Kindergarten Stakes : Solvency Beats Cascio Quartet to Win at Los Al

Trainer C.W. “Bubba” Cascio started four horses in Saturday night’s $663,000 Kindergarten, the first leg of the Los Alamitos Triple Crown, at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Although an enviable accomplishment, it was only four years ago that Cascio pulled off the same feat when he saddled 4 of the 10 starters to the big race.

That year, Cascio was all but conceded the top award, After all, he had the potent, three-horse entry of Dashingly, Justanold Love and Floozy Jet, along with the highly regarded Painted Rebel.

The public was so confident in the Cascio three-horse entry that it backed to odds-on favorites by placing large show wagers in anticipation that one of the trio would finish in the money.

But none of them did.

In 1981, Dashingly and Justanold Love finished far back in the crowd and Floozy Jet could only manage a dead heat for sixth. The tote board rewarded those who bucked the Big Three with show prices of $49.60 on winner Dash Again (who paid $33.20 to win), $16.20 on The Plan (who paid just $6.20 to place) and a whopping $67.60 on My Flight Plan--still one of the largest payoffs in track history.

With that in mind, it was understandable that Cascio was not overconfident Saturday night while saddling Racin Image, Dashin Saint, Gone To The Man and Six Fortunes.

Unfortunately for Cascio, history did repeat.

Trainer Charles Bloomquist’s horse Solvency, with jockey Danny Mitchell aboard defeated Cascio’s quartet just as they did four years ago with Dash Again. The sorrel gelding broke cleanly and fought Stars In Her Crown for the lead, edging past the filly 40 yards from the finish, with a winning time of 17.66 seconds for 350 yards.

This is the second Kindergarten victory for Bloomquist. Although Cascio sent out 15 horses in the Kindergarten trials, he has yet to win in the final.

Solvency paid $11.80, $6.20 and $4.80. Stars In Her Crown, who finished a half length behind, paid $6.20 and $5.40 and Fly In The Pie paid $6.20 to show.

The field from fourth was: Racin Image, Gone To The Man, Reign Splash, Dashin Saint, Call Me Parr, Life Styles and Six Fortunes.

For Cascio, there was no strength in numbers Saturday night. He will have to try again next year.

Quarterhorse Notes

The declaration of Dashes Dream from Wednesday’s trials to the Vessels Maturity wasn’t the only disappointment in the sport recently. Last year’s 2-year-old champion, Eastex, had to be withdrawn from the trials to the Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs, N.M. when the gelding suffered a slight hock injury during his van trip to the mountain track from Los Alamitos. Although Dashes Dream, the sport’s world champion last year, could have gone over the $1-million mark in career earnings by winning the June 22nd Vessels, trainer Mike Roebings decided to rest Dashes Dream for the All-American Gold Cup in August at Ruidoso.