One Man's Delight aims to stretch speed

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With the experience of nine races, the career of One Man's Delight is still evolving.

He won a maiden race on Santa Anita's hillside turf course in his fifth start in March but has lost his last four starts, including three races on synthetic tracks. For Friday's seventh race at Hollywood Park, One Man's Delight returns to turf and will make his first start at a mile.

With his speed, One Man's Delight will be easy to follow in the optional claimer for statebreds, an assignment that trainer Don Warren thinks is within the 5-year-old's ability. Warren's confidence stems from One Man's Delight's third-place finish in an allowance race for statebreds over 7 1/2 furlongs here May 28.

"I was very encouraged by the seven and a half furlong race," he said. "That was an experiment as to whether he would go that far. I don't see why he wouldn't go a mile. He'll be laying up close.

"We think he likes the turf better than the Cushion Track" synthetic surface, Warren said. "I think he's got a pretty good shot."

Warren said One Man's Delight started on the main track in recent months primarily because those were the races available.

"We're not going to sit in the barn for six weeks," he said.

One Man's Delight has drawn the rail in a field of eight. He could face a late threat from Jack's Wild, Pop'shands Are Hot, or Troubletimesthree.

Jack's Wild, a stakes winner against statebreds in 2007, is entered to be claimed for $25,000. An 8-year-old gelding trained by Jorge Gutierrez, Jack's Wild was second against a similar field here May 27 over 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Pop'shands Are Hot needed 15 races to beat maidens, finally doing so in a maiden race for statebreds here May 27, his first start of the year and most recent outing. The 6-year-old gelding is trained by Barry Abrams and is entered to be claimed for $25,000.

Troubletimesthree is making his first start in Southern California since March. Trained by Leonard Powell, Troubletimesthree was third in the Wildcat Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on turf at Turf Paradise on April 3 and was eighth in a field of 11 in the Hasta La Vista Handicap over 1 7/8 miles on turf there May 2.