Tuesday, October 14, 2008

HURRY UP AUSTIN GAINS SURPRISE VERDICT IN KANGAROO COURT

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2008) – With apprentice jockey Michael Martinez sitting patiently in the saddle, Hurry Up Austin rallied from a distant last Monday to upset 11-10 favorite Delta Storm in Oak Tree’s $68,300 Kangaroo Court at

6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

The Kangaroo Court result in all likelihood knocked Delta Storm out of a potential spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.


Hurry Up Austin sat some eight lengths behind front-runner Bad Boy during the early going in the fourth running of the Kangaroo Court with Delta Storm seeming to be in the garden spot while racing third in the field of six.

The favorite, ridden by Aaron Gryder, gained the lead between horses nearing the finish only to be overhauled by the winner on the extreme outside. The margin of victory was three-quarters of a length with Railroad, Joe Talamo aboard, one-half length further back in third.

The final time was 1:11.60.

Hurry Up Austin paid $13.80, $4.80 and $3.20. The prices on Delta Storm were $2.80 and $2.10. Railroad returned $3.20 to show.

Mike Mitchell, who trains $40,000 claim Delta Storm for Michael House, had said prior to the Kangaroo Court that their horse needed a win for Breeders’ Cup consideration. “Should we run second or third, I doubt we’d pre-enter,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think we’d want to waste the money.”

With the win, Hurry Up Austin reversed a loss to victorious Delta Storm when fifth in the Pirates Bounty Handicap at Del Mar on Sept. 3. Monday’s winning purse of $40,740 boosted the earnings of the Florida-bred son of Lake Austin to $280,030 for owners Raymond and Janet Glaze and Annabelle Stute, wife of trainer Mel Stute. Hurry Up Austin’s record became 4-7-2 in 28 starts.

Former jockey Joe Steiner, who won seven stakes aboard the John Longden-conditioned Kangaroo Court, was on hand in the winner’s circle to present the trophy.

Excepting the featured Kangaroo Court, jockey Tyler Baze won three of the holiday program’s last four races starting with $14 winner Heistingthejackpot in the sixth, a mount he assumed from Joel Rosario. The latter, who took off mounts while complaining of illness for a second straight day, lost two other winners to substitute Garrett Gomez.

Oak Tree racing resumes on Wednesday with an eight-race card that gets underway at 1 p.m.

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