INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 26, 2008) - Surf Cat rallied from fourth at the head of the stretch under jockey Alex Solis to win Saturday's $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap by a half-length over pacesetter Desert Code at Hollywood Park.
Surf Cat, who covered 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track in 1:41.13, became the first two-time winner of the LeRoy after scoring as a 4-year-old two years ago. The second choice at 5-2 in the field of eight older horses, he rewarded his backers with a $10.60 win payoff.
Longshot Desert Code, who was pressed by 2005 Santa Anita Derby winner Buzzards Bay as he set the pace in the Grade II event, fought gamely to preserve second money under jockey Aaron Gryder. Global Hunter, an outsider ridden by Omar Berrio, finished well to edge Neko Bay for third. Buzzards Bay finished fourth, followed by 6-5 favorite Monzante, Zappa and Fly Dorcego.
"He's really coming around," Solis said. "He was real kind today. In some of his earlier races he was a little mad and sour, but as he goes along he's getting better and better. He's coming back to his old self."
Surf Cat, owned by Aase Headley and Marsha Naify, won for the ninth time in 18 starts, boosting his earnings to $925,420 with the winner's check of $90,000.
"I thought this race set up perfect because he had a couple of nice speed horses out in front of him," trainer Bruce Headley said. "Alex got him to relax and it seems like that's his best race when he relaxes like that. The pace set up perfect because he wasn't out with them or in between them, he was trailing them. His best races have been like this. We'll place him in either The Californian or the Metropolitan Mile, it depends on the weights."
Desert Code, at 23-1, and Global Hunter, at 18-1, both out-ran their odds in the Mervyn LeRoy - the first major prep for the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28.
"He ran great," Gryder said of the runner-up. "He got pressure all the way and took on a challenge from a very good Surf Cat. It's just too bad he got beat. Turning for home he got away from that other horse (Buzzard's Bay) a little bit and I thought he might go ahead and steal away."
Monzante, meanwhile, was never a threat.
"He just got tired," jockey Rafael Bejarano said. "I don't think he liked the dirt hitting him in the face."
Trainer Bobby Frankel, meanwhile, was represented by three winners on Saturday's card - Rosangela in the second race, Be Glorious in the sixth and Skimmetry in the eighth.
