The Grass Is Greener for Stevens : Oak Tree: After winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Belmont Saturday, he takes the Rowan aboard Oeilladine.

In getting his first Breeders’ Cup victory Saturday, Gary Stevens came through with a flawless ride on In The Wings in the $2-million Turf.

Although there was a lot less on the line, America’s top jockey gave another excellent ride in Sunday’s turf feature at Santa Anita.

In a trouble-filled, $113,100 Louis R. Rowan Handicap, Stevens was last with Oeilladine after a half-mile, began to rally on the turn, then angled the 4-year-old Lou Piguet filly to the outside in the final furlong.

Demonstrating again her fondness for the Santa Anita turf course, the 3-1 second choice in the field of 10 finished fastest of all to beat 39-1 shot Island Jamboree by three-quarters of a length in 1:34 1/5 for the mile.

Hindered by traffic problems when a distant third behind Sweet Roberta and Brown Bess in the California Jockey Club Handicap Oct. 6 at Bay Meadows, Oeilladine has now won three of five starts in Arcadia, all with Stevens.

Bred and raced in France before coming to trainer Jude Feld’s barn near the end of last year, owner Michael House’s filly won nine of 15 in Europe and is now 12 for 21 overall.

“She’s come back excellent,” Feld said after Oeilladine’s second race since she suffered an injury in February.

“Her last race was excellent. It was probably a little farther than she wanted that day, but to come off an eight-month layoff in a $200,000 race, it went as well as you could hope.

“I loved her today. I would have been shocked if she hadn’t won. Stevens couldn’t have ridden her any better. It was like he had a road map. She was dead last, he avoided any trouble and threaded the needle all the way.”

Stevens has made few mistakes this year and is the favorite to win his first Eclipse award.

“She was very good today,” he said. “She was easy to place and put in her nice run. She’s a genuine filly. If she’s in the race at the eighth pole, she’ll win nine times out of 10.

“I didn’t know if she was going to get there at the sixteenth pole, and then she really picked it up in the last 50 yards. This is a good way to finish the weekend, and it’s been a good year, period.”

Eighth in a Louisiana Downs stakes in her previous outing, Island Jamboree almost pulled an upset, then her handlers had to sweat out a stewards’ inquiry. Estrella Fuega tried unsuccessfully to split horses nearing the wire, causing Pat Valenzuela to take up sharply. But the stewards ruled Valenzuela anticipated an opening that didn’t materialize and made no change.

“This horse ran an unbelievable race,” said jockey Corey Nakatani, who nearly won with longshot Itsallgreektome in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile. “I waited as long as I could. (Trainer Willard) Proctor said to get over to the rail as soon as possible and ride her with a lot of confidence.”

Polar Bird was third in her American debut, a neck ahead of 8-5 favorite Stylish Star. Winner of the opening-day Autumn Days Handicap, Stylish Star made the lead setting moderate fractions (23 1/5, 46 4/5 and 1:10 1/5) but usually is more effective from off the pace.

Estrella Fuega was fifth, then came Kikala, who was four or five wide most of the way; Petalia, who basically had nowhere to go for the final three furlongs; Something Comfy; Baba Cool, who won the Rowan last year, and Chispa Brava.

Horse Racing Notes

Petite Ile, who could wrap up an Eclipse award with a victory in Sunday’s $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, worked a mile in 1:37 Sunday morning at Santa Anita. Bequest, who was impressive in her first two U.S. starts for trainer Neil Drysdale, will miss the Yellow Ribbon because of a bruised foot. . . . Spectacular Face and Mystical Lass were scratches from the Rowan. . . . Alex Solis and Corey Nakatani each had three winners Sunday. Solis swept the double with Cajun Tomboy and Pete’s Pocketful, then scored in a dead heat with Temptation Time in the fourth. Nakatani won on True Love Ways in the third, 17-1 shot Great Strike in the fifth and took the ninth on Treat Tobeatyafeet. . . . Oeilladine’s victory was worth $68,100 and pushed her earnings to $276,723.