Bust Out finds first stakes victory in Cinema

ARCADIA, Calif. - The ascension of the lightly raced colt Bust Out in California’s 3-year-old turf division continued on Sunday with his first stakes win in the $100,000 Cinema Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita.

Facing only three rivals, Bust Out was never far from the front, took the lead in early stretch and won by 1 3/4 lengths. Sent off favored, Bust Out paid $5 and was timed in 1:36.30. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83, which equals his career best.

Bust Out stalked pacesetter Charlie’s Curlin, who set a slow pace of 24.50 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.05 for a half-mile.

Bust Out was ridden for the first time on Sunday by Emisael Jaramillo.

“I could feel the pace was not very fast,” Jaramillo said. “I wanted to get him up close to the horse on the lead.”

Bust Out took the lead in early stretch and had a half-length advantage with a furlong remaining.

“When we turned into the stretch, my horse still had a lot left and finished strong,” Jaramillo said.

Iriseach (9-5) closed from third to finish second, three-quarters of a length in front of 8-5 Charlie’s Curlin. Go Ralph, a maiden making his second start, finished last.

The complexion of the race changed on Sunday morning with the withdrawal of Later Than Planned, the winner of the John Shear Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters on April 18. Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Sunday that Later Than Planned will be pointed to the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course against older horses on June 13.

Bust Out, who is by Complexity, won for the second time in five starts in the Cinema. He won his debut in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt at Los Alamitos in September.

The Cinema Stakes was Bust Out’s third start of the year. He was fifth of seven in the Baffle Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on Jan. 25 and second by a neck behind Charlie’s Curlin in an allowance race at a mile on turf on April 2.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Bust Out is owned by Tim and Jacob Pegram.

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