OAK TREE : Flawlessly Wins, but It Isn’t Easy

Although her name remains appropriate, Flawlessly had to work harder in Saturday’s $112,500 Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap than she had in either of her two races at Del Mar.

France’s 26-1 longshot, Gravieres, made Flawlessly exert some extra energy to remain perfect in five starts on the turf.

At the end of a 1:33 2/5 mile, the 3-year-old Affirmed filly had done what was necessary in winning by a half-length.

The 7-10 favorite had jockey Chris McCarron saying: “I wish there were a filly or mare turf race in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Flawlessly may yet race in Kentucky, although not in the Breeders’ Cup VIII on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Charlie Whittingham is considering entering her in the Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup on Oct. 26 at Keeneland. The Grade I race is restricted to 3-year-old fillies and carries a $200,000 purse.

If she does not race in Kentucky, the Harbor View Farm filly will challenge older fillies and mares in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon on Nov. 10.

Unbeaten in four California starts, Flawlessly was seventh in the field of 10 in the run down the backstretch. She got going when Gravieres, who was ninth after a half-mile, made a powerful move to take the lead with about a quarter of a mile left.

Still a head in front with a furlong left, Gravieres, who arrived from France during the week, was unable to continue the pace, and Flawlessly started edging away in the final yards.

“She does what she has to do and does it well,” said Whittingham, who did not need to say more about his latest female turf star.

McCarron did not mind seeing Flawlessly tested after her well-paid workouts in the San Clemente Handicap and Del Mar Oaks.

“Nobody else has given her a fight,” he said. “I was glad to see her show some fight.

“I knew nothing (about Gravieres) until the half-mile pole. That’s when I said, ‘This looks like a runner.’ I didn’t know she was coming, but Flawlessly did. When the other filly got up to her flank, she wanted to move and went right with her.

“I got after her (in the stretch). It looked like it was going to come down to a head or a neck. I wasn’t going to play games with her.”

A winner of two of her nine starts in France, Gravieres finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of a troubled Zama Hummer, the 4-1 second choice. Kent Desormeaux, the rider of Nice Assay, who finished fourth, claimed a foul against Zama Hummer for alleged interference at the start, but the stewards disagreed and did not change the results.

Slip With Me finished fifth in the Ramser, followed by came Loretta Wolf, Grand Morning, Haunting, My Sweet Barbara and Interclear.

Lite Light, who has run two disappointing races in a row, is out of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and will not race again in 1991.

The 3-year-old Majestic Light filly, who is owned by rap star M.C. Hammer and his family, bled when finishing sixth in last month’s Super Derby and this was the third time in 2 1/2 months she had bled in a race. Before the Super Derby, Lite Light had bled when third in Del Mar’s Chula Vista Handicap as the prohibitive favorite.

“Louis Burrell Jr. (the manager of Oaktown Stable) made the decision to turn her out after consulting with (veterinarian) Dr. Dennis Meagher,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. “We feel this is too many times for this (bleeding) to happen to her.”

Kartajana, beaten by a neck by Tight Spot when third in the Arlington Million, is the 5-2 morning line favorite for today’s $500,000 Oak Tree Invitational over 1 1/2 miles on the turf.

A 4-year-old filly who won six of 11 in Europe before the Million, Kartajana drew the rail for the Invitational and will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye. This will be her first start for trainer Neil Drysdale.

Next on Jeff Tufts’ line at 4-1 is Filago, who will race on Lasix for the first time after bleeding when ninth in the Arlington Million. Before that, the 4-year-old Foolish Pleasure colt had won two in a row, including the Arlington Handicap.

Filago is one of three starters for trainer Bobby Frankel. In addition, he will saddle Missionary Ridge (30-1 on the morning line) and Glorify (12-1).

My Style, an easy winner of the Del Mar Handicap in his U.S. debut, is 8-1 and is one of two representatives of the Darrell Vienna barn. Crnagora is the 5-1 third choice in her first American start. The 3-year-old filly has placed in 11 of 13 starts overseas and McCarron will ride.

The rest of the field includes Spending Record (Martin Pedroza, 20-1), Super May (Laffit Pincay, 8-1), Aksar (Danny Sorenson, 30-1), Black Monday (Corey Nakatani, 5-1) and Fraise (Russell Baze, 12-1).

Jockey Julio Garcia, who returned to his native Puerto Rico during the Del Mar meeting, will be named on mounts at Oak Tree on Wednesday.

Agent Tony Matos, who also works for Corey Nakatani, said he expects Garcia to remain here for the rest of Oak Tree, which continues through Nov. 11.

Horse Racing Notes

Itsallgreektome will ship to Kentucky today and make his next start in the $175,000 Keeneland Breeders’ Cup next Sunday. . . . Political Rally, a 2-year-old maiden making his third start, broke down in Saturday’s sixth race and had to be destroyed. Jockey Kent Desormeaux escaped injury and returned to ride his remaining two mounts on the program. Political Rally suffered compound fractures in his left foreleg.

Besides winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park with Festin, trainer Ron McAnally also won the California Jockey Club Handicap with Appealing Missy at Bay Meadows. Ridden by Tom Chapman, Appealing Missy defeated La Kaldoun by 1 1/2 lengths and completed the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46 4/5. Favored Somethingmerry was fourth in the race, which was simulcast to Santa Anita. Appealing Missy paid $13.60 at Bay Meadows compared to $11.20 locally.