Herrick Racing LLC’s homebred SHORT ROUTE (Mud Route) tracked just in behind
3-2 favorite Inspiring (Golden Missile), who set quick splits of :21 3/5, :44
and 1:09 2/5, in Sunday’s $109,700
Railbird S. (G3) at Hollywood Park, but was
in front when it mattered — at the wire. Under Patrick Valenzuela, the Joe
Herrick-trained sophomore managed to get a neck ahead of her rival at the finish
and completed seven furlongs on the fast track in 1:22 4/5.
Sent off the 9-2 third choice in the eight-horse field, Short Route paid $11,
$4.40 and $3.60 while keying the $15.40 exacta ($1), $145.90 trifecta ($1) and
$757.60 superfecta ($1) (3-1-7-4). Inspiring held second by 1 1/4 lengths and
returned $3.40 and $2.80, while Off the Richter (Richter Scale) was worth $5.40
at 21-1. Island Escape (Petionville) just missed the board by a head and was
followed by Pegasus Rose (Fusaichi Pegasus), Conveyor’s Angel (Conveyor),
Donna’s Doll (Pleasant Tap) and Good Lord Laurie (Truckee).
Short Route pushed her earnings to $172,815 and improved her line to 7-3-1-0.
This was her first graded win, but she previously captured the Cover Gal S. and
ran second in the Moccasin S. last season. Bred in California, the chestnut miss
is the third registered foal out of the unraced Short Call (Phone Trick) and has
two full sisters in the yearling Luvonroutesixtysix and a 2005 filly.