That Truest Legend can run!!!

Did you catch today's eighth race at Hollywood Park? If you didn't, check it out because the winner -- Truest Legend -- looks like he could be one of the next great sprinters on the West Coast.

Truest Legend, a 3-year-old son of Songandaprayer, debuted last September at Fairplex Park and finished eighth in a 10-horse field at 53-1. Trainer Ron Ellis then gave him a freshening and brought him back on April 18 at Santa Anita in a maiden special weight. He went gate to wire, winning by 1 1/4 lengths after setting splits of 21 1/5 and 43 2/5 in the 6 1/2-furlong event. His final time was 1:15 4/5.

Today, he went six furlongs and again went gate to wire in a non-winners of one allowance, setting fractions of 21.79, 44.31 and 56.03 en route to a final clocking of 1:08.42. Jockey Victor Espinoza was easing him through the final sixteenth of a mile or there's no telling what he might have run.

Easily one of the most impressive races I've seen this year. He was purchased for $240,000 at the October 2005 Barretts sale, but he ran like a $600,000 purchase.

Speaking of $600,000 buys, also keep an eye on I'll Show Them, purchased for that price at the Keeneland September 2007 sale. He debuted today in the seventh race, didn't break real well and still ran down 4-5 favorite Gallatin's Run in the last sixteenth for trainer David Hofmans. He's by Smarty Jones, so look for this guy to eventually stretch out and really strut his stuff.