Maiden King

Jockey Corey Nakatani sprang to the lead with #2 Hudler, who held a clear advantage on the backstretch.

On the turn, Hudler was running easily with Nakatani hardly moving his hands, however behind him Martin Garcia was asking #6 Dona Mary for everything she had. In third place, jockey Alex Solis had the 7-to-5 favorite #5 High Note also under an all-out race ride. 

But nobody was catching Hudler, who won without breaking a sweat.

I bet $200 on this first-time starter, as her 7-to-1 odds fell into my range of 5-to-1 and above. I also put $200 on second-timer #6 Dona Mary, and was considering winning trainer Doug O’Neill’s other entry #7 Runway Starlet. But she was 2-to-1, which I thought was too poor of a wagering price.

I also liked first timer #5 High Note, but was interested at 10-to-1 and higher, not her post time odds of 7-to-5.

To watch a replay of this race, go to www.calracing.com