HOLLYWOOD PARK : Winning Jockey Pedroza’s Fears Unfounded as Garden Gal Easily Wins Landaluce Stakes

Martin Pedroza was a little nervous going to the gate for the $105,900 Landaluce Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park.

“My filly got awfully hot,” he said. “She was really on the muscle, sweating and jumping around. But, I knew she could run, so I tried not to worry about it too much.”

None of Garden Gal’s eight opponents in the Grade III event for 2-year-old fillies gave Pedroza much reason to fret, either.

The daughter of Valid Appeal, the 2-1 favorite, shook off Dark Heat after a half-mile and drew clear to beat 46-1 shot Perky Slew by three lengths in 1:10 2/5 for the six furlongs.

Unbeaten in two starts, Garden Gal provided another success for what has become one of the most potent combinations around--Pedroza, owners Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel and trainer Brian Mayberry. Pedroza has 11 victories from 40 mounts for Mayberry and nine of the winners have been owned by the Siegels.

Garden Gal’s first stakes victory came a lot easier than did her maiden victory. She beat Long Time Ago by a nose June 16 while running 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03, the fastest 2-year-old race of the meeting.

The anticipated rematch between the two didn’t come off because Long Time Ago was scratched Saturday morning due to a fever.

“This filly is probably the best they have in the barn right now and I knew she could really run,” Pedroza said. “I’m very confident in them because I work all of those horses in the morning and I know them all by heart.

“This filly broke well from the gate and went right to the lead. She was going pretty good, and when she came to the quarter pole, I asked her for a little more and she responded.

“She’s been on the lead in both of her races, but I don’t think she has to be in front. She’s just been there because she’s got so much natural speed. The way she was running, I think she could go all day long, but it’s hard to tell until you try them (at longer distances).”

Mayberry, who has 36 2-year-olds, almost all of them for the Siegels, picked up his second Landaluce victory in three years. Distinctive Sis won in 1988.

“She’s a nice filly to train,” he said of Garden Girl. “She does whatever you ask of her. I thought if they ran in 1:10, she would win. If they went any faster than that, I was a little doubtful.

“She ran very, very well . . . A Saratoga trip could be in her future, but I don’t like to plan too far in advance.”

Perky Slew, who had broken her maiden for $40,000 locally May 31, beat Lite Light, the longest shot in the field at 104-1, by a length for the place. Dragonetta was fourth, another half-length back.

Consulate, the 5-2 second choice, was sixth after being well placed early and Sawsan, who was unbeaten in two starts, finished ahead of only Dark Heat.

“I thought I had a chance to get to the leader,” said Pat Valenzuela, Consulate’s rider. “I was sitting perfect, but she came up a little empty the last part. She seemed like she might have gotten a little tired.”

Mister Frisky was discharged from the New Jersey Equine Clinic Saturday morning and will now continue his recuperation from a throat abscess at Dr. Robert Fritz’s Long Island, New York, farm.

According to a release from the Clinic, Mister Frisky, who won his first 16 starts before failing in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, will continue to receive oral antibiotics for the next week or two and that an examination Friday afternoon showed no signs of infection.

The 3-year-old, who will return to California in about two weeks, has gained back most of the weight he lost during his illness, but that it could take many months for there to be full recovery of his cranial nerve function.

Wayne Lukas, who has three 3-year-old fillies entered in today’s $163,600 Hollywood Oaks, will also have two starters in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park.

Paper Money and Seaside Attraction are Lukas’ hopes in the Grade I Oaks, which is run at 1 1/4 miles and is the final leg of the Triple Tiara for 3-year-old fillies.

A daughter of Seattle Slew and a three-quarter sister to Gorgeous, Seaside Attraction is much better than her entrymate, having upset Go For Wand in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby. In her most recent appearance, she was third to Stella Madrid and Danzig’s Beauty in the Acorn.

The filly to beat in the Coaching Club Oaks is Charon, a Florida-bred daughter of Mo Exception. Trained by Eugene Navarro and ridden by Craig Perret, she has won five of seven starts and was second to Go For Wand in both of her defeats. Go For Wand came down with a cough after winning the Mother Goose June 10 and will miss the Oaks.

All starters will carry 121 pounds and the rest of the field includes Crowned, Inca Legacy, She Can and Lady Secreto.

Horse Racing Notes

Thirty Slews, who is unbeaten in three sprint starts, will run next in the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Aug. 8 at Pimlico. A gelded son of Slewpy, Thirty Slews’ only loss came when he tried two turns in the Lexington Stakes in late April. The DeFrancis Memorial could also attract Housebuster, Sunny Blossom and Safely Kept. . . . Warfield, who was purchased for $700,000 at the Barrets March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, will make his debut in today’s sixth race. A son of Roberto out of the mare Long Legend, he is owned by movie producer Albert Broccoli and trained by Randy Winick. Warfield, who was sold under the name Tell Your Tale, brought the top price of the sale.

Hollywood Park’s linemaker Russ Hudak has established the Calumet entry of A Wild Ride and Jefforee the 2-1 favorite in the Hollywood Oaks. Next is Patches at 5-2, then Golden Reef and the Golden Eagle Farm entry of Annual Reunion and Fields Of Gold at 3-1, Pampered Star is 10-1 and Let Fly is 30-1. . . . Fit To Scout, who was fourth in the Princess Stakes two weeks ago at Hollywood Park, won the Ak-Sar-Ben Oaks by 2 1/2 lengths Saturday in Nebraska. Trained by Jack Van Berg, Fit To Scout paid $6 and completed the 1 1/8 miles under jockey Pat Steinberg in 1:50 3/5. . . . Bill Shoemaker earned his second victory as a trainer when Baldomero rallied to win the ninth race at Hollywood Park. The 5-year-old, Irish-bred mare had finished second in her first two U.S. outings. . . . Brian Mayberry and Martin Pedroza also teamed for another 2-year-old victory when Passion For Poker won her debut in the fourth race.