Sligo Bay captures Hollywood Turf Cup

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A vacation and a move to longer races has rejuvenated the career of Sligo Bay.

Sligo Bay ended an eight-race losing streak in an allowance race last month at Santa Anita, his first start in four months. On Sunday, he stamped himself as a horse to follow in distance turf stakes with a convincing win in the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, his first score in a Grade 1 race.

The 4-year-old Sligo Bay was ridden by Laffit Pincay, Jr., who used the colt's tactical speed to follow pacesetters Grammarian and Alyzig.

Sligo Bay was third for the first 1 1-4 miles, racing within three lengths of the front. He moved within striking range of Grammarian in early stretch, took the lead in the final furlong and won by a length.

"Coming down the stretch, I thought I was going to blow by the leader any time," Pincay said. "Then, all of a sudden, the other one took off.

Little by little, I was able to get to him, but I had to work hard. This horse is a very honest horse. He's gotten beat in some tough races when he was really trying, but today makes up for it."

Sligo Bay ($20) ran 1 1-2 miles on turf in 2:27.22.

Grammarian, the winner of the Sunset Handicap over this course last July, held second, 2 1-2 lengths in front of Delta Form, the 2-1 favorite who overcame trouble twice to finish third in the field of 11.

Sligo Bay races for Andrea Pollack's Columbine Stable and is trained by Beau Greely. Bred in Ireland, Sligo Bay won the Grade 3 Cinema Handicap in 2001 in his U.S. debut before suffering through a losing streak that included narrow losses in the Oak Tree Derby and San Gabriel Handicap last year.

In a sense, Greely finished 1-2 in the Turf Cup. Grammarian was based in his stable in the days before the race, but was saddled by Scott Brumley of Kentucky.

Grammarian will stay with Greely, giving him two hopes for the turf marathon division in 2003.

"I had to pull for the horse I was saddling today," Greely said. "But they're both very good horses."

*Roll Hennessy Roll won his first graded stakes in the $125,000

Hollywood Prevue Stakes. Racing over seven furlongs, Roll Hennessy Roll ($4) won the Grade 3 race by four lengths, finishing in 1:22.68.

Trainer Rafael Becerra credited the addition of blinkers with the colt's first victory win outside of New Mexico.

"He showed a lot of speed," Becerra said.

Ridden by Alex Solis, Roll Hennessy Roll set quick fractions of 21.68 and 44.01 before putting away Jimmy O.

"He got to waiting a little bit on me down the stretch, but I got afer him and he opened up," Solis said.

None of the six rivals mounted a serious attack. Red Apache closed from fourth to finish second, a nose in front of Hell Cat. Taliano, Jimmy O, Rahy Vision, and Sailinwithcaptain completed the order of finish.

Roll Hennessy Roll won the Los Ninos Stakes and Ruidoso Thoroughbred Futurity at Ruidoso Downs this summer before finishing third in the Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita last month. Owned by Stan Fulton, Roll Hennessy Roll has won 4 of 5 starts and $140,028.

*Hot Market led throughout the $107,700 On Trust Handicap to win his first stakes.

The victory erased the disappointment of a fifth-place finish in the $250,000 California Cup Classic when Hot Market reared at the break.

In the On Trust for state-breds, Hot Market set fractions of 22.38 and 45.28 seconds and was never seriously threatened.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux for trainer Craig Lewis, Hot Market ran 7 1-2 furlongs in 1:28.27, finishing 3 1-2 lengths in front of Grey Memo.

Spinelessjellyfish finished third in the field of six.

Hot Market has won 6 of 16 starts and $330,460 for owners John Harris and Per Antonsen. Lewis said the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic, a race featuring California-breds and Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, is a long-term goal for Hot Market.