Ashkal Way gets a ticket to victory in Grade I Citation

Ashkal Way added California to the list of states in which he has been successful, winning the $400,000 Citation Handicap on Friday at Hollywood Park.

A winner of five of six in New York and New Jersey since arriving in the U.S. in the spring, the 4-year-old, Irish-bred gelding became a Grade I winner with his decisive score in Inglewood.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, who also won the $100,000 Cat’s Cradle with 8-1 longshot Gn. Group Meeting, Ashkal Way, the 7-2 second choice, won by a length in 1:39.67 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

The win was the eighth in 16 starts for Ashkal Way, who is owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Saeed bin Suroor.

Hendrix, a 25-1 longshot who was part of an entry with Courtnall, finished second, a nose ahead of Three Valleys, who was third for the second time in three years in the Citation. The 5-year-old also ran third in 2004. Rob Roy, the 19-10 favorite, was fifth.

“This horse has gotten better and better since he’s been in this country,” said Gomez, who rode the chestnut to three earlier wins in New York.

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Whatsthescript, the 11-10 favorite, won for the second time in as many starts in the U.S., winning the second division of the $75,000 Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park.

The half-length victory by the 2-year-old Royal Applause colt was trainer Manny Marques’ first graded stakes win. It also was the first in a graded stakes at Hollywood Park for jockey Isaias Enriquez. The time for the mile on turf was 1:36.04.

The race was marred by the fatal breakdown of Edwardian, the 4-1 second choice who broke his right front ankle approaching the far turn. C’mon Buddy, who finished sixth, was taken off the track by van after the race because of an apparent leg injury.

In the first division of the Generous, Warning Zone, the 2-1 second choice, won for the second time in four races, beating Unusual Suspect and six others in 1:36.59. Corey Nakatani rode the son of Chester House for Rising Sun Stable and trainer John Sadler.

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Premium Tap, the 9-5 favorite, rolled to a 7 1/4 -length win under jockey Kent Desormeaux in the $572,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Trained by John Kimmel for owners Peter Alevizos, David Whelihan and George Kline, the 4-year-old colt, who had finished third behind Invasor and Bernardini in the Breeders’ Cup Classic three weeks ago, won for the sixth time in 17 starts. Wild Desert finished second, a nose ahead of fellow 12-1 longshot A.P. Arrow. The victory was the second in a Grade I for Premium Tap this year. He had also taken the Woodward at 31-1 under Desormeaux on Sept. 2.

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Malibu Mint, the 4-1 third choice, finished second under jockey Eibar Coa but was awarded the win in the $150,000 Top Flight Handicap after 23-1 longshot Rahys’ Appeal was disqualified in the Grade II at Aqueduct.

Rahys’ Appeal, who finished three lengths ahead of Malibu Mint, was disqualified because Alan Garcia, her rider, struck the original runner-up with his whip as he was going by her on the outside.

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Jockey Russell Baze failed to win with any of his three mounts at Bay Meadows, so he remains six winners shy of tying Laffit Pincay on the all-time list. Baze, who has 9,524 victories, is scheduled to ride in seven of the nine races today at Bay Meadows.

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bob mieszerski@latimes.com