valenzuela also rode three winners Friday.