Hollywood no place for favorites in Milady, Railbird

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Saturday was a tough day for even-money favorites in graded stakes at Hollywood Park.

St Trinians crossed the wire first in the Grade 2 Milady Handicap, but was disqualified for interference and placed fourth. Second-place finisher Ultra Blend ($18) inherited the win in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

Pedaltothemedal squandered a comfortable trip in the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes. When she swung outside at the head of the lane, she spun her wheels and finished third. May Day Rose ($7) won the seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.

St Trinians and Pedaltothemedal were ridden by Joe Talamo. St Trinians was returning to her preferred footing, synthetic, and finished first in the Milady by 1 1/4 lengths. But in the stretch, she drifted in under right-handed whipping and caused fourth-place finisher She’s Cheeky to steady.

Stewards ruled the incident cost She’s Cheeky a chance for a better placing; St Trinians was disqualified and placed behind the mare she interfered with. American Story finished third, and was moved up to second.

Ultra Blend, trained by Art Sherman, will retire from racing at the end of this year as a graded stakes winner. The 5-year-old will be bred next year to Big Brown. The victory by Ultra Blend was the 10th of her career from 21 starts; she has earned $625,646. She was ridden by David Flores.

The winning time of 1:43.07 by St Trinians is expected to produce a Beyer Figure in the mid-90s.

Sherman also trains Pedaltothemedal, hammered to 1.10-1 off a smashing allowance race comeback. Talamo said she was “climbing early” in the Railbird, but after she leveled off, the jockey thought she was loaded.

Pedaltothemedal swung outside at the head of the lane, then went flat and finished third, 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Joel Rosario rode May Day Rose to the 3 1/4-length victory over runner-up Big Tiz.

May Day Rose, trained by Bob Baffert, won for the fifth time in nine starts. The final time of 1:22.26 should produced a Beyer Figure in the mid- to upper 90s.

Following a double carryover, the pick six Saturday returned $733,186.40.