Biggest Gold Cup long shot ever wins at Hawthorne.

Byline: Dave Surico

The pony people were hooting, jockey valets were hollering and track workers were high-fiving when 38-1 long shot Dust On the Bottle posted the biggest upset in the 64-year history of the Hawthorne Gold Cup. The smiles were universal and genuine at Hawthorne Race Course on Saturday because it's all too rare when one of the regulars wins the big one.

Top-notch horses, including three millionaires, shipped in from New York, Florida, Kentucky and California to contest the $500,000 Grade III Gold Cup. But it was the horse that calls the Hawthorne backstretch home that got the money.

And trainer Glen Hild, who spends most of his time running claiming horses that make the races go day in and day out, was the man holding the Gold Cup trophy over his head in celebration in the winners' circle.

"Most of my friends around here said you ought to give him a chance in there because he ran so well here last year," Hild said. "He likes this racetrack."

Hild decided to take the shot and put up the $5,000 in entry fees. He gave Tim Doocy, who won with Dust On the Bottle in his three previous dirt races, the ride. Hild's instructions were brief: "I said Tim, `You rode him, you know him. Do what you want.'"

Doocy rode a savvy race. He placed Dust On the Bottle on the rail at the back of the pack and only strayed to pass tiring pacesetter El Ballezano. Laying sixth, five lengths off the lead after a mile, Dust on the Bottle started to kick in. He cut favored Golden Missile's lead to two at the one-eighth pole and continued to charge, while the leader began to drift out during a sustained challenge from Guided Tour.