INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Favored 5-year-old gelding Red Defense beat Nofty by 1 1/2 lengths Thursday in the $55,400 feature race at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Shortening up in distance and dropping in class, Red Defense was fifth on the backstretch and second coming out of the turn, then caught early leader Thunder of Zion and held off Nofty for the victory, covering six furlongs on the turf in 1:08.93.
Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer John Sadler, Red Defense paid $7, $3.80 and $3. Nofty returned $4.60 and $3.60, and Thunder of Zion paid $6.80 to show.
It was the sixth win in 14 starts for Red Defense, a chestnut son of Reddatore. He won $32,400 Thursday, taking his lifetime bankroll to $204,752.
