Hollywood Oaks : Fran’s Valentine Wins By a Head; Might Face Mom’s Command Next

Fran’s Valentine is a 3-year-old filly and John Henry a 10-year-old gelding, but they have one thing in common. In deep stretch, hardly anybody ever passes them.

Showing that John Henry tenacity on Sunday, Fran’s Valentine kept Magnificent Lindy from passing to score a head victory in the $205,800 Hollywood Oaks in front of 39,905 fans at Hollywood Park.

Minutes after the victory, Fran’s Valentine’s trainer, Joe Manzi, indicated that he would take his filly on the road again, to the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 10.

“I hope Mom’s Command is there,” Manzi said. Mom’s Command is the top 3-year-old filly in the East, having swept New York’s triple crown for that division on Saturday with a win in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park.

Sunday’s Oaks win for Fran’s Valentine was worth $120,300 for breeder-owner Earl Scheib. The time of 1:47 2/5 for 1 1/8 miles set a track record and tied the stakes record set by Tipping Time in 1969. Hollywood’s track records have been revised since its dirt surface was lengthened to 1 1/8 miles last year.

The Alabama is 1 miles, farther than Fran’s Valentine has ever run before. Mom’s Command won on Saturday while going 1 1/2 miles, but Manzi feels distance will be no factor with his filly.

“The distance with this filly is immaterial,” Manzi said. “She can run as far as the racing secretary can write ‘em. I knew that other filly (Magnificent Lindy) wasn’t going to get by her today. I knew she would hold her safe. They could have run around the track again and my filly still would have been ahead.”

Fran’s Valentine, whose career earnings are just short of $700,000, has won five of six starts this year, all in stakes. Her only non-winning performance was a fifth-place finish in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 20.

She atoned for that loss with a three-quarter-length win two weeks later in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. There was a late challenge in that race, by Foxy Deen, but she also found out about Fran’s Valentine’s resolve through the stretch.

On Sunday, sent off at 1-2 odds, Fran’s Valentine paid $3, $2.40 and $2.10. Magnificent Lindy returned $3.40 and $2.10. Deal Price, who went into the Oaks undefeated in three races against maidens and allowance horses, set the early pace and finished third, nine lengths behind Magnificent Lindy, to pay $2.10.

Eddie Delahoussaye, riding Magnificent Lindy, held his hands about four inches apart when asked how close he got to Fran’s Valentine near the wire.

“The other filly wasn’t stopping,” Delahoussaye said.

Added Neil Drysdale, who trains Magnificent Lindy: “It looked like the other filly just fought back after we got close to her.”

The 77-year-old Scheib, who named Fran’s Valentine after his late wife and because the filly was foaled on Valentine’s Day, had a hunch Sunday was going to be his horse’s day.

“I usually give her a lump of sugar in the paddock,” Scheib said. “But after a half a lump, she wouldn’t take any more today. That told me she was on her muscle.”

Fran’s Valentine broke from the outside post position in the six-horse field, but Chris McCarron had her on the rail for the run down the backside.

“I didn’t want to clip the heels of Shoe’s horse (Bill Shoemaker, riding Outstandingly), and I hoped Deal Price would drift out,” McCarron said.

That made Scheib uneasy, but McCarron wasn’t worried. “That’s twice now that she’s won on the fence,” the jockey said. “She’s so cooperative. She’s a sweetheart.”

Fran’s Valentine took the lead from Deal Price on the far turn, with Magnificent Lindy making up ground on the outside.

Magnificent Lindy has now run against both of the division’s Big Two, finishing fourth behind Mom’s Command in the Mother Goose at Belmont on June 15.

“She’s going to get a rest,” Drysdale said of Magnificent Lindy. “She was all right in the paddock today, but she got washy on the track. That’s indicative that she needs some time off.”

Horse Racing Notes

Trainer Charlie Whittingham blames Lord at War’s last-place finish in the Suburban Handicap at Belmont last Thursday on the cuppiness of the track. “They were expecting rain, so they didn’t put any water on the track at all, and it never rained,” Whittingham said. “My horse didn’t run at all. He’s been better at Santa Anita than Hollywood Park, and Belmont’s track was more like Hollywood. Hardly any of the horses ran much, except the winner (Vanlandingham), who had come from Churchill Downs, where they also have a deep track.” Lord at War was originally going to stay in New York for the Brooklyn Handicap, but now Whittingham is bringing him back to California.

Adored was assigned top weight of 126 pounds, two more than Heatherten, for next Sunday’s $200,000 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood. Heatherten is in New York, however, and isn’t expected to run. Next on the weight list among probable starters are Estrapade at 119 pounds and Dontstopthemusic and Lovlier Linda at 118 each. Princess Rooney beat Adored by a head in last year’s Vanity. Adored worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 Sunday morning. . . . Pat Valenzuela, who hasn’t ridden since June 2, says he has been recovering from mononucleosis in Santa Fe, N.M., and plans to return to action this week. Despite the lengthy absence, Valenzuela still ranks ninth in the Hollypark standings with 22 wins. Before the illness, Valenzuela ranked ninth nationally in purses and was the regular rider for Fran’s Valentine.

Shywing, who won Friday’s Valkyr Handicap, and Lady Dom Alaric were scratched from the Hollywood Oaks. . . . It’s likely that Drumalis, who won the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington Park last Thursday, will return to Chicago for the Arlington Handicap on Aug. 10. The 5-year-old Irish-bred is back at trainer Darrell Vienna’s barn at Hollywood. . . . Mike Mitchell, who leads the trainer standings, picked up his 24th win of the meeting when Nonno took the seventh race.