Three-stakes plan for J P's Gusto

Trainer David Hofmans has a race-a-month schedule in mind this summer for J P's Gusto, who won his first stakes in Monday's $66,000 Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes.

J P's Gusto may return in the $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship over six furlongs here on July 5, followed by two starts at Del Mar -- the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 8 and the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs on Sept. 8.

Judging from the way that J P's Gusto finished the Proctor, longer sprints should come easily to the ridgling. Ridden by Joe Talamo, J P's Gusto rallied from third to win by 4 1/2 lengths over the 1-5 favorite, the filly Belleofthebridle, who was 9 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finish Edgewick Road. J P's Gusto ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.97.

Owned by Gem, Inc., J P's Guston was a troubled sixth in his debut here on May 9.

"Let's hope he goes on," said an enthusiastic Hofmans. "He can really run. He's such a sweet little horse to train."