After losing to Snowbound Superstar in the Sign of Lanty Handicap two months ago, trainer Joe Herrick has been looking for a rematch between his Olympic Moment and Los Alamitos's 870-yard sensation. The rematch could happen in the Pat Hyland Handicap on October 22, and if that's the case then this will be one of 870-yard races of the year. 

      Olympic Moment proved that he is ready for the challenge after easily outclassing a talented 870-yard allowance field by 5 1/2 lengths on Saturday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.  After breaking a step slower than usual, the 6-year-old Thoroughbred ridden by Cesar De Alba found an opening on the rail around the far turn and pulled clear to win in 44.83 seconds.

     Owned by David Garcia, Olympic Moment now has his sights set on the Grade 3 Pat Hyland Memorial, a race that trainer Paul Jones said on Saturday that he would enter Snowbound Superstar in.  The ultimate goal for both horses will be the Grade 1 Marathon National on Dec. 10, their trainers said.

     "I'd like a rematch with him," Herrick said.  "This horse keeps breaking 45 [seconds] consistently.  I know he could go a little better.  His break tonight he lost maybe two lengths and went 44.83.  He'd have to go 44.40 to maybe beat Snowbound.  He could do it."

     While Snowbound Superstar has distanced himself from the competition by winning his four 870-yard races by a combined 30 lengths, Olympic Moment has also established himself as one of the top 870-yard horses at Los Alamitos.  In June he won the Prankster CF Handicap.

       The field of seven in Saturday's allowance race featured three stakes winners: winner Olympic Moment; second-place finisher Lords Table, who captured last year's Bull Rastus Handicap in Sept. 2005; and third-place finisher Strawflyin Moosebuds, winner of the Northwest Distance Challenge Stakes at Les Bois Park in Boise, Idaho, in July.

     The race set up perfectly for 4-5 favorite Olympic Moment, who angled to the inside around the far turn when early leader A Fortunate Son began to drift out.  A Fortunate Son was making his first start around a turn, a tactic Olympic Moment's jockey De Alba used to his advantage

     "I knew there was a first-time Quarter Horse going around the turn.  So I knew he had to go wide, and sure enough I was just lucky to be behind," De Alba said.  "I figured to take the short cut, and it worked."

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