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California Flag powers to Express win Hi Card Ranch's homebred CALIFORNIA FLAG (Avenue of Flags) returned to the winner's circle on Saturday with an easy 4 1/2-length victory in the $150,000 Hollywood Turf Express H. (G3) at Hollywood Park. With Joe Talamo in the irons, the Brian Koriner-trained four-year-old took the lead out of the gate, setting fractions of :23 4/5, :45 4/5 and :57 while being chased by One Union (Dixie Union), Joe Bravo (Brz) (Vettori) and Delta Storm (Storm Boot). Exiting the turn, California Flag hit another gear and effortlessly drew off from his rivals to complete six furlongs on the firm turf in 1:08 4/5. Sent off the 8-5 favorite in the seven-horse field, California Flag paid $5.40, $3.80 and $3 while keying $1 exotics of $27.80 (exacta), $126.50 (trifecta) and $502.60 (10-4-1-9 superfecta). Racketeer (Awesome Again) rallied strongly in the stretch, passing every other horse but the winner to take second at 14-1 and give back $11.40 and $5.40. The nearly 9-2 Delta Storm was the only early tracker who stayed on at the wire, finishing another half-length back in third to return $4. Carrilero (Arg) (Royal Academy) was just a head farther behind in fourth, and finishing the order under the wire were One Union, Joe Bravo and Unusual Suspect (Unusual Heat). Majestic Diamond (NZ) (Diamond Express), Hurry Up Austin (Lake Austin) and Towzee (NZ) (Towkay) were all scratched. California Flag earned his first stakes win in the Morvich H. (G3) at Santa Anita, scoring in a course record time of 1:11 for about 6 1/2 furlongs on September 24. He was thrown in the deep end when entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, leading during the latter part of the race before fading badly to finish 10th, and returned to a much more congenial spot in this one. With this win, the California-bred gray pushed his earnings to $283,216 and has racked up a line of 13-5-0-1. California Flag is out of Ultrafleet (Afleet), making him a full brother to multiple Grade 3 heroine Cambiocorsa (Avenue of Flags) and a half-sibling to the Grade 3-placed Shadow Raider (Memo [Chi]). Ultrafleet also has an unraced juvenile colt named Unparalleled (Unusual Heat), a yearling filly named Platinum Mine (Memo [Chi]) and a weanling colt named Vader (Vindication).
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