HOLLYWOOD PARK : Stablemates Make the Wilshire Doubly Special for Mandella

Richard Mandella couldn’t have asked the $109,400 Wilshire Handicap to come out any better.

Trainer of two of the six entrants in the Grade II race for fillies and mares, Mandella had the exacta.

Reluctant Guest, at 16-1, rallied to beat Beautiful Melody, the 7-2 second betting choice, before 23,039 Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Fifth after six furlongs, the 4-year-old Hostage filly responded when called upon by Robbie Davis and was drawing away at the finish. She beat pacesetter Beautiful Melody by about a length, completing the 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:39 2/5.

Royal Touch, the 7-10 favorite, finished last. In her only other Hollywood Park race, the Tap On Wood mare was a distant third to Claire Marine and General Charge in the Matriarch last Christmas Eve.

“Over there (in Europe), they said she needed soft turf,” trainer Charlie Whittingham said. “She has to have it soft and that’s why she liked it at Santa Anita. This is a very hard turf. I’ll have to take her elsewhere.”

Royal Touch also didn’t appear to come back too well, but jockey Russell Baze didn’t think it was anything serious.

“It felt like she was stinging a little,” he said. “She just didn’t care for the course.”

Reluctant Guest has won at both Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, but she hasn’t been the most consistent filly in the last year. She has won six of her 13 starts, but she entered the Wilshire having run fifth in the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap across town.

“Her problem is just that she’s not a real strong horse,” Mandella said. “I mean, when you run her and she gives 100%, it really tires her out. She loses weight and you have to give her enough time to recuperate.

“That’s the key with her, and the problem is, I probably haven’t done it enough times with her. It’s a hard thing to mix: the right amount of training with the right amount of rest and all that. Maybe we’ve got a handle on it now. She ran very well today.”

Davis agreed, adding that her final race at Santa Anita wasn’t as bad as it looked.

“I relied on her running through the lane and she pulled us through,” he said. “I thought her last race was strong, but Mr. Mandella mentioned to me today that she would run a lot better than last time. He’s done a fabulous job with her.”

A half-sister to the brilliant sprinter Beautiful Glass, Beautiful Melody ran well in her first stakes appearance. She defeated much easier competition in her first two turf tries, but was able to beat everybody except her stablemate. Estrella Fuega was third, then came Stylish Star, White Mischief, who was reluctant to enter the starting gate, and Royal Touch. Life At The Top and Mamma Rosita were scratched.

After claiming High Hook for $40,000 last July 3 out of a race the horse won by 3 1/2 lengths, trainer Mel Stute saw his charge finish 10th, seventh, eighth and fifth in his next four starts.

The fifth-place finish at Fairplex Park in late September convinced Stute to give the veteran some time off. In more ways than one, High Hook has come back a different animal.

It took a while for him to get in gear--he was ninth and fifth in his first two starts as an 8-year-old--but now he is on top of his game.

Using his customary late run and ridden to perfection by Eddie Delahoussaye, High Hook rallied to win his third consecutive race, beating $32,000 claimers in Saturday’s fifth race.

“He was gelded while he was away,” Stute said. “He was a little ornery and he needed a little rest. He was a little bit stiff and sore.

“He was caught inside (in his first two races back) and he wants to run outside of horses.”

The victory Saturday was the 12th in 62 lifetime starts for High Hook and the $11,000 he earned boosted his career winnings to $305,920.

Another claimer on a roll is Luck Dun It, a 3-year-old daughter of Run Of Luck.

Claimed by Roger Stein and his assistant, Willie Washington, for $12,500 at Golden Gate April 8 after her third straight victory, Luck Dun It ran her streak to six Sunday, beating $32,000 fillies in the first race.

Ridden in her three Southland victories by Rafael Meza, Luck Dun It was claimed again Sunday. She was taken by trainer Anthony Hemmerick for owner Alex Stamatakis.

During her streak, the California-bred filly has won by an average of 4 1/2 lengths and has won seven of her 11 lifetime starts.

Dave Patton suffered a crushed heel and chipped a bone in his left ankle when Cool Clear Water, his mount in Sunday’s sixth race, became fractious in the gate.

Patton, 27, was taken to Centinela Hospital Medical Center and he will be examined today by Dr. Robert Kerlan.

Jacodra set a track record for 6 1/2 furlongs when he won the seventh race. The 3-5 favorite won in 1:14 4/5, breaking Sebrof’s two-year-old record of 1:15.

Horse Racing Notes

Kent Desormeaux, who was disqualified for creating interference on Colson during Thursday’s eighth race, was suspended by the stewards for five days beginning Thursday. . . . Sunday Silence worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 Sunday morning, a move that was termed “breezing” by the clockers. “He went nice, he did it so easy,” trainer Charlie Whittingham said. “He couldn’t be better and we’re right on schedule.” . . . The Prime Minister, the most impressive winner on Saturday’s card, might race again in the Will Rogers Handicap May 26. Trying two turns, turf and winners for the first time, the 3-year-old son of Deputy Minister went wire-to-wire, which is almost unheard of when the auxiliary rails are down on the Hollypark grass. He covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 3/5. . . . The Prime Minister also is trained by Whittingham, who said Sunday he won’t be taking Warcraft, the runner-up in Saturday’s Spotlight, to Maryland for the Preakness. “He’s still a little behind and I think it’s a long year and we’ll catch them later on,” he said.