Awesome Gem holds off defending champion Rail Trip to win Hollywood Gold Cup

Awesome Gem upsets Rail Trip in Hollywood Gold Cup

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Awesome Gem upset defending champion Rail Trip to win the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup by a half-length on Saturday.

Awesome Gem ran 1¼ miles on Hollywood Park’s artificial surface in 2:03.31 under David Flores, who earned his third Gold Cup win. The 7-year-old gelding’s seventh victory in 36 career starts was worth $300,000 and pushed his earnings to more than $2.2 million.

Awesome Gem paid $18, $4.40 and $2.40 at 8-1 odds in the field of six. He was winless in four previous starts at different tracks this year.

He gained the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go under Flores’ left-handed whip.

Rail Trip got anything but in his journey. He was forced three- and four-wide on the backstretch under Rafael Bejarano, dropped back on the second turn, then came four-wide into the stretch. He took a brief lead past the eighth pole, but couldn’t overcome Awesome Gem.

Rail Trip returned $2.20 and $2.10 as the 2-5 favorite. He carried high weight of 123 pounds in the handicap race — seven more than Awesome Gem. Richard’s Kid was another 2¾ lengths back in third and paid $2.20 to show.

The loss denied Rail Trip a chance to become the first horse to sweep the Mervyn LeRoy, Californian and Gold Cup in the same year since Eleven Stitches in 1981.

Tres Borrachos, who missed the break out of the gate, was fourth, followed by Compari and Cigar Man. Tap It Light was scratched to run later this month at Del Mar.

The Gold Cup’s purse was slashed by $200,000 to $500,000 this year.

In the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap, E Z’s Gentleman won by 3¼ lengths under Martin Pedroza, who notched his 1,000th victory at Hollywood Park and first in a Grade 1 stakes.

“I’m sweating so much because this is like winning the Santa Anita Handicap or six races in one day,” said Pedroza, a native of Panama.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert went 1-2, having trained the winner and runner-up Sangaree. He also saddled Richard’s Kid in the Gold Cup.

“Baffert told me, ‘If you would have gotten him beat, I would have beat you up,’” said Pedroza, who tracked down early leader M One Rifle.

E Z’s Gentleman ran seven furlongs in 1:21.11 and paid $9.80, $4.80 and $3.20 at 7-2 odds. Sangaree returned $4.80 and $2.60, while 3-2 favorite Gayego was another length back in third and paid $2.40 to show.