Sligo Bay Wins Cinema 'Cap in North American Debut

Columbine Stable's Sligo Bay made a late charge to post a one-length victory in the $108,600 Cinema Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park on Sunday. Ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., Sligo Bay covered the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds in 1:48.40 on a firm turf course and paid $10.80, $5.20, and $3.20. Learing at Kathy finished second and returned $4.20 and $2.80. Marine paid $2.60 to show.

Macabe finished fourth, followed by Sigfreto, Media Mogul, and Resolve, who tired after setting the early pace.

The Irish-bred Sligo Bay, making his first start in the United States, earned $65,160, boosting his earnings to $100,661. Sligo Bay (Sadler's Wells--Angelic Song, by Halo) won for the second time in the Cinema Handicap in his 3-year-old debut. As a juvenile, he won once in five races and finished second to Turnberry Isle in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (Ire-III). He was bred by Orpendale.

"He ran super," trainer Beau Greely said of the winner. "We thought he would run well. I just wasn't sure, being on such a long layoff. He'd run a mile-and-a-quarter as a 2-year-old. He had plenty of bottom into him." (Chart, Equibase)