For Once, Hawkster Doesn’t Take Fifth : Colt, Symbol of Triple Crown Futility, Wins as Del Mar Meet Opens

Hawkster’s futile chase for the 1989 Triple Crown got him nothing but hot, dirty and a fan club that admires consistency.

The son of Silver Hawk was beaten a total of 35 1/2 lengths while chasing Sunday Silence and Easy Goer through the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, finishing fifth each time. Hawkster finally came Wednesday, winning the second division of the Oceanside Stakes before 24,040 on opening day at Del Mar.

The victory was especially exciting for owner Shelly Meredith, a Del Mar resident, after the grind of the Triple Crown races.

“It was an unforgettable experience,” Meredith said of the three defeats. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But now it’s time to put him on the turf (in the Oceanside), which is what we’ve been waiting to do. His sister is a stakes winner in France.”

Hawkster’s Oceanside victory was worth $39,887 and was his first victory since the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita last Oct. 15.

Hawkster completed the mile in 1:36 3/5. Exemplary Leader won the first division in 1:37 2/5.

Hawkster, the 8-5 favorite, paid $5.20, while Exemplary Leader returned $11.80 as the second choice in his half of the feature.

Hawkster gave his backers some anxious moments, with the help of track announcer Trevor Denman. Approaching the first turn, Hawkster suddenly accelerated to the outside, circling the field and trying to rush to the lead.

“I believe the saddle has slipped on Hawkster. Yes, it has,” Denman informed the fans.

“That’s exactly what it looked like,” trainer Ron McAnally said. “And I thought so, too, because the same thing happened to him here last summer in the Futurity.”

As it turned out, jockey Pat Valenzuela had temporarily lost his grip on the reins and appeared to lose his balance. Valenzuela blamed the slip on Hawkster’s sweaty neck.

“He was real wet going to the post,” Valenzuela said. “That made the reins slippery. Going around the turn, the rein slipped through my left hand and he took off.”

It might have been for the best. Hawkster, obviously fresh and full of run, opened daylight down the backstretch and maintained a clear lead into the final furlong.

Lode, the second choice, made a late run but was never a real threat. Tokatee finished third.

Valenzuela’s Oceanside exploits began in the first division aboard Friendly Ed, a 15-1 shot who put away favored Bruho and held a clear lead with a furlong to run.

But then the field began to close, and Friendly Ed began to bear out. Double Found was squeezed into Exemplary Leader, who was closing fastest of all on the far outside. Trebizond slipped through unaccosted on the rail to get second, a head behind Exemplary Leader. Double Fond was fourth.

“I had to check my horse a little,” said Eddie Delahoussaye, who rode Exemplary Leader to one of his three opening day victories. “It could have cost me the race.”

Given Exemplary Leader’s bad luck lately, it was surprising that he held on to win. In each of his last five races, the son of Vigors has had some kind of misfortune.

“He was absolutely stood on his nose at the start of his last race,” said trainer Brian Mayberry of the July 3 Silver Screen Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Before that, Exemplary Leader was caught in a similar squeeze in the Cinema Handicap on the turf, which was his best effort before the Oceanside.

“Turf might be the key to him,” said Mayberry, who trains a 40-horse stable at Del Mar. “He’s always been an honest colt, though, as long as he gets a fair chance.”

Horse Racing Notes

Combined with the 11 off-track sites, the total handle was an opening day record $6,638,861. . . . Clement Hirsch’s Magical Mile, the unbeaten winner of last Saturday’s Hollywood Juvenile, came out of the race with a broken knee and will miss the rest of the season. . . . Bat Out of Hell, winner of the ninth race, gave Michele Dollase her first victory as a trainer, and gave apprentice Corey Nakatani his first victory at Del Mar. . . . Olympic Prospect, who came off an eight-month layoff to win by 11 1/2 lengths at Louisiana Downs last Saturday, might defend his title in the Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar Sunday. His opposition would include On the Line and Sam Who. . . . Annoconnor and Claire Marine face off in the Palomar Handicap on Saturday.