Weekend Racing at Hollywood Park : Delahoussaye, Stevens Looking to Grab More Laurels

In horse racing, the past sometimes means depressingly little when trying to forecast the future, but . . .

Of Hollywood Park’s last nine stakes races dating back to the Wilshire Handicap May 8, seven have been won by either Eddie Delahoussaye or Gary Stevens.

They also counted the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes among their May achievements, Stevens having won the Derby, Delahoussaye the Preakness. They will have the opportunity to extend their string of successes this weekend.

Stevens will be aboard probable favorite Chapel of Dreams in Sunday’s $100,000 Gamely Handicap, and Delahoussaye will have the ride on Pen Bal Lady in the Grade I race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, the Gamely will pit three of the top four finishers in the Wilshire. Stevens won that race on Chapel of Dreams, Chris McCarron was second on Fitzwilliam Place and Delahoussaye brought Pen Bal Lady home fourth.

Trainer Hector Palma believes that Pen Bal Lady will be a different horse this time around, however. In the Wilshire, he said, the filly was tired. In retrospect, Palma said, he should have rested Pen Bal Lady instead of running her in the Wilshire.

Chapel of Dreams, who has won three of her last four races for trainer John Parisella, has had two pounds added since her victory in the Wilshire and will carry 117. Pen Bal Lady and Galunpe are the joint high-weights at 120, and the Irish-bred Fitzwilliam Place will be carrying 119. Some Sensation is the low weight in the field of five at 113.

Today’s feature race, the $100,000 Honeymoon Handicap, a Grade III event for 3-year-old fillies, has attracted a strong field of seven.

Among those running in the 1 1/16-mile turf event is Jeanne Jones, who finished second behind Goodby Halo in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks May 6 at Churchill Downs after winning the Grade I Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. Bill Shoemaker will have the ride on the Charlie Whittingham-trained Jeanne Jones, who is high-weighted at 120 pounds and will be breaking from post position No. 4.

Also entered are Do So and Pattern Step, who finished 1-2 in the May 21 Senorita Stakes. Alex Solis will be aboard Do So, and McCarron will ride Pattern Step.