ARCADIA, Calif. - For the reigning champion sprinter, Kona Gold cut the margin of victory in Sunday's $200,900 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita closer than trainer and co-owner Bruce Headley would have preferred.

	Kona Gold (2), ridden by Alex Solis, edges Hollycombe (3) with Chris McCarron up, and Explicit, ridden by David Flores.

Kona Gold won the Grade 2 Potrero Grande by a neck, but the result was not determined until the 50 yards of the 6 1-2 furlong race, which was run before an on-track crowd of 14,032.

"It was too close for me," Headley said.

Jockey Alex Solis said he was confident through the final quarter-mile, but scolded himself for not asking more of Kona Gold in a three-furlong workout in :37.20 seconds last Thursday.

"I think I worked him too slow because he lost a little bit of steam," Solis said. "I think it was my fault. I babied him too much. I wish he would have been a little sharper."

Kona Gold carried topweight of 126 pounds and finished a neck in front of Hollycombe (114) and Explicit (116) who finished in a dead-heat for second. Romanzo (115) was last of four.

Explicit, fourth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes last December, led by as many as 2 1-2 lengths through fractions of :21.37 and :44.05 seconds. Solis had Kona Gold on the outside of Explicit and Hollycombe on the turn, and was wide throughout.

Turning for home, Kona Gold was three-wide and joined the leaders passing the eighth-pole. He slowly pulled clear, finishing in 1:15.03 for his sixth consecutive stakes win.

"When I got to the quarter pole, he had the advantage," Solis said. "When I got to the eighth pole, he put his head in front and there was no turning back."

Owned by Irwin and Andrew Molasky, Michael Singh and Headley, Kona Gold has won 11 of 19 starts and $1,889,944.

After the race, Headley said would give Kona Gold a vacation and point for the Del Mar meeting in July. Headley had considered a start at Churchill Downs on May 5 for the 7-year-old Kona Gold.

"This was tough on him," Headley said. "He had to reach down and really dig." The stewards could not separate Explicit and Hollycombe after a lengthy review of the photo.

The pair finished inside of Kona Gold and the precise order of finish was difficult to determine, because Solis's body blocked the finishing positions of the other two. The mirror image did not clarify the order.

"When it's inconclusive, we rule on the side of caution," said steward Ingrid Fermin.