Gomez equals Bailey’s record for stakes wins

With a little more than seven weeks remaining in the year, jockey Garrett Gomez has matched Jerry Bailey.

With his victory aboard 5-2 favorite Hucking Hot in the $68,650 Audrey Skirball Kenis on Saturday at Hollywood Park, Gomez has 70 stakes wins in 2007, equaling the record Bailey set in 2003.

In her first start since she finished second in the China Doll on March 3 at Santa Anita, Hucking Hot raced close to a pedestrian pace, found a seam early in the stretch and won by one length. The victory was the third in nine starts for the 3-year-old Desert Price filly, who is owned by Jim Ford, Inc., Rick Holiday and K M Stable and trained by Paddy Gallagher. She ran the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.56.

“At first, when people kept telling me about it and telling me about it, I was just like going, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ But now that I’m there, it’s a nice feeling to be able to put my name up there with a guy like [Bailey],” Gomez said. “These kind of fillies make you look good. There was a tiny hole at the top of the stretch and when I pointed her for it, she accelerated like it was the size of the Grand Canyon.”

Lavender Sky, a 6-1 shot, finished second, a head in front of Model. Then came Tizfiz, Le Cirque and Big Bertha.

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Ed Allred, the owner of Los Alamitos, apparently is interested in possibly upgrading the track to accommodate thoroughbred racing.

According to the Daily Racing Form, Allred is supposed to meet soon with state racing officials to discuss his ideas, which include a $25-million upgrade to the facility, where quarter horses currently run year around.

Los Alamitos as a thoroughbred site would become an option should Hollywood Park close. The Bay Meadows Land Company, which owns the Inglewood track, has indicated it plans on developing the land at some point. What is certain is that Hollywood Park will race through 2008.

If Hollywood Park does close, Santa Anita could extend its winter-spring meet, which runs from Dec. 26 through late April, into June. Then Los Alamitos could pick up several weeks until Del Mar begins in July. Los Alamitos might also have additional dates in the fall.

The latest plan isn’t the first time expansion at Los Alamitos has been discussed. There were earlier proposals involving Allred, the late Bob Lewis and horse owner Mike Pegram, who raced, among numerous others, 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet and two-time Eclipse Award winner Silverbulletday.

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Trainer Barclay Tagg won a pair of stakes at different venues Saturday, with the favorite at Churchill Downs and a 14-1 shot at Aqueduct.

Bit Of Whimsy, the 8-5 choice, won for the fourth time in six starts on grass, holding off 15-1 shot Ciao by a half-length to win the $174,900 Mrs. Revere. Javier Castellano rode the 3-year-old Distorted Humor filly for owners Joyce Young and Gerald McManis.

Meanwhile, Dave pulled the upset for Tagg under jockey Joe Bravo in the $150,000 Red Smith Handicap, winning over a yielding turf course for owners The Three Colleens Stable and the Partingglass Stable.

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Jockey Mark Guidry retired, finishing his 33 years in the saddle by winning with one of five mounts at Churchill Downs. Guidry, 48, finished with 5,043 victories. His win came aboard 5-2 favorite Eaton’s Gift in the eighth race.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com