Chewing Gum, 7, gets long-sought stakes win in Joe Hernandez

ARCADIA, Calif. – It’s a good thing Chewing Gum stuck around for his 7-year-old year. Long a horse better known for settling for minor awards, he finally broke through for his first stakes win in his 23rd start, ending a 12-race losing streak with a narrow victory in the Grade 2, $251,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes for turf sprinters Saturday at Santa Anita.

Chewing Gum ($13.40) was mid-pack coming off the bend in the 6 1/2-furlong race, then found a seam between Beer Can Man and Bran in upper stretch, and wore down favored Beer Can Man in the closing yards to prevail by a nose. Bran held on for third, a neck in front of Delaware, then came, in order, Commander, pacesetter Momos, and Cupid’s Claws.

Umberto Rispoli rode Chewing Gum, who was timed in 1:15.27 on a course rated good.

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Chewing Gum was sent west by trainer Bill Mott after finishing third in his last two starts, turf sprint stakes at Belmont Park and then Aqueduct. The Hernandez was originally scheduled for about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside course, but was moved to the main oval.

“He kinda perked up at the end of the year,” Mott said by telephone after the race. “He was doing good, so we sent him out there.”

Chewing Gum was winning for the first time since June 12, 2020 at Belmont Park. He had raced in eight prior graded stakes, and had finished in the money three times, most notably when second to stablemate Casa Creed in the Grade 1 Jaipur last June at Belmont Park. In his 22 starts prior to Saturday, he had finished second or third 12 times, which helped him amass a fairly decent bankroll for a horse absent a stakes win.

He earned $150,000 on Saturday and now has earnings of just shy of $600,000.

Chewing Gum, a full horse by Candy Ride out of the Forestry mare Shared Heart, is owned by a partnership of Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, and Jerry Zaro.