HOLLYWOOD PARK : Extra Helpings for Two Jockeys

Kent Desormeaux and Robbie Davis had their own kind of Thanksgiving celebration at Hollywood Park.

Davis won with three of his four mounts and Desormeaux did him one better, including a victory aboard Individualist in the $111,800 On Trust Handicap.

Beaten by a half-length by Gum in the California Cup Mile, Individualist returned to the scene of his biggest previous victory--last year’s Hollywood Prevue Stakes--and defeated favored Sensational Star by slightly more than a length in 1:34 for the mile.

Although he has a second and two thirds in four turf starts, Individualist, a gelded 3-year-old son of Bel Bolide, is most effective on the dirt and probably at his best around one turn.

Outrun early, the 6-1 third choice found room to rally on the rail at the head of the stretch, quickly opened a 1 1/2-lengths lead and went on to his third victory in 14 lifetime starts.

“The (Cal Cup) was a heartbreaker to lose,” trainer David Hofmans said. “He loves this race track and Kent rode him the way he wants to be ridden. He wants to be taken ahold of and make that one run.

“His attitude wasn’t good (earlier this year), so (owner) Mr. (John) Mabee decided to turn him out and freshen him up, and he seems to have come back very well.”

Desormeaux, who also won with Red Light Disco, Roughvus and Fly Gaelic Thursday, is beginning to notice a difference in Individualist.

“I think he’s coming around now,” he said. “He’s maturing now and I think he’s getting race smart. But, I’ll tell you, he is kind of a tough horse to deal with. He wants to show speed, but he doesn’t really want to run that way. When he makes the lead, he pulls up. If he doesn’t have a target, he thinks it’s all over with. He wants to play around, but he’s got a lot of talent.”

The beaten favorite for the second consecutive time, Sensational Star had no excuses while beating Gum by a half-length for the place.

“This horse ran a big race,” Rafael Meza said of the runner-up, who was carrying eight pounds more than the winner (122-114). “I think he got beat because of the weight he had to give, especially going a longer distance.

“He ran a good race, but I guess that’s racing. If we had equal weight, he would have beaten all of them.”

Hofmans and Mabee will be seeking another stakes victory today when they send out General Meeting in the $111,650 Hollywood Prevue Breeders’ Cup Stakes.

A son of Seattle Slew, General Meeting will be trying to emulate Individualist’s victory of a year ago when he goes seven furlongs against a full field of 2-year-olds.

Impressive in his debut Oct. 21 at Oak Tree, General Meeting has come back with some good works locally--including a 1:26 1/5 for seven furlongs Nov. 11--and Chris McCarron again has the mount.

A son of Naskra, Olympio was also much the best against maidens at Santa Anita. Eddie Delahoussaye will ride for trainer Ron McAnally.

Gary Stevens, who suffered a broken right elbow nine days ago, was named to ride Cien Fuegos in the Prevue, but the Seattle Slew colt probably won’t run. Trainer Wayne Lukas will be represented by Formal Dinner, who chased Best Pal in both the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk Stakes.

Others entered Wednesday morning were Mizter Interco, Skylaunch, Palmdale, Barrage, Intimate Kid, Dr. Adagio, Nijinsky’s Trio, Jimjen, who also is entered in an allowance race Saturday, and Gold Crest Express.

Stevens, who began working horses again Wednesday, is named on five horses Saturday, including Exploding Prospect in the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes.

The Underwood, which used to be called the National Sprint Championship, has attracted a quality field of sprinters. Besides Exploding Prospect, who won his first start for new trainer Brian Mayberry, the lineup includes Timebank, Thirty Slews, who is unbeaten in three sprint starts; Frost Free, Knight In Savannah, Sam Who, Yes I’m Blue, Astro and Answer Do.

Horse Racing Notes

Eddie Delahoussaye escaped injury when his mount, Bozo’s Fantasy, broke down shortly after the finish of Thursday’s sixth race. Bozo’s Fantasy, a 2-year-old maiden, suffered multiple fractures of the cannon bone in his right foreleg and was destroyed. . . . Thanksgivened didn’t reward hunch players in Thursday’s fifth. The 3-year-old gelding finished ninth, beaten some 20 lengths, at nearly 26-1. . . . Robbie Davis won with Silly Chatter, Maxibob and Diable Rouge. . . . Desormeaux is third in the Hollywood Park standings with 16 winners, two fewer than Chris McCarron and four back of Alex Solis. . . . Hofmans and Richard Mandella each had two winners Thursday. Hofmans saddled Fly Gaelic in addition to Individualist, and Mandella won with Silly Chatter and Diable Rouge.