Cal-bred 3-year-old China Prince was much the best on Friday at Hollywood Park, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths and earning a career best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

The statebred allowance race was delayed after Ashley’s Bambino broke through the starting gate and was loose on the racetrack for over 15 minutes. Fortunately the horse is ok and only suffered minor cuts and scrapes.

Cal-bred 3-year-old China Prince was much the best on Friday at Hollywood Park, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths and earning a career best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

The statebred allowance race was delayed after Ashley’s Bambino broke through the starting gate and was loose on the racetrack for over 15 minutes. Fortunately the horse is ok and only suffered minor cuts and scrapes.

Under Corey Nakatani, China Prince broke a bit slow and was squeezed before being headstrong around the first turn and into the backstretch. He tugged his way within two lengths of the lead by the half mile pole before swinging three wide on the final turn and drawing away.

“Corey (Nakatani) rode patiently today and didn’t panic when China Prince got headstrong after breaking slow,” said trainer Craig Dollase. “This is a quality horse who has really developed the past few months. Our focus moving forward is turf routing and I expect him to be very competitive in the Cal-bred stakes program as a four-year-old and beyond.”

Purchased privately by West Point Thoroughbreds following his maiden score in December 2012 at Golden Gate Fields, China Prince was second in three allowance races this year before finding the winner’s circle. On August 31, he was second by just a length to Rookie Sensation, who came back to win the Twilight Derby (G1) Breeders’ Cup weekend at Santa Anita.

“My good friend Nick Hines aka “The Sarge” helped us buy this horse last year,” said WPT president Terry Finley. “He ran a good second in an allowance race in March at Santa Anita and then we gave him some time off. I give Craig (Dollase) a lot of of credit for taking his time with China Prince. He’s a long, stretchy horse who we knew would get better with age.”