Racing at Hollywood Park : Melair Scores Fourth Win in Row

Before the running of the $81,300 Princess Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park, horsemen were searching for omens that might lead them to an upset win over heavily favored Melair.

Len Mayer, the Denver man who owns Marianna’s Girl, had hit the $12,789 Pick Six and wanted to double his fun in the Princess.

Wayne Lukas, the trainer of Arewehavingfunyet, had seen his filly finish second against colts last month and figured she was about to regain her 1985 form.

Trainer Laz Barrera had already recently struck it rich with the fillies Outstandingly and Tiffany Lass, and hoped that An Empress might fill out a triumvirate.

The trouble is, Melair doesn’t know omens from bloodlines. A California-bred from the modest mating of Debonair Roger and Melrose Nugget, Melair doesn’t have aristocracy running through her veins like Hidden Light (by Majestic Light) and An Empress (a daughter of Affirmed), but she showed those two and three other rivals what speed is all about, winning the Princess by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:34 1/5, which matched the winning time by the classy Fran’s Valentine in the stake last year.

Before 26,107 fans, Hidden Light got close to Melair on the only turn of the one-mile race, but the winner, with jockey Laffit Pincay, pulled away through the stretch.

The win was the fourth straight for the undefeated Melair, who had won her first three by 20 lengths for her owners and breeders, Marianne Millard and Bea Rous of Hemet. Earning $47,500, Melair paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10. Hidden Light, who came into the race with four wins in five starts, paid $2.60 and $2.20 for second, finishing a length ahead of An Empress, whose show price was $2.40.

John Sadler, who trains Melair, was worried about Hidden Light’s challenge on the turn.

“I was concerned because my filly had gone so fast early (:44 3/5 for the half-mile, 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs),” Sadler said. “Laffit told me he thought she was going fast, but it didn’t seem like it, as easy and relaxed as she was going.”

Pincay had the mount because Pat Valenzuela, who rode Melair in her first three wins, is serving a five-day suspension.

“She was very impressive,” Pincay said. “She has a stride. When the other filly (Hidden Light) came alongside, I thought we were going to fight it out. Then she drew away. This filly is very special.”

Sadler is tempted to send Melair against colts in the one-mile Silver Screen Handicap on July 5, but probably all he will do is nominate the roan filly in the event Snow Chief comes up with a hangnail. It’s expected that Melair’s next appearance will be in the Hollywood Oaks, at 1 1/8 miles, the day after the Silver Screen.

Charlie Whittingham, just out of the hospital after surgery for a sinus condition, sniffed at Melair’s win and is eager for a rematch with his Hidden Light in the Oaks.

“My filly had been away a long time (since her four-race winning streak ended with a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks on May 2) and she needed this race,” Whittingham said. “This sets her up good for the (Hollywood) Oaks.”

Barrera also acted as though he might be a trainer who’d like to see if Melair can handle an extra eighth of a mile on July 6.

“The winner had too much speed today,” An Empress’ trainer said. “The track was favoring horses that got to the front. I thought my filly ran a pretty good race, considering that she came from dead last.”

Although Melair’s breeding doesn’t equate with distance, Sadler and Pincay are optimistic. Long-range, Sadler has said that he felt Melair might make a good middle-distance runner, and after the Princess he added: “I think she can be rated (to control her speed). Even though she ran very fast early today, she gave us a good kick at the end.”

Pincay feels that Melair is at least up to 1 1/8 miles. “She has such a long stride that she doesn’t kill herself,” the jockey said.

Melair going a mile is no longer conjecture. At that distance, it’s the opposition that got killed.

Horse Racing Notes

Snow Chief worked a mile in 1:36 4/5 between races Saturday and a rival trainer, Gary Jones, was much impressed. “He clicks off those 12-second fractions like they’re nothing,” Jones said. “He’s a running motorscooter.” Said Snow Chief’s trainer, Mel Stute: “I’m happy just as long as he gets those last quarter miles in :24 or better.” Snow Chief went the first three-quarters of a mile in 1:13. “When he does that, you wouldn’t think that he could finish as well as he does, but he does,” Stute said. . . . Trainer John Sullivan indicated that his Vernon Castle will be one of only a few 3-year-olds opposing Snow Chief in the Silver Screen Handicap on July 5. . . . Love Smitten, a recent $2.5 million purchase by Sheik Maktoum al Maktoum from Gailyndel Farms, broke a bone in her left foreleg and will be retired for breeding. Love Smitten, who earned $450,000, had been scheduled to be bred by Gailyndel to Alydar earlier this year, but trainer Eddie Gregson persuaded the owners to keep the 5-year-old mare in training. . . . Chris McCarron rode four winners Saturday. . . . Gary Stevens, who has aspirations of overtaking McCarron in the national riding race, will ride Broad Brush in the St. Paul Derby at Canterbury Downs on June 29 and has the mount on Garthorn in the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 4.