Greinton Loses; King’s Island Wins Sunset Handicap

Spend a Buck remains the only horse to collect a large bonus offered by a race track for winning a series of races.

But, only a head in front by Kings Island in the $211,800 Sunset Handicap denied Greinton a $1,000,000 bonus offered by Hollywood Park for winning the Californian, Hollywood Gold Cup and today’s closing feature.

Taken out in front by jockey Fernando Toro, Kings Island never gave up his lead and had enough left at the end of the 1 1/2-mile race on the grass to deny Greinton the victory before 32,000 on the closing day of Hollywood Park’s summer season.

Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. kept Greinton in third place while Craelius, the 1983 winner of the Sunset, forced the pace. When the field came around the final turn, Greinton moved to the outside to challenge Kings Island.

Kings Island was timed in 2:25 4-5 over the infield grass course and paid $15.40, $3.40 and $2.10. Greinton paid $2.40 and $2.10. Val Danseur, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, showed at $2.10.

Had Greinton won the race, it would have boosted Pincay past Shoemaker as the all-time earnings leader among jockeys. The second-place award of $40,000 left him about $1 million behind the famed Shoemaker.

Kings Island earned $121,800 plus a Breeders’ Cup award of $27,000 for his owners, Chuck Baunbach of Arlington, Texas, and Dan Agnew of Central, Washington.

For Toro, who last month suffered serious chest injuries when a horse fell during a race at Hollywood Park, it was his second Sunset victory.