Bay Meadows: Heavenly Humor wins comeback

Comebacking Heavenly Humor ($7.40) found herself on the lead and scored an easy and convincing victory in the $59,725 Soviet Problem Handicap at Bay Meadows.

"That was a gift. I was sitting there looking around wondering where everyone was," said winning jockey Russell Baze, who found himself in front after a tepid 23.02-second opening quarter. He opened up from there, defeating Cryptos' Best by five lengths, winning the six-furlong stakes for fillies and mares in 1:09.04.

"She's been on her toes for a while," winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. "When I was schooling her yesterday, she was right on top of it. I probably should have worked her this morning."

Heavenly Humor's task was made easier when Allswellthatnswell acted up in the paddock and was fractious in the gate. Jockey Iggy Puglisi also said he was told to try to keep her off the pace early.

"We got a cushy trip, but she just lacked a finishing punch," Puglisi said after Allswellthatnswell, the 7-5 favorite, finished last.

Hollendorfer and partner Jerry Jamgotchian purchased Heavenly Humor from the John Franks dispersal sale in November. Hollendorfer, who already owned a half-share, said she went for $120,000.

"She wasn't 100 percent last year," he said. "We could not put a finger on the problem. We couldn't even find anything with a nuclear scan."

Heavenly Humor, making her first start since winning the San Jose Stakes last May, earned $30,850 for her third stakes victory and fourth win in seven starts to lift her career earnings to $125,265.- Chuck Dybdal