Siphon, a 9-1 outsider who had never run a race longer than 1 1-16 miles in North America, became only the eighth wire-to-wire winner of the $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup, holding off favored Geri for a one-length victory Sunday.
Ridden by David Flores and carrying 117 pounds, Siphon covered 11/4 miles in 2:00 2-5 in earning his fourth straight victory. The winning payoff was $20.60, $8.80 and $5.The win was the 10th in 18 lifetime starts for Siphon and was worth $600,000 - nearly $183,000 more than the 5-year-old Brazilian-bred son of Itajara had earned previously.
Siphon's career earnings stand at $1,017,619.
In his previous three starts, Siphon won the Mervyn Leroy Handicap at Hollywood Park on May 4, the Bates Motel Handicap at Santa Anita on April 20, and the Bay Meadows Express Handicap at Bay Meadows on Feb. 17.
"I had questions about going a mile-and-a-quarter, we've just been stretching him out a little at a time," trainer Richard Mandella said. "Last year, he was a real good sprinter for us. In the spring, we started reaching out and trying him at longer distances.
"In his last couple of mile works that I got into him going into this race, they were just awesome. He breezed a mile in 1:36 1-5 - as fast as horses run - and he did it like a morning gallop. He put a lot of confidence in us with those last couple of works."
Racing from the inside post position, Siphon jumped out of the gate to quickly assume a lead he would never relinquish. He hasn't trailed in a race since being passed during the Bay Meadows Express Handicap before coming back to win.
"I had a beautiful trip," Flores said. "I had a lot of horse, plenty left in the stretch. He was just kind of looking around, because he was going too easy. So I had to start screaming at him. And I told him, `Don't stop, give me a little more.'
"He reminded me of when I rode Marquetry (to victory in the 1991 Gold Cup). This is the same kind of horse. This feels just as good as the first one."
Ridden by Jerry Bailey and carrying 118 pounds, Geri appeared to pose a serious threat to Siphon coming out of the final turn, but Siphon held his ground through the stretch run.
A stablemate to Cigar, who has won 15 straight races including the 1995 Hollywood Gold Cup, Geri went off at 17-10.
Owned by Allen Paulson and trained by Bill Mott - the owner and trainer of Cigar - Geri earned $200,000 to raise his career earnings to $853,250. Geri, who returned $4 and $3, had won six of his previous seven races.
Geri crossed the finish line 41/2 lengths in front of Helmsman, who paid $3 to show.
Ridden by Chris McCarron and carrying 120 pounds, Helmsman was coupled in the wagering with Nonproductiveasset, who finished another neck back in fourth.
McCarron has ridden in 15 Gold Cups without a victory.
Dare And Go finished fifth in the 57th running of the race for 3-year-olds and up, followed by Tinners Way, Mr Purple and Luthier Fever.
Tinners Way, the 5-2 second-favorite, was ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye and carried high weight of 121 pounds.
Cigar missed the Gold Cup because of a minor injury, but Paulson couldn't complain - he also owns Zegreb, who won the Irish Derby earlier Sunday.
Cigar was originally scheduled to run in the Gold Cup as well as the $1 million Santa Anita Derby in March, but minor ailments kept him out of both races.
As an inducement to Mott and Paulson, a $2 million bonus was offered if the same horse won the Santa Anita Handicap, the Gold Cup and $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, to be contested Aug. 10.
There will be no such bonus since Mr Purple, who won the Santa Anita Handicap, finished seventh Sunday.