Wild Dude delivers the pain in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby

And that’s why they run the race -- In recent months, Masochistic looked nearly unbeatable sprinting at Santa Anita while sweeping to a trio of successively more impressive victories in three straight races to begin 2015. Meanwhile, the Jerry Hollendorfer trained Wild Dude seemed to be headed in the wrong direction after winning the Grade 2 San Carlos in late winter. A loser of three straight, and no match for Masochistic just four weeks ago, the change of scenery to Del Mar seems to have agreed with the five-year-old son of Wildcat Heir, as he rolled right by the prohibitive favorite to score a clear cut 1 1/4-length victory in today’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby.

The featured sixth race at sunny Del Mar began as expected, as the speedy Distinctiv Passion went right out to the lead in the field of five, with Caminetto in close pursuit. Masochistic found himself in a perfect stalking position, followed by Wild Dude in fourth. Kobe’s Back, who was expected to be the early trailer, was even farther back than planned, after swerving out of the gate, and starting very slow. The field of five basically retained this position into the far turn, through fast fractions of :22.01 and :44.73, before the deciding moves would begin.

Masochistic, under Tyler Baze, looked to be in ideal position when he swung into a position of menacing presence as the field approached the stretch run. Just behind him, though, Wild Dude and red-hot rider Flavien Prat were drafting just behind the favorite, and also beginning to roll. Still, Masochistic looked like a winner when he swept by the tiring leaders to forge to the lead in early stretch. But instead of quickly drawing clear, as he did last month, he could not open up much of a lead, and with Wild Dude running a big one, his winning streak was in serious jeopardy.

Any hope held out for by the chalk eating weasels that Masochistic would turn back his rallying rival, were short-lived, as Wild Dude’s rally proved irresistible. The 2-5 favorite was quickly vanquished and Wild Dude and Flavien Prat sailed to the wire an easy winner.

“The last time I rode him (Triple Bend June 27 where he finished third), I let him get a little too far back," said Prat. "This time I was closer and the pace was a better one for us. They were going quickly. When I came around the turn, I knew I had horse, but I could see that other one (favorite Masochistic) out front and I know how well he’s been running. I wasn’t sure if I could catch up to him. But my horse leveled and he went right on by. He’s impressive.”

Final time for the six furlongs on Del Mar’s fast, new dirt course was 1:09.51. As the 11-1 fourth choice, Wild Dude payed off a happy $24.60 to his supporters for the $2 win wager. Kobe’s Back, the second choice, and slow starter, rallied well down the stretch to finish a clear third.

With the victory, Wild Dude collected his first Grade 1 win. He raised his lifetime record to a solid 16-6-3-4. Owned by Jerry Hollendorfer in partnership with Green Smith, the bay horse raised his career earnings to the tidy sum of $724,887. Perhaps most importantly, the Florida-bred re-opened the case of best sprinter out West, by proving that Masochistic is indeed beatable.