Count Fleet Sprint

Fred Carillo and Daniel Cassella's homebred BORDONARO (Memo [Chi]) proved

best at 2-5 odds in Thursday's $150,000

Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) at Oaklawn

Park, dueling through splits of :21 3/5 and :44 1/5 before drawing clear in the

stretch and stopping the timer in a meet-best 1:08 3/5 for six furlongs.

Runner-up Friendly Island (Crafty Friend) held gamely after disputing the pace,

finishing 1 1/4 lengths back of the winner, but Bordonaro wasn't seriously

threatened over the fast track and recorded his fourth straight victory, all

stakes.

Trained by Bill Spawr and ridden by Pat Valenzuela, the five-year-old gelding

returned $2.80, $2.20 and $2.20 to his many supporters and keyed the $13.80

exacta with Friendly Island, who was off at 9-1 and paid $4.60 and $3. It was

five lengths back to 3-1 second choice Semaphore Man (Formal Gold), who gave

back $2.40 for show and completed the $34.80 trifecta (6-5-3). That Tat (Faltaat),

Level Playingfield (Level Sands), Santana Strings (Wheaton) and Rodeo's Castle

(Rodeo) rounded out the order of finish.

Bordonaro has lost only once since defeating maiden claimers in his second

career outing. His career line now reads 10-8-0-0, with $462,164 in earnings,

and his present winning skein began in the California Cup Starter Sprinter H. in

early November. The California-bred romped to a three-length victory in the

Vernon O. Underwood S. (G3) next out and captured the restricted Sunshine

Millions Sprint S. in a highly impressive manner at Gulfstream Park. The

chestnut entered the Count Fleet off a nearly two-month freshening.

The second registered foal from the winning Miss Excitement (Rajab), Bordonaro has an

unraced three-year-old full brother named Furioso Star, a juvenile full sister

named Fedrico and a yearling half-sister by Mud Route.