Hot Box © Benoit Photo

There is a simple formula in horse racing that will put you in the winner’s circle quicker than two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Be faster than the other horses, get to the front early, then don’t look back.

Jeff Ganje’s Hot Box, a 4-year-old California-bred gelding by the Distorted Humor sire Heat Shield, put the formula to work Thursday afternoon at Del Mar in the day’s feature race, a five-furlong sprint for allowance/claiming types with an $100,620 purse.

Jockey Ricky Gonzalez urged Hot Box to the lead from Post 1, then just kept on going through fractions of :22.55, :44.97 and a finish-up time of :56.65. With three-eighths to run he was two in front; at the top of the stretch he’d made it three, then he hung on to hold off the late charge of Castrellon, Montano or Royalty Stable’s Commander to finish up a half-length best. Gelfenstein Farm’s Sigiloso was third, a length and a quarter farther back.

Brian Koriner trains Hot Box, who was winning his sixth race in his 12th start. He picked up a winner’s share of $65,520 and pushed his total earnings to $245,058.

Hot Box paid $8.80, $5.00 and $4.00 across the board. Commander returned $5.00 and $3.80, while Sigiloso, the longest shot on the board at 30-1, paid $10.00 to show.