Kung Fu Mambo won his U.S. debut by 4 1/4 lengths Thursday at Santa Anita after a 2 1/2-year layoff.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Kung Fu Mambo ran one mile in 1:34.94 and paid $33.20, $11.60 and $7.60 at 15-1 odds.
Desert Dynamo returned $5.40 and $4.40, while Solid Wager was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $6.80 to show. Peter Miller trains the winner and the third-place finisher.
The victory, worth $36,000, increased Argentina-bred Kung Fu Mambo's career earnings to $161,390. The 6-year-old horse's career wins include a Group 1 race in Peru.
"I didn't know what to expect being off for two and a half years but this horse was a real horse down there (in Peru) and he's shown it every time I've breezed him," Miller said. "He's a legitimate horse with the pedigree to back it up. If we can keep him sound, I think we can win some good races with him."
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