Colominas switches off grass

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Colominas, the beaten favorite on turf in her last two starts, returns to the main track on Friday at Bay Meadows. Colominas drew the outside in a field of five fillies and mares running one mile in a $25,000 optional claimer.

Colominas was claimed for $25,000 from a June 20 win at Hollywood Park, and took a shine to the Cushion Track there. She registered two wins, a second, and a third in four tries on that surface. She has won once on dirt and once on turf.

Colominas and Home Ice figure to stalk the pace of Jet Jockey. Rounding out the field are Judy's Way, who has been improving, and the stakes-placed Awesome Beginning.

Rojas rides first winner

Alvaro Rojas, 25, won the first race of his career Sunday, guiding Emma's Prize to victory in the ninth race. It was the 41st mount for Rojas.

"It felt great," he said. "I was happy and excited."

Rojas, from El Sacromonte, Mexico, came to the track for the first time at 17. He started as a groom in Southern California and later at Turf Paradise. He was an exercise rider in Northern California for four years.

Rockella beats stablemates

Rockella defeated two of her stablemates to win Monday's Palo Alto Stakes here. While her Jerry Hollendorfer-trained stablemates Forest Huntress and Eastlake Avenue ran near the pace, Rockella rallied from seventh to win.

Janet Hollendorfer, who saddled the horses with her husband, Jerry, out of town, said she didn't think Rockella would be that far back.

"It was one of those races where you don't know where they'll stack up when they come out of the gate," she said. "She sure had a big kick."

Rockella, a $32,000 Hollen-dorfer claim on April 11 at Santa Anita, was making her first start since June 8. She won her debut for Hollendorfer in allowance company, then ran second in the Golden Poppy in May.

"There was a lot of speed in the race, and that helped me get her tucked in," winning jockey Alex Bisono said. "Down the backside, she was tugging at me pretty good. I knew once I got her in the clear she would run them down."