Bushwacker has only one way of going so when the 5-year-old horse took command in the $105,800 Vernon O. Underwood (gr. III) soon after the start Dec. 2, his four Hollywood Park rivals did not appear to be concerned. They should have been.
Jockey Joe Talamo has gained the mount on Lewis Michael, one of the leading contenders in the inaugural running of the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, which takes place Oct. 26 at Monmouth Park.
The ESPN family of networks will set a record for length of Breeders' Cup coverage, with 9 1/2 hours devoted to the two-day Breeders' Cup event and a preview show Wednesday.
Artiste Royal, making just his second start of 2007 for trainer Neil Drysdale, drew alongside prohibitive favorite The Tin Man approaching the eighth pole and edged away to a one-length victory in Oak Tree's $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 6.
She's the queen of the California breds. Nashoba's Key takes an unblemished record into the Breeders' Cup next month after she turned back odds-on choice Citronnade in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon (gr. IT) on the turf during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Sept. 29.
Undefeated Nashoba's Key had to overcome an anxious moment in Sunday's $294,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares on the Del Mar Polytrack, but she came thundering home under Joe Talamo for her sixth successive victory.
Twenty-year-old Michael Baze became the youngest jockey to win a riding title at Hollywood Park's spring/summer meet since Bill Shoemaker in 1950, riding 73 winners at the 63-day stand.
The California-bred Bilo, making just his third start since November of 2005, held off favored Surf Cat in the final strides to earn his first grade I victory while upsetting Saturday's $300,000 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park.
The rail opened up for favored Nashoba's Key at the top of the stretch and the undefeated filly kicked through to defeat a determined Balance by three-quarters of a length in the $294,000 Vanity Handicap (gr. I) for her first grade I stakes win Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Undefeated Nashoba's Key stepped into some high caliber company for Sunday's $186,100 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) and came away with a convincing win over grade I winners Hystericalady and Balance on the Hollywood Park all-weather track.
Awesome Gambler closed from sixth at the quarter pole to catch odds-on favorite Cobalt Blue in deep stretch, going on to post a 1 1/2-length victory under jockey Joe Talamo in Saturday's $80,800 Alydar Stakes for 3-year-olds at Hollywood Park.
Ashley's Kitty, a 17-1 outsider, gained the lead from Sindy With An S nearing the sixteenth pole and held on to beat hard-charging favorite Silver Swallow by a nose as apprentice jockey Joe Talamo completed a hat trick in Sunday's $111,000 Railbird (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park.
Newly relocated apprentice sensation Joseph Talamo registered his first Santa Anita stakes victory aboard talented Try to Fly in Saturday's $83,250 San Pedro for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Apprentice Joe Talamo, runaway leader in the jockey standings at Fair Grounds, will switch his tack to New York for the start of Aqueduct's main track meet in early April, according to his agent, Ronnie Ebanks.
Apprentice Joe Talamo, dominating the jockey standings at Fair Grounds, became the first rider of the 2007 meet to post five wins on a single card Friday.
