Hollywood Park: Talamo's lone ride pays big dividends for Ryehill Dreamer in American Handicap

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Jockey Joe Talamo made the most of a very limited opportunity on Saturday.

Serving the first day of a three-day suspension for causing interference in the Milady Stakes last weekend, Talamo was eligible to ride only one race at Hollywood Park on Saturday – the $150,000 American Handicap for turf milers.

Talamo took advantage of the situation, guiding Ryehill Dreamer ($19.80) to a nose victory over even-money favorite Sidney’s Candy after an ideal trip. Ryehill Dreamer stalked Sidney’s Candy and Liberian Freighter, who set a quick pace of 23.51 and 46.12 seconds, rallied wide on the turn, and held off a stubborn Sidney’s Candy to win by a nose.

“I was so glad that other horse went with Sidney’s Candy,” Talamo said.

Ryehill Dreamer ran a mile in 1:33.55, scoring the first graded stakes win of his career. Trained by Julio Canani for Marsha Naify, Ryehill Dreamer, an Irish-bred gelding by Catcher In the Rye, has won 5 of 12 starts and $296,807. A 5-year-old, Ryehill Dreamer was second in the Grade 3 Inglewood Handicap here in April and a minor stakes winner in Ireland in 2008.

Talamo rode Ryehill Dreamer for the first time in the American. “It set up great and Julio has done a great job getting him to relax,” Talamo said.

In the Grade 2 American, Ryehill Dreamer carried 116 pounds, seven less than Sidney’s Candy, who finished 4 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher The Usual Q.T. Leroy’s Dynameaux finished fourth, followed by Liberian Freighter and Goldwaki in the field of six.

Sidney’s Candy has finished second in both starts this year, having finished second to Crown of Thorns in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 7, a race in which he carried topweight.

“I got no weight off the last race,” trainer John Sadler said. “I sound like a broken record. It’s just tough.”

Talamo was able to ride the American Handicap because graded stakes are exempt from routine suspensions. His next mount is in Monday’s Los Angeles Handicap, one of two graded stakes mounts that day.

“It’s part of the game, the ups and downs,” he said. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad.”