Pohave takes Triple Bend

— -- INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- For a former $50,000 claimer, Pohave had little trouble dominating the sprint division at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. Having won the Grade 3 Los Angeles Times Handicap on May 8, Pohave was sent off favored in Saturday's $300,000 Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Handicap and rallied from off the pace to score his second career stakes win. Pohave ($6.60) ran seven furlongs in 1:21.06, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Rojo Toro, the longest shot in the field at 52-1. The victory in the Grade 1 Triple Bend marked the most prestigious win in the 6-year-old gelding's 25-race career. He has won five races and $476,240. Pohave was sixth on the backstretch, pursuing the pace of 21.98 and 44.01 seconds set by stablemate Smile n Wildcat. On the turn, Pohave moved closer to the leaders. He was third at the eighth-pole, and rallied well to catch Revello and hold off a stubborn Rojo Toro. "That was unbelievable," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "He went from looking like he'd do this impressively to 'Hold on. Hold on.' We were a little concerned about the distance." Rojo Toro finished a half-length in front of Revello in the field of 13. Pohave was purchased privately last summer by a partnership and transferred to O'Neill. He made one start in a $50,000 claimer at Santa Anita last October, winning by four lengths, before moving into allowance and stakes company. The Triple Bend was Pohave's first start since finishing third in the True North Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park on June 5. * Miss Vegas preserved her unbeaten record in the United States with a front-running win in the $109,700 Flawlessly Stakes over a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies. Ridden by Alex Solis, Miss Vegas set fractions of 23.59 and 47.10 seconds, and pulled away to score by five lengths over Five Nickels. Miss Vegas ($2.80) was timed in 1:34.78. Shake Off stalked the pace throughout and finished third in the field of eight. Miss Vegas was invited to the $750,000 American Oaks but was routed to the Flawlessly by trainer Bobby Frankel. Owned by Edmund Gann, Miss Vegas was a three-time stakes winner in Italy last year. In her U.S. debut, she won the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes holding off a late run by Ticker Tape.