Hollywood Hit beats Canadian sprint champ

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hollywood Hit led throughout Sunday's $160,200 at Woodbine, winning the six-furlong sprint by a half-length over Field Commission, last year's champion sprinter in Canada.

The 4-year-old Hollywood Hit ($3.10) set fractions of 22.01 and 44.40 seconds while being stalked by Monty's Best and El Brujo. Hollywood Hit had a two-length lead at the eighth pole, and went on to prevail in a time of 1:08.99. El Brujo edged out Monty's Best for third in the five-horse field.

Jockey Jim McAleney said Hollywood Hit was a bit rank on the backstretch, and was game enough to hold his ground when things got close in deep stretch.

McAleney said his mount didn't pick up Field Commission "until late in the race, and he did everything he could not to let him go by."

Hollywood Hit banked $90,000 in his first start since he romped Sept. 30 in the King Corrie Stakes, from which he was subsequently disqualified from purse money because of a positive test for the Class 3 drug acepromazine. Trainer Danny O'Callaghan trains him for owner Peter Redekop B C Ltd.