HOLLYWOOD PARK : Olympio Wins Prevue by Head

If he is to run in the $1-million Hollywood Futurity Dec. 9, Olympio will have to be supplemented for $50,000.

Although owner Verne Winchell didn’t give a definitive answer Friday, it seems probable he will put up the money, especially after his 2-year-old Naskra colt’s victory in the $107,600 Hollywood Prevue Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Giving Eddie Delahoussaye his first stakes victory of the meeting, Olympio held off 13-1 shot Barrage by a head with favored General Meeting another half-length back in third.

A winner in two of his three starts for trainer Ron McAnally, the 5-2 second choice covered the seven furlongs in 1:21 4/5.

Actually, Olympio should be undefeated. He reared at the start and got away lengths behind the field in his first start Oct. 13 at Santa Anita, was still last with less than a quarter of a mile to go and wound up running fourth, beaten by 1 1/2 lengths.

Drawn outside in his next two appearances, he has had no trouble leaving the gate and has been able to show the talent McAnally saw right from the outset.

“From the beginning, this colt showed that he has quality,” McAnally said. “Before rearing in the gate in his first race, this colt never had done anything like that before. The day before the race, we broke him from the gate here and he broke perfectly.

“The starter here said he was absolutely 100%. We got over there (Santa Anita) and they waited and waited and waited too long. Eddie said he started getting tighter and tighter. Finally, he just exploded. Just when they sprung it, it was when he jumped in the air.”

The victory was certainly welcome to Delahoussaye. He is still feeling the effects of flu that kept him out three days last week. He had won with only four of his first 57 races.

“He’s a nice colt,” he said. “I had to use him a bit coming out of the gate to get position because Ron didn’t want me to get too far back.

“He was getting a little tired at the end, but when I tapped him he responded. He was going seven furlongs for the first time, and he won his last race so easy, maybe he needed this race.”

Barrage, who had won successive races at Santa Anita, out-finished a troubled General Meeting for third. The 6-5 favorite, on the strength on an easy maiden victory in his debut last month, broke slowly and was caught inside, which isn’t the place to be these days at Hollywood Park.

“He didn’t break quite sharp enough, then loomed up down the backstretch while being on the inside,” trainer David Hofmans said. “I wish the post positions (with Olympio) would have been changed and we had been on the outside.

“But this was only his second race, and we didn’t lose any faith in him. Not at all. He hung in there and ran tough.”

Mizter Interco was fourth, four lengths behind General Meeting, then came Formal Dinner, Palmdale, Skylaunch, Intimate Kid, who set a very fast pace (21 2/5 and 44 1/5), Dr. Adagio and Nijinsky’s Trio. Cien Fuegos, Jimjen and Gold Crest Express were scratched.

Seeking his first victory in the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet since Althea’s 1983 success, Wayne Lukas will send out Cuddles against nine other 2-year-old fillies Sunday afternoon.

A winner of two of her four starts, the Mr. Prospector filly was second in the Moccasin Nov. 10, which was her first race since she won the Junior Miss Aug. 1 at Del Mar.

Cuddles finished decently behind Ifyoucouldseemenow, who is skipping the Starlet, and acts as if she will appreciate the mile. Gary Stevens, who was very impressed after riding her for the first time in the Moccasin, will again be aboard.

Lite Light, who bled when finishing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, has worked well locally for trainer Henry Moreno, and the Majestic Light filly certainly has the credentials to bounce back. She was a four-length winner of the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita, and she also won Del Mar’s Sorrento by 4 1/2 lengths in August.

Garden Gal, perfect in two starts at Hollywood Park, is one of six entrants supplemented for $30,000. Second in her last three starts, she was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup because of a bruised hoof. Angel Cordero, who rode Garden Gal in her two second-place finishes behind Meadow Star at Saratoga, will come west.

The other supplementary nominees are Theresa’s Pleasure, who has won all four of her starts; Present Moment; Far Out Nurse, who was third in the Moccasin; Miami Vacation, who won three consecutive races up north for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer; and Dorky.

Horse Racing Notes

Chris McCarron had two victories Friday and is tied with Alex Solis at the top of the jockey standings. Each has 20. In addition to McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye, David Flores also had a double. . . . Trainer Sam Scolamieri had the first double of his career when longshots Flying Shadow and Nasty Temptation won the second and fourth races, respectively.

Trainer Jerry Fanning turned 58 Friday. . . . Prepping for her engagement next week in The Matriarch, Yellow Ribbon winner Plenty of Grace went five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 on the turf Friday morning. . . . Excavate, a $1.1-million yearling purchase, will make his debut in today’s sixth race. A son of Mr. Prospector, Excavate is a half-brother of Desert Wine and is trained by Charlie Whittingham.