Let Bob Do It Does in Will Rogers Handicap

For a graded stakes winner, Let Bob Do It had rather humble beginnings.

The gelded son of Percifal broke his maiden in a $12,500 claimer a little more than 10 months ago at Yakima Meadows in Washington.

He has come a long way since, and the highlight of his 12-race career came Saturday when he drew away late to win the $111,900 Will Rogers Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Trained by John Sadler for owners Robert Levy--of Bet Twice fame--Alex Karkenny, oddsmaker Roxy Roxborough and Steve Bilsky, the athletic director at Penn, Let Bob Do It tracked the pace set by 2-1 favorite Sandtrap for six furlongs, then kicked away to score by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:34 for the mile on turf.

The 6-1 choice in the field of 10, Let Bob Do It was ridden by Kent Desormeaux and certainly has found a home on grass. He won the Pirate Cove at Santa Anita, then was second to Kentucky Oaks winner Pike Place Dancer in the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

Nightcapper, the longest shot in the field at 76-1, finished second, half a length ahead of an unlucky Dr. Sardonica, a Northern California shipper who was bothered when trying to rally along the rail in the stretch.

Horse Racing Notes

Hollywood Park will offer racing on Monday. Post time is the usual 1 p.m. . . . Fastness, making his first start since Nov. 25, is the 7-5 favorite against four opponents in the $125,000 Inglewood Handicap today at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The other four entrants are Tychonic, who has won five in a row for Bobby Frankel; Helmsman, who has been sidelined since finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2; Dernier Empereur, who hasn’t run since the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Oct. 28; and College Town. . . . There is a Pick Six carryover today of $124,767.76.