Kentucky-bred There Goes Harvard picked an opportune time to rack up the initial stakes victory of his career, proving best in the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on May 30, at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Michael McCarthy, There Goes Harvard collared Defunded inside the sixteenth pole to score by one length in the 1 ¼-mile fixture. A homebred for Cannon Thoroughbreds, There Goes Harvard covered the distance in 2:02.66.

“I was pretty excited when I saw him stick his head in front coming to the three-sixteenths pole,” said McCarthy. “I got a little emotional, but things just worked out properly. Small field, you have to take a shot. The horse is doing well and sometimes you just have to take a chance. It’s nice to get a win anywhere, but yes, these are the kinds of races you get up for in the morning. You hope you are lucky enough to participate in, let alone win.”

It was the first graded stakes appearance for There Goes Harvard, who was a second conditioned allowance winner at one mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 14. A 4-year-old by Will Take Charge out of the Fusaichi Pegasus mare Soul Crusader, There Goes Harvard notched his third consecutive win with the upset score and improved his overall mark to 12-4-5-2. The $240,000 winner’s share of the purse increased his bankroll to $455,090.