HOLLYWOOD PARK : Pedroza, Ifyoucouldseemenow Take Aim at Starlet After Upset Victory in Moccasin

Martin Pedroza doesn’t have any doubts about Ifyoucouldseemenow’s ability to handle a mile in the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet two weeks from now.

In fact, the jockey says the impressive winner of Saturday’s $105,550 Moccasin Breeders’ Cup Stakes will be even more effective with added distance.

“I think the longer she goes, the better she’ll be,” Pedroza said after the 2-year-old Tunerup filly, who went off at 9-1, beat favored Cuddles by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:16 1/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

“She galloped out pretty strong and she can rate. She can be up on the lead, but she doesn’t have to be in front.”

Consistent is one thing Ifyoucouldseemenow, who is trained by Brian Mayberry and owned by Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel, has been. She now has three victories in five starts and has yet to finish off the board.

On the rail in the field of 11, Ifyoucouldseemenow broke well and Pedroza was more than happy to let Mobile Phone, the 3-1 second choice who broke slowly, rush up along the inside of him down the backside.

“To me, the rail has been watery, like muddy, the last couple of days,” he said. “I didn’t want to be down in there. I just wanted to make sure we broke good because we had such a bad post position.

“She broke good and when we got out there it was just a matter of being patient. I knew when I asked her for a response she would give it to me.

“She’s 100% better now than she was in the summer. She’s getting better and better. When I work her in the morning, she relaxes really well. I’m real happy to win for Brian and the Siegels because they’ve been good to me.”

Making her first start since winning the Junior Miss Aug. 1 at Del Mar, Cuddles outfinished 8-1 shot Far Out Nurse by a head for the place.

Riding Cuddles, who had spent some time on the veterinarian’s list after her second victory, Gary Stevens was enthused about her chances in the Starlet.

“I loved her race,” he said. “I thought she ran big. She’s got the right kind of style and everything and she finished up very nice. She’s a real sweetheart, real easy to place.”

Perfect in two tries in Maryland, Far Out Nurse probably won’t be hanging around for the Starlet, if jockey Rick Wilson is correct.

“She started to make up some ground late in the race, but then her shin got to bothering her and she couldn’t hold up,” he said. “She was supposed to run in the Starlet, but I don’t think so now.”

Dorky closed decently to be fourth, then came Ever A Lady, Island Choice, La Bizcocho, Mobile Phone, Nikki’s Baby, Ultra Sass and Sea Art.

Itsallgreektome, who was beaten by a neck by Royal Academy in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, is the 3-1 morning line favorite in today’s $200,000 Hollywood Derby.

A 37-1 shot at Belmont Park Oct. 27, Itsallgreektome had the lead approaching the wire, but was outfinished by Royal Academy and Lester Piggott.

Another European-based horse, Septieme Ciel, will be trying to thwart Itsallgreektome today and the son of Seattle Slew is the 7-2 second choice.

Victorious under 138 pounds in his last race at Longchamp, Septieme Ciel will be dropping 16 pounds in the Derby, which will be run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. He has won five of 12 starts in France and will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

Christiane Head, the daughter of French trainer Alec Head, will be in to saddle the colt, but he will remain in Richard Mandella’s care after the Derby.

John Gosden, who won a division of the 1983 Derby with Royal Heroine, will be back in the United States for the first time since returning to England late in 1988. He will saddle Anshan, a Persian Gold colt who has won four of his 11 starts. He is 8-1 on Russell Hudak’s morning line and will be handled by Chris McCarron.

The rest of the field includes In Excess, who has back-to-back stakes victories; Silver Ending, the 125-pound highweight; Noble Dr., Bold Liloy, Barton Dene, Marquetry, Seti I., Intimiste and Worthington Winner.

Horse Racing Notes

Great Communicator, who broke down and had to be destroyed after Monday’s Carleton F. Burke Handicap at Santa Anita, has been buried in the infield at Hollywood Park. . . . Fantastic Look, who came within a nose of upsetting Bayakoa in Del Mar’s Chula Vista Handicap, finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Churchill Downs Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Saturday. Chris McCarron rode the filly for trainer Gary Jones. The winner by a neck was Oh My Jessica Pie, an 8-1 shot ridden by Mike Gonzalez.

For the first time at the meeting, there were perfect tickets in the Pick Six. Eleven tickets had six winners and each was worth $49,675.40. . . . Alex Solis won twice Saturday to maintain his lead in the jockey standings after the first four days. He has seven winners, one more than Kent Desormeaux, who also had two victories Saturday.