Big Ten Shows Class in the Californian

Leave it to a South American import to provide trainer Richard Mandella with his first victory in the $250,000 Californian.

Mandella, who has won the Hollywood Gold Cup twice with South Americans Siphon and Gentlemen, picked up a victory in the prep for the Gold Cup when Big Ten won Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Alex Solis, the Chilean-bred stalked the pace set by Scooter Brown, disposed of the leader, then held off 7-10 favorite Early Pioneer in the final sixteenth to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:49 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Big Ten, the 4-1 third choice in the field of five, had been fourth on the grass in his U.S. debut last month but now has won six of 14 starts overall and five of nine on the main track.

He is owned by the Santiago-based Stud Old Dog Stable, which is headed by Francisco Bertin and has former jockey Fernando Toro as its racing manager.

Provided all is well, Big Ten will be one of two Mandella starts in the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup on July 9.

The trainer will also start Out Of Mind, a Brazilian-bred who won the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 13, and, more recently, finished in second in the Massachusetts Handicap.

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Responding to the addition of blinkers, Lemon Drop Kid, the 2-1 second choice, easily won the $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park.

Owned by Jeanne Vance and trained by Scotty Schulhofer, the 4-year-old Kingmambo colt, who had won the Belmont Stakes as a 29-1 longshot in 1999, won for the seventh time in 19 starts.