HOLLYWOOD PARK : Brought To Mind an Easy Winner in Milady Handicap

Even though Bayakoa is retired and in Kentucky, the Milady Handicap still belongs to Ron McAnally.

Brought To Mind made it three consecutive victories in the Grade I race for the trainer, who had watched Bayakoa win the prelude to the Vanity Handicap the previous two years.

In winning her second consecutive local race, Brought To Mind was even more dominant in the Milady than had been her former, Eclipse-Award winning stablemate.

Against a field that was far below Grade I quality, the 4-year-old Ruthie’s Native filly coasted home four lengths in front of 8-1 shot Luna Elegante. Bayakoa defeated Fantastic Look by 2 1/4 lengths in 1990 after defeating Flying Julia by a length the year before.

Challenged by Luna Elegante on the outside from the start, Brought To Mind took the lead before a half-mile had been run, then pulled away without ever feeling Pat Valenzuela’s whip.

She ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 3/5 in winning for the third time in seven starts since being purchased by Tadahiro Hotehama. The Japanese horseman bought her in December from Lindsay Semple.

“She just gets better and better,” said Valenzuela, who rode the gray for the first time in her half-length victory in last month’s Hawthorne Handicap.

“The pace was pretty quick and she was just sitting there very easy. When I asked her, she just picked it up. I just showed her the whip and she really responded.

“There’s no telling how good she is, she keeps improving. I’m hoping she’ll be as good as Bayakoa was. At least half as good. If she’s half as good as Bayakoa, we’ll be all right. Ron seems to do things with these fillies.”

McAnally wasn’t on hand to see the stable’s meeting-high fourth stakes victory. He was in San Diego on business, according to assistant trainer Eduardo Inda.

“This filly is really good right now,” he said. “She had a little problem at Santa Anita after hitting the gate (in the El Encino Jan. 12). When she galloped in the morning after that, the exercise boy said there was something wrong with this filly. It took a couple of races before she really came down from that.

“She looks like a different filly here and it looks like she likes this race track, too.”

Luna Elegante, beaten by 13 lengths in the Hawthorne, was second by three-quarters of a length over Vieille Vigne. Fit To Scout, the 7-2 second choice who had finished second to A Wild Ride in Belmont’s Hempstead Handicap June 2, was sixth ahead of only Venturilla and Carita Tostada.

Since returning last month after being off 34 days because of a broken arm, Rafael Meza has only won two races.

The 33-year-old jockey has certainly made his victories count. Nearly three weeks after directing Due To The King to an upset in Golden Gate’s Oakland Handicap May 27, Meza teamed with Forty Niner Days for a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Gate Handicap.

Able to get away with some exceptionally slow fractions (25 3/5, 51 1/5 and 1:16 4/5 for six furlongs), the 4-year-old son of Conquistador Cielo had enough to hold off Aksar and win by a half-length in 2:17 1/5 for the 1 3/8 miles.

It was the biggest victory for trainer Roger Stein and was the third in four starts over the Golden Gate turf course for Forty Niner Days. He lost by a neck to Shotiche in the Rolling Green Handicap May 25.

The 9-2 fourth choice at Golden Gate, Forty Niner Days paid $13 at Hollywood Park, where the race was simulcast. The victory was worth $220,000 to owner Sid Field and was the gelding’s sixth in 15 starts.

Aksar finished two lengths ahead of Missionary Ridge, then came Pleasant Variety, Mashkour, the favorite, Hecquet, Soft Machine, River Warden and Mister Riv.

Bidding for his first victory of the year, Best Pal is the 4-5 morning line favorite for today’s $160,300 Silver Screen Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.

Reunited with Pat Valenzuela, who rode him to five of his six victories in 1990, Best Pal has drawn the rail in the field of six. He is unbeaten in two starts at Hollywood Park--he broke his maiden last spring in his debut, then won the $1-million Hollywood Futurity in December.

Compelling Sound, who has won two in a row on the grass, is the 2-1 second choice. Gary Stevens takes over for Valenzuela on the Seattle Slew colt and he has ridden him to two victories. Compelling Sound will carry 118 pounds, five fewer than Best Pal.

Caliche’s Secret, a two-length winner of Golden Gate’s Gold Rush in his last start May 18, and Key Recognition are both 8-1. Pillaring, who will be tried without blinkers, is 10-1, and Nijinsky’s Prince is 15-1.