Hyperbaric goes all the way in Citation

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Hyperbaric was held out of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita last month in favor of Friday's $400,000 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park. The schedule worked to perfection when the 5-year-old gelding led throughout the Citation, recording the first Grade 1 victory of his career.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Hyperbaric ($13) held off a persistent threat from Formal Decree to record the biggest win of his career. The Citation was Hyperbaric's fourth consecutive win, a streak that began in an optional claimer at Del Mar in July and includes the Brubaker Handicap at Del Mar in August and the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 28.

Hyperbaric ran 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:41.29.

Baze broke Hyperbaric from the rail and they stayed on the inside throughout. Hyperbaric set early fractions of 24.08 and 48.56 seconds, relatively slow for a Grade 1 race at the distance, and won by three-quarters of a length over Formal Decree, the winner of the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Handicap at Belmont Park on Oct. 25.

Becrux, the winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in 2006, finished third in the field of nine. Whatsthescript, the even-money favorite, finished sixth. Whatsthescript rallied wide on the final turn but could not sustain the bid and faded through the final furlong.

Owned by Prestonwood Racing and trained by Julio Canani, Hyperbaric, 5, has won 7 of 12 starts and $654,476.