Printer Friendly Page 

Utopian takes Inglewood

Utopian (outside) gutted out the head victory over Smug to earn his first stakes win in the Inglewood (Benoit Photos) After tracking a slow pace throughout, Utopian edged Smug in the final strides to win the Grade 3, $98,000 Inglewood Handicap Friday evening at Hollywood Park. The Inglewood was reduced to four starters after the earlier scratch of Acclamation, the prohibitive morning-line favorite and the champion older male of 2011. Scheduled to make his first start since winning the Grade 2 Clement L. Hirsch Championship last October 2 at Santa Anita, Acclamation was declared from the Inglewood after taking what trainer Don Warren termed "some bad steps'' following a Thursday morning gallop. "We're not sure what was going on, but I saw what I saw and we can't take any chances,'' Warren said of the Unusual Heat six-year-old. "He'll go back to the track (Saturday) and we'll see if he's OK. We took X-rays and everything was nice and clean and cold.'' In the Eclipse Award winner's absence, Utopian earned his first stakes win in his fourth attempt in a graded event. His best previous effort was a head second in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes in mid-February at Santa Anita. Owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, the Rock Hard Ten five-year-old prevailed by a head as the 2-1 second choice in Friday's contest. Giving Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith his third Inglewood win in the last four years, Utopian completed the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48 3/5. The victory improved the dark bay's record to 11-3-2-0 and pushed his earnings to $183,180.

Trying to provide Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale with back-to-back wins in the Inglewood after he won with Liberian Freighter in 2011, Smug couldn't quite hold after setting leisurely :25 3/5, :50 1/5 and 1:14 2/5 splits for the first six furlongs. Holladay Road, the 3-5 favorite, was 1 1/2 lengths back in third and Haimish Hy wound up 4 1/2 lengths behind the public choice.

Now two-for-three over the Hollywood grass, Utopian paid $6.80 and $5.40 after show wagering was canceled.

"It was a great win for him,'' Smith said. "(Utopian) deserves something like this. He's been running well. He just got beat by a head two races back (in the San Marcos) and was forced to make a real early move last time out (when fourth in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes), so it was nice to come back today and get it done.

"They were going really slow and I knew it was going to turn in to a sprint for home. I tried to move up on the leader early so I could get my momentum going and it worked."

Utopian was purchased by his current connections for $400,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Bred in Kentucky by Louise I. and G. Watts Humphrey Jr., the dark bay is out of the stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Storm Alert and counts as half-siblings the stakes-placed pair of Indy Trouble and Temper Temper. Storm Alert is herself a daughter of the Grade 2-scoring Phone Trick mare Speed Dialer.

This female line is also responsible for champion turf mare and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf queen Soaring Softly; Canadian champion Wavering Girl, who is the dam of Grade 1 victor Military; Grade 1 scorers Mehmet and Plenty of Grace; and Grade 2-winning sires Tricky Creek, Parade Ground and Parade Leader.

More Graded Recaps:

Bradester takes flight in Salvator Mile

Dogwood Trail leads to Azalea winner's circle

Grand Bili captures Carry Back

Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

Merry Meadow crowned in Princess Rooney

Send this article to a friend