Freespool Is a Surprise Winner

The scratch of Kona Gold lit up the face of trainer Ted West on Sunday morning at Santa Anita. Five hours later, West’s visage resembled a Canadian sunset after his Freespool, capitalizing on the defection of the odds-on favorite, scored a 1 1/2-length victory in the $107,000 El Conejo Handicap.

Kona Gold, winner of the El Conejo last year when he set the 5 1/2-furlong record at Santa Anita, was scratched because his trainer, Bruce Headley, disagreed with the high-weight assignment of 122 pounds. Bettors with tickets on the other half of the Headley entry settled for Son Of A Pistol, once formidable but now an 8-year-old gelding on the downward arc. Son Of A Pistol finished fourth in the six-horse field.

“I expected 120 pounds,” Headley said of Kona Gold’s weight. “[After January], the horse went all last year without winning a race, yet he wasn’t getting a break in the weights. Even Big Jag, who kept beating us, was still carrying less weight. I’m going to try again to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with him this year, and I don’t want him up to 130 pounds by the end of the year. If he had won with 122 this time, he would have been bumped up to 124 pounds for the next one.”

Kona Gold didn’t win after the 1999 El Conejo, but he was second in four starts, the last a half-length loss to Artax in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November.

“When I saw Kona Gold on the scratch board, I wasn’t too sad,” West said. “I think he’s the best sprinter in the country. Even better than Artax. He should have beaten Artax in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Freespool had four wins and two seconds in 10 starts before Sunday, but his best finish in three stakes tries was a fourth. Coming out of the No. 1 hole, Chris McCarron broke the 4-year-old colt on the lead and they were uncatchable. Freespool, earning $64,200 for owner Scott Guenther, paid $14 as the fifth choice. His time was 1:03 1/5, slowest for an El Conejo winner since 1991. Mellow Fellow finished second, a half-length in front of Old Topper.

West said that instead of attempting to get Freespool to relax behind horses, his advice to McCarron was to utilize the colt’s speed.

“That’s the easiest kind of horse to ride,” McCarron said. “The one that opens up four lengths and stays there.”

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Horse Racing Notes

In another stake, The Deputy, a 3-year-old Irish-bred colt making his U.S. debut, beat Promontory Gold, the 9-10 favorite, by one length and won the $76,050 Hill Rise Handicap. Chris McCarron also rode The Deputy, for the second of his three winners. He has won three stakes in two days. . . . Fusaichi Pegasus, a $4-million yearling, broke his maiden in the first race. In his debut, the son of Mr. Prospector was second in December at Hollywood Park. . . . Laffit Pincay, whose mount, Captain Ben, interfered with another horse at the start of a race on Thursday, begins a three-day suspension on Wednesday. . . . Go Lib Go ($11.60), ridden by Jose Santos, won the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby at Calder, beating Mr. Livingston by 1 1/4 lengths.