HOLLYWOOD PARK : Blaze O’Brien, Corey Black Are Big Winners

While most of the name riders were busy in Kentucky, Corey Black enjoyed himself at Hollywood Park the last two days.

After winning two races Friday night, including the Crimson Saint on Denim Yenem, Black came back with another double Saturday, including a 9-1 upset on Blaze O’Brien in the $136,050 Inglewood Handicap.

Showing there is still some life in his 8-year-old legs and returning to the course where he has enjoyed his biggest success, Blaze O’Brien rallied from last after six furlongs to out-finish 4-5 favorite Savinio by a neck in 1:39 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Owned and bred by Barry and Susan Isaacs, the Interco gelding now has six victories and four seconds in 15 starts on the Hollywood Park grass.

“He’s a nice, solid horse,” said Black, who looks like a young Jerry Lambert with the goatee he’s sporting these days. “He puts in his run and (trainer) Hector Palma said try not to be too far back. But we got squeezed early, and I was like, ‘Ah, darn,’ but down the backside, I could tell they were rolling.”

Black was able to find room between horses late in the stretch and was able to get up and push Blaze O’Brien’s earnings past $900,000.

Savinio finished a bit more than a length in front of Stoller, then came Kicken It, Torch Rouge, the 7-2 second choice; Firm Pledge and Fadeyev.

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Marina Park, who returned after being away for nearly three months with a half-length victory in the Las Cienegas Breeders’ Cup Handicap April 8 at Santa Anita, is the 2-1 favorite in the $100,000 A Gleam Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

First or second in 13 of 25 lifetime starts, Marina Park will move back to the main track after winning on the turf last time. In her only other try on the Hollywood Park dirt, the 5-year-old Local Suitor mare beat Arches Of Gold and five others by 2 1/2 lengths last Dec. 11.

Top Rung, who bounced back with a victory in the Santa Luica Handicap after finishing last in the La Canada, is the 5-2 second choice as she shortens up to seven furlongs. The 4-year-old Seattle Slew filly has won half of her eight starts.

The rest of the field includes Nijivision, who is winless in eight appearances at Hollywood Park; Klassy Kim, who finished fifth of six in last month’s Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, Desert Stormer, Dancing Mirage and Angi Go.

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Two Los Angeles men, who chose not to be identified, cashed the second largest Pick Six in Hollywood Park history before Friday night’s first race.

The men, who played a $128 ticket on Thursday, cashed for $620,691.80 after a two-day carryover in the Pick Six. The record payoff for the bet at Hollywood Park is $761,627.40.

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Horse Racing Notes

Hollywood Park’s total handle Saturday was a record $21,095,902, and a California single-race record $4,621,694 was wagered on the Kentucky Derby at Hollywood Park and its satellite locations. The previous record was $4,499,357 on the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and the previous total handle record was $17,534,970 on last year’s Kentucky Derby day. . . . On a day loaded with upsets, there were no tickets with six or five in the Pick Six, so there is a carryover of more than $171,000. . . . Jockey David Flores, who was off his mounts Friday night and who was scheduled to ride You And I in the Carter Handicap Saturday at Belmont Park, is hospitalized with a suspected bleeding ulcer, according to agent Tony Matos. . . . Chris Antley will be at Belmont Park today to ride Cat’s Cradle for trainer David Hofmans in the $150,000 Acorn.