Disturbingthepeace pulls upset in Triple Bend
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With a light weight assignment and an uncontested lead, Disturbingthepeace pulled an upset in Saturday's $300,000 at Hollywood Park.
Making his stakes debut, Disturbingthepeace beat a strong field in the Grade 2 Triple Bend that included 2002 stakes winners D'Wildcat, Mellow Fellow and Kona Gold, the 2000 champion sprinter who finished sixth as the 126-pound topweight and 4-5 favorite.
None challenged Disturbingthepeace, who was ridden by Victor Espinoza and carried 113 pounds.
Breaking from the rail, Disturbingthepeace led through fractions of 22.48 and 44.91, turning for home with a one-length advantage. The 4-year-old Disturbingthepeace ($35) pulled clear through the stretch and won by three lengths, finishing seven furlongs in 1:21.09.
D'Wildcat, who was close to the pace early, finished second, 2 1-2 lengths in front of Mellow Fellow, whose six-race losing streak came to the end. Kona Gold, prominent for the first half-mile, faded to finish sixth, 6 3-4 lengths behind Disturbingthepeace.
"He just wasn't himself today," jockey Alex Solis said.
Disturbingthepeace has won four consecutive races for owner David Milch and trainer Darrell Vienna. A 4-year-old, Disturbingthepeace has won 5 of 13 starts and $370,780.
"This horse is very game," Vienna said. "The weight meant a lot."
Trainer Bob Hess, Jr., was frustrated over D'Wildcat's performance.
"All year, we've been playing with blinkers in the morning but he hasn't worn them yet," Hess said. "He lugged in down the lane and he's done that in every race."
*Surya won her stakes debut in the $114,800 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile on turf. The style of her victory convinced jockey Kent Desormeaux that the 4-year-old Surya can show further improvement.
"She is going to be one to be reckoned with down the road," he said. "She hardly took a deep breath."
Trained by Bobby Frankel for Flaxman Holdings, Surya rallied from eighth to reach contention in midstretch. She two lengths in front of 34-1 Angel Gift and ran a mile on turf in 1:34.73. Reine de Romance finished third in the field of 12.
Surya is unbeaten in three starts in this country. She was winless in three starts in France at 2.