Six aggressors tried, but none could come close to breaking the Code in the $209,400 Grade III National Jockey Club Handicap Saturday at Sportsman`s Park.
The undecipherable one is Lost Code, one of America`s top handicap stars, who devastated his foes en route to a 3 1/2-length victory.
”Last year, my friend (jockey) Earlie Fires saw Lost Code run here and he told me that this colt could be the best bullring horse in America,” said winning jockey Craig Perret, who was a star apprentice at Arlington Park in 1967 and rode in Chicago through the early `70s.
Now Perret is as bullish on the 4-year-old colt as his friend.
”You know I took off Dynaformer, the horse I won the $500,000 (Grade II) Jersey Derby with, to ride Lode Code in this race,” he said. ”And if Dynaformer hadn`t gotten sick, he would have run in the Belmont Stakes.”
Saturday`s race didn`t take too much out of Lost Code, according to Perret.
”He raced good and comfortable the whole race,” he said. ”He loves the turns. On the turns he just wants to explode. All I concentrated on was keeping him good and mellow.
”When (the other horses) got close to him, he just wants to do it. He likes what he`s doing.”
Defending champion Honor Medal held off Outlaws Sham by a nose for second place.
”I tried to beat the winner, but he was too much horse,” said jockey Luis Ortega. ”The closer I got to him the further he got away from me.”
A Sportsman`s Park crowd of 13,374 and a combined intratrack throng of 7,465 at Arlington, Balmoral, Maywood and Quad City had no trouble picking a favorite. They made the Code the dime to a dollar favorite. He paid $2.20, $2.20 and $2.10.
Lost Code was so prominent in the betting that the second choice, Blue Buckaroo, went off at a whopping $10.80-$1.
Wagering on the Code was staggering. He accounted for $127,324 of the $184,514 total mutuel pool and $65,053 of the $91,480 win pool. He took $38,061 of the $50,991 worth of show betting, which amounted to a $3,232.77 minus pool.
Track management didn`t mind the slight financial drain. The presence of Lost Code and a 10-race card which included a simulcast of the Belmont Stakes spurred the track on to its fourth-best thoroughbred handle ever, $4,010,652. Lost Code earned $125,640 for the workout. He has won four of five starts this year with one second for earnings of $617,140.
The son of Codex-Loss Or Gain by Ack Ack covered the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1 minute 49 3/5 seconds.
Trainer Bill Donovan has set up a rough itinerary for Lost Code, which includes the Grade II $250,000-added Massachusetts Handicap June 25 at Suffolk Downs, the Grade III $300,000-added Michigan Mile July 16 at Detroit Race Course and ”definitely” the Grade I $250,000-added Philip Iselin Handicap Aug. 27 at Monmouth Park.
Donovan can`t deny he`s tempted by the lure of Hollywood Park owner Marge Everett, who is trying to set up a million-dollar race between Lost Code, Alysheba, Bet Twice and Ferdinand.
”I`m not opposed to it at all,” said Donovan. ”It`s an honor to be asked. I just wonder if it`s to the horse`s advantage to ship him that far.
”I think if we can make these little dances through the Midwest here and stay away from the Alyshebas and Bet Twices, I think the horse will last longer and keep winning. That`s the name of the game, to win. We`d like to get him over the $2 million mark this year.”
