Contact: Jim Miller
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Super Frolic Takes Hawthorne Gold Cup

STICKNEY, IL -- The Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup, carrying a purse of $750,000, is in the books. A full field of 10 went to the gate.

A speed duel developed right from the start. The first two finishers of the Claiming Crown Jewel at Canterbury Park, Desert Boom and Lord of the Game, broke alertly and were one-two for most of the race, though they switched places a number of times.

At the top of the stretch, Lord of the Game stuck his nose in front and it appeared that he might be on his way to another Cinderella victory but Millenium Farms’ Super Frolic, who had been tracking the pace from the start, collared “Lord” at the top of the stretch and they dueled their way to the wire.

When they crossed the wire, Super Frolic, trained by Vladimir Cerin, had a head in front. Lord of the Game finished second. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to Desert Boom.

Perfect Drift, looking for his second Hawthorne Gold Cup win in the last three years, went off as the 4-5 favorite but never really unleashed his good late move and finished a non threatening fourth.

Vladimir Cerin, the trainer of winner Super Frolic, said “We came here because we secretly still had hopes for the Breeders’ Cup. We thought we had a much better horse than the one who finished fifth in the Pacific Classic. I was concerned with the off track. I thought Desert Boom would have a big advantage since he has such good off-track form but I think the distance really helped us.

"We got a perfect trip. Victor had him exactly where I thought he should be. This horse just goes whenever you want him to. I got him only 18 days before the Pacific Classic so I still don’t have him totally figured out. He’s more than paid back his purchase price and he also made enough to pay for a nice filly that we bought yesterday."

Asked about the Breeders’ Cup plans: “I hope we have enough points, after this race, to get invited. That’s the plan if it works out.”

Winning rider aboard Super Frolic, Victor Espinoza, added: “This was my first time riding him, but I went back and watched his race in the Pacific Classic and he was as game as they come. I wasn’t sure if the rain and wet track was going to help us, but I guess it worked out perfectly. We just sat close the whole way around and when it came time to run he picked it up. In the final 16th, he was challenged by the runner to our inside (Lord of the Game) and neither gave in, but we were just a little better today.”

Eusebio Razo, Jr., the rider of second place finisher Lord of the Game, was happy with the effort. “He broke good. He didn’t see the other horse coming on the outside. When the other horse passed him he dug in and was coming back on him. I think if there was enough time he would have come back and gotten him.”

Tom Tomillo, trainer of Lord of the Game, was optimistic: “He ran another game race, that’s all I can ask of him. As for the Breeders’ Cup, all I can say right now is we’re going to see how he comes out of this race and we’ll keep all of our options open.”

Roberto Gonzalez who rode third-place runner Desert Boom, shared this, “I wanted to go to the lead but he stumbled a little bit coming out of the gate and the one (Lord of the Game) broke so good I decided to just let him race in second. He was a little rank coming under the wire for the first time and I had to fight with him until about the ¾ pole, finally got him to relax about the half mile pole. I got a little bit off the rail I thought Lord of the Game would tire but he’s just a tough son of a gun."

Trying to explain the unusual effort of Perfect Drift, rider Mark Guidry, had this to say “I was sitting in a pretty good spot on the middle of the turn. I wouldn’t have traded places with anybody. But, after that, it seemed like whenever I got busy and really riding him, trying to get a little more out of him, he started slipping and sliding. I don’t want to blame the track condition but down the lane, he just ran kind of even. He wasn’t picking up any horses.

As the second choice, Super Frolic paid $10.60, $6.60, and $5.60. Lord of the Game returned $14.00 and $8.80. Desert Boom paid $6.60.

They covered the mile and a quarter in 2:04.66 after fractions of :23.59, :48.05, 1:12.35, and 1:37.67.

For more information about the Fall Harvest Festival of racing visit www.hawthorneracecourse.com or call Hawthorne Race Course at 708-780-3700.