Kinsale King goes wire to wire in Underwood

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The stakes debut of Kinsale King in Sunday's gave trainer Carl O'Callaghan his first stakes win.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Kinsale King led throughout the Grade 3 race over six furlongs and held off a stretchlong threat from Delta Storm to win by a neck.

The milestone came on the eve of O'Callaghan's 34th birthday. O'Callaghan has a 35-horse stable at Hollywood Park.

Kinsale King ($16.40) set a moderate pace of 23.23 and 46.53 seconds, shook loose by a length with a furlong remaining, and won by a neck over Delta Storm.

"I wanted him to be on the lead," O'Callaghan said. "I told [Garcia] to go for it."

Mr. Cacht, a stakes winner in Argentina earlier this year, finished third in his U.S. debut. Noble Court, the 2-1 favorite, finished fourth, closing from last in a field of seven to finished 3 1-4 lengths behind the winner.

Talkin to Mom Roo, who finished last, was vanned off with suspected injuries to a suspensory, according to track stewards.

Kinsale King was timed in 1:09.67.

In the preceding race, Captain Kali won a six-furlong $25,000 claimer for nonwinners of two in 1:09.07.

Kinsale King races for Patrick Sheehy's Super Horse, Inc. A 4-year-old gelding, Kinsale King has won three of six starts and $117,080. He won an optional claimer in a 61-1 shocker at Santa Anita on Oct. 30 in his first start for O'Callaghan.