HOLLYWOOD PARK : Desormeaux Is a Perfect Gentleman After Petalia Decides She Will Lead

The last place Kent Desormeaux expected to find himself in the first division of Saturday’s $82,650 Dahlia Handicap was in the lead.

His mount, Petalia, has always done her best work coming from far back, yet there she was, a head in front of Bel’s Starlet after the first quarter of a mile.

More important, to Desormeaux and trainer Charlie Whittingham, the 5-year-old Sir Ivor mare was still there at the finish.

Able to relax while setting or forcing some very moderate fractions, Petalia held off an unlucky Bequest to win by a head in 1:41 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

In picking up her first stakes victory, the 6-1 shot also won for the third time in five races with Desormeaux riding. They were second in one of the defeats, and last time, they were a troubled seventh in the Louis R. Rowan Handicap at Santa Anita.

“I thought I’d have one or two horses beat early,” said Desormeaux after Petalia’s $15.60 win. “Mr. Whittingham had instructed me to come from way out of it. David Flores (on Bel’s Starlet) was given the same instructions, but neither one of us was able to do it.

“There was no pace in the race and we sort of found ourselves on the front end with the others in behind us. I began to get after her in the stretch and she was real game to hang on.

“Last time, she kept wanting to get in real bad with me. I told (Whittingham’s assistant) Rodney (Rash) about it and he said they had made some changes for today. When I asked her to run, she responded.”

It is possible that Bequest, the 11-10 favorite, was best. For the third time in as many starts in this country, she broke slowly and trailed for the first six furlongs. Swung wide by Alex Solis, who replaced an ill Eddie Delahoussaye, the 4-year-old Sharpen Up filly closed strongly, but just missed.

“She didn’t break well and we had to drop back,” Solis said. “We had to go wide on the turn, but she was very game all the way to the wire.”

Island Jamboree, who got the lead briefly into the stretch, was third, almost two lengths ahead of Oeilladine, the 9-5 second choice. Chris McCarron, who hasn’t made many mistakes at Inglewood, wasn’t happy with himself for his ride aboard Oeilladine.

“Regardless of the pace, I should have just stayed back there with her,” he said. “That’s the way (regular rider) Gary (Stevens) rides her. I made a mistake not fighting her and keeping her back where I had her and it cost me.”

In the second division of the Dahlia, Little Brianne never looked like a loser under Julio Garcia, winning by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:40 3/5.

Able to take the lead without any pressure, the 5-2 second choice earned her second victory in three California starts. On Oct. 14, she went wire to wire for a 8-1 surprise in the Las Palmas Handicap at Santa Anita.

Trainer Jack Van Berg thinks the 5-year-old Coastal mare could easily be perfect in the Southland.

“I thought she should have won the Yellow Ribbon (she was fifth, beaten by three lengths), or, at least, been right there,” he said. “She was pinched in on the fence.

“Our plan is to come back in the Matriarch (Dec. 2). We’ve raced her a lot, but she’s doing awfully well. She’s a big, strong mare, so we just go about it. We were a little hesitant about running her today, but I really didn’t think she got to run her race in the Yellow Ribbon.”

Stylish Star, who won a division of the 1989 Dahlia, was second, a neck in front of Girl Of France. Wedding Bouquet, the 2-1 favorite, never fired in her initial start with Lasix and finished fifth.

At the behest of the California Horse Racing Board, Patrick Valenzuela will be given a physical examination by Dr. Robert Kerlan Monday at 10 a.m.

The jockey, who hasn’t ridden since Nov. 2 and who was suspended indefinitely by the Hollywood Park Board of Stewards Thursday, will also be examined by a psychologist Kerlan recommends.

Nicholas Micelli, one of two attorneys representing Valenzuela, said the jockey was examined by a doctor--whose identity he declined to disclose--Saturday and will be examined again by a different doctor after Kerlan does so.

Valenzuela, 28, who spent a week in a Dana Point Hospital being treated for depression, will have to meet whatever conditions the CHRB sets forth before he could return. The CHRB will meet in executive session Nov. 29 at the Airport Hilton Hotel to determine its course of action.

Horse Racing Notes

Russell Baze ended a 43-race drought when Evanescent won Saturday’s third race. . . . Robbie Davis has a new agent, Ron Anderson replacing Joe Griffin. Anderson had most recently worked for Baze. . . . Getting ready for Friday’s Hollywood Prevue Breeders’ Cup Stakes, General Meeting worked seven furlongs in 1:26 4/5 Saturday morning for trainer David Hofmans.