Mambo Man closes out meet with Hasta La Vista win
Talk about buying at the right time. Mambo Man ($2.80), claimed for $40,000 at Santa Anita March 21, captured Sunday’s $35,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise. The 1 7/8-mile grass event is the traditional closing day race, and it brought down the curtain on the track’s 58th meet.
Mambo Man won easily by 3 1/4 lengths for $40,000 on the turf at Santa Anita March 21 and was claimed by trainer Robertino Diodoro for owners Charles Garvey, Ted Graling, and TG Racing LLC. The 5-year-old gelding romped in his first start for his new connections, taking the Wildcat Handicap – the traditional prep for this race – easily by 7 1/2 lengths on grass here April 5. That made him the heavy 2-5 favorite for the Hasta La Vista. and he validated that backing.
Under Geovanni Franco, Mambo Man, the 125-pound highweight, volleyed for the early lead with Bobby Handy through modest splits, got rid of that foe turning for home, was immediately tackled by Major Art, but rebuffed that foe’s challenge, and edged clear for the 1 1/2-length win. Major Art was a clear second, three lengths ahead of Porfido, who finished third in the field of nine.
Mambo Man ran the distance in 3:11.81, and the winner’s share of $20,832 gives him earnings of $191,041 from five wins in 15 starts.
** Brookerson ($12.60) backed up his winning trial run as the 2-year-old colt captured Sunday’s $52,826 ATBA Sales Stakes at five furlongs. Owned by William Matthews, Marvin Fleming, and Filippo Santoro and trained by Dan McFarlane, the son of Henny Hughes went right out to the lead under rider Cesar Ordaz. He dueled with What Enchantment, dispatched with that foe, opened up into the lane, and held sway to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
Aggressive Beauty, a 2-year-old filly who was sent off the 9-10 favorite off her own smart trial win and is also trained by McFarlane, stalked the pace and ran on for second, far clear (6 1/4 lengths) of Tactical Rocket, who was third in the field of 12.
Brookerson ran the distance in 57.27 seconds. The winner’s share of $27,681 gives him a bankroll of $31,940 from two wins in as many starts.
** Racing returns to Turf Paradise in early October.