Lucayan Bounces Back in Hollywood Turf Cup
A Group I winner in his native France as a 3-year-old, Lucayan earned his first victory in North America in the Hollywood Turf Cup.
Ridden for the first time by jockey Joel Rosario, the 4-year-old son of Turtle Bowl and the Grand Lodge mare La Vltava was able to run down 7-5 favorite Temeraine by a half-length despite extremely slow fractions.
Bouncing back from a poor effort – ninth of 10 – over a yielding turf course in the Grade I Canadian International Oct. 27 at Woodbine, Lucayan closed into 25.67, 50.14, 1:14.21, 1:38.49 and 2:02.13 splits for his fourth win in his 15th start.
Owned by Pandora Stud LLC, Lucayan, who completed the 1 ½ miles in 2:26.14, gave trainer Neil Drysdale his first Turf Cup victory.
Drysdale has 83 stakes wins at Hollywood Park, leaving him seventh on the all-time list behind fellow Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, Richard Mandella, Ron McAnally, Bobby Frankel and Charlie Whittingham, the runaway leader with 222.
Prior to Saturday, Lucayan had lost nine in a row – three in Europe before coming to this continent – since his 27-1 surprise in the French 2000 Guineas May 13, 2012 at Longchamp.
The 17-10 second choice in the field of six, Lucayan paid $5.40, $2.80 and $2.40. He’s earned $659,858.
“The key to this guy is getting him to relax and (Rosario) did a lovely job of relaxing him,’’ said Drysdale. “He’s had an unlucky year. He tried to come up the middle and got stopped (in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap Aug. 24) and he also got stuck in the (Grade II) John Henry (Turf Championship Sept. 29 at Santa Anita), then it was just a bog at Woodbine and he couldn’t handle it.’’
Fifth in the Canadian International where he was 7 ½ lengths in front of Lucayan, Temeraine was a no-excuse runner-up Saturday.
The 4-year-old Arch gelding tracked outside pacesetter Segway most of the journey, then couldn’t contain the winner under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who won his only Turf Cup in 2004 with Pellegrino. Temeraine returned $2.80 and $2.20 while finishing 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Segway, who paid $2.60 to show.
Completing the order of finish were Irish Surf, Artic North and Huntsville.