HOLLYWOOD PARK : An Embarrassing Finish for Desormeaux

Kent Desormeaux wasn’t too popular with those who supported Morlando in the third race Saturday at Hollywood Park.

On his way to his meeting-high sixth victory, Desormeaux stood at the wrong finish line. In mile races on the Hollywood Park main track, the second finish line is used.

Having put away pacesetters Monfarid and Miami Dan, Desormeaux stood up for a good seven strides before he glanced to his left, then to his right, and realized the race was still on.

However, it was too late for Morlando, a 4-year-old who was looking for his second victory of the year, to fully regain his momentum. Kennedy’s Knockout, who was about two lengths back when Desormeaux erred, was able to get up under Gary Stevens to win by a head.

This wasn’t the first time a jockey has made this mistake since Hollywood Park’s renovation in 1984. In the third race last July 14, Laffit Pincay raised up on Tranzor, but instantly realized what he’d done and started riding again. Tranzor was able to hold off Remar and win by a nose.

Desormeaux will have a meeting with stewards Pete Pedersen, Tom Ward and Hubert Jones this morning and he’s likely to be fined.

More embarrassed than anything, the 20-year-old Eclipse Award winner was the target of some boos during the post parade for the fourth.

“I guess we’re all human, but I hate being human today,” Desormeaux said. “I’m glad it was for (trainer) Mel Stute. He came back laughing and that made me happy. A lot of other trainers would have come back and shot my head off.”

Stevens has no complaints with the way the first four days have gone at Hollywood Park.

Two stakes have been run and he’s won them both.

After taking the opening-day Debonair aboard Profit Key, Stevens came back Saturday to win the $106,300 A Gleam Handicap aboard 4-5 favorite Stormy But Valid.

In what was essentially a match race between her and Hot Novel, the 5-2 second choice, Stormy But Valid took charge in the final eighth to win by 1 1/4-lengths in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

Owned by Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel and trained by Brian Mayberry, Stormy But Valid has eight victories from 18 starts and it’s apparent she doesn’t care where she runs. The 4-year-old Valid Appeal filly has scored on turf and has won at four tracks--Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Del Mar and Gulfstream Park.

“The race pretty much came up as I thought it would,” said Stevens, who won two other races Saturday. “I figured it was more or less a two-horse race and that’s what it was the whole way.

“Eddie (Delahoussaye on Hot Novel) thought the only shot he had to beat me was to run with me. My filly’s much better on the dirt than she is on the grass and I ride her with more confidence on the dirt. And she probably prefers this track to Santa Anita. It seems to me horses get a little better hold here than they do there.”

Tis Juliet was third in the small field, 6 1/2-lengths behind Hot Novel, then came Sugarplum Gal and Inverness Lady.

Steinlen, the 126-pound highweight in today’s $110,000 Shoemaker Handicap, will be accompanied by a new rider.

Jose Santos, the 7-year-old Habitat horse’s regular companion, sent word Saturday he won’t be coming West after being involved in a spill at Aqueduct Friday.

Jeff Lukas, assistant to his father Wayne, said a decision will be made this morning. The most likely candidates Laffit Pincay and Desormeaux.

Stevens has ridden Steinlen several times in the past, including his three races at Hollywood Park last summer, but he is committed to Nediym today.

Trainer Paul Assinesi could be excused for not saddling Magic Kite in Friday’s third race.

The 28-year-old trainer was at Arcadia Methodist Hospital with his wife, Karen, who was in labor.

About 25 minutes before Magic Kite won her fifth straight race, Karen Assinesi gave birth to the couple’s first child, a six-pound boy.

“I got a call in the birthing room from (Russell Baze’s agent) Ron Anderson around 2:35 telling me that they had just crossed the wire and my horse had won,” Assinesi said.

Horse Racing Notes

In Tuesday’s Daily Racing Form, there was only one workout listed for Lucky Street, who scored a $128.40 upset in Wednesday’s fourth race at Hollywood Park. In Wednesday’s Form, there were four works showing. According to the Racing Form’s statistics department, the difference was due to Lucky Street’s name being misspelled on the work tab received from Del Mar, where the gelding had been training for his first race since Jan. 26. When the error was spotted, the correction was made and Lucky Street’s four works were listed.