THOROUGHBRED RACING : Argentine Pipeline Produces Again for McAnally as His Paseana Wins

Argentina continues to be good to Ron McAnally.

The nation that provided the trainer with Bayakoa, Festin and Ibero in recent years now has given him Paseana.

After finishing second in her first U.S. start last month at Santa Anita, the 4-year-old daughter of Ahmad won the $107,700 Silver Belles Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Content to track pacesetting Damewood most of the way, Paseana, the 17-10 favorite, came away when roused by Chris McCarron to win the Grade II race by 5 1/2 lengths. She was timed in 1:42 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles and earned $62,700 for owners Sidney and Jenny Craig.

Purchased by McAnally earlier this year for a reported $300,000--the same price paid for Bayakoa--Paseana had done most of her winning on the grass in Argentina. She was four-for-six on the surface, so she gives the trainer plenty of future options.

“The way we got this filly was through the young man (Pepe Leon) we usually deal with down there,” said McAnally, who will try for a weekend stakes sweep with Sea Cadet in today’s Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap.

“Pepe watches all the races every day and bets all the races . . . a perfect guy to go down and see. He called us last year right around the time she was to run in a Grade I race and she ran poorly (seventh Dec. 8). I called down there and asked what happened. I was told she pulled a muscle and to forget about her right now.

“I went down there last spring after the Preakness and they showed her to me again. She looked like she was over (her injury) and that she was still for sale. So, I called Mr. and Mrs. Craig and they said OK.”

McAnally thought Paseana might come up short in her first race in California and she wound up second Oct. 14, losing to another Argentine filly, La Charlatana, by two lengths.

“She had only one mile work before that race and it wasn’t fair to her,” the trainer said. “After she started getting a little tired, (jockey Chris) McCarron didn’t kill her to beat the other filly, but he did say he felt he could have beaten the other filly, too. We have no immediate plans for her. We just hopes she comes back all right.”

Making her stakes debut, Damewood, the 7-2 third choice, held on to beat Luna Elegante by a neck for second. It was a half-length back to Formidable Lady, then came Nice Assay, the 5-2 second choice, and Nasers Pride.

A winner of three of her four previous starts, Nice Assay was never a factor in her second try against older fillies and mares.

“She didn’t run her race today,” jockey Laffit Pincay said. “I thought I’d be closer to the pace. I thought I’d be laying third, maybe a length or a length and a half behind. On the first turn, I couldn’t keep up with (Damewood and Paseana).

“I went to the inside on the far turn and she started making a good move, but in the stretch, she didn’t respond like I thought she would.”

Attempting to give trainer Bobby Frankel his fourth victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup, Marquetry finished fifth as the even-money favorite in Stickney, Ill.

Sunny Sunrise, a 10-1 shot, led all of the way under Chris Antley for Bud Delp. Sports View, at 5-2, was second, a length behind Sunny Sunrise and Discover was third.

Losing for the fourth consecutive time after back-to-back victories in the Hollywood Gold Cup and New England Classic, Marquetry was third after a half-mile, three lengths behind Sunny Sunrise, but faded under David Flores and wound up being beaten by 10 lengths.

Completing the 1 1/4 miles in 2:04, Sunny Sunrise paid $23.20 and earned $309,840 for his owners, Harry and Tom Meyerhoff, who also raced Spectacular Bid.

The news was better for Frankel later in the day at Bay Meadows. Heavily favored Gravieres won the $150,000 Carmel Handicap, which was simulcast at Hollywood Park.

Outrun early under Corey Nakatani, the 3-year-old, French-bred filly split horses at the top of the stretch and went on to beat Miss High Blade and seven others.

Second to Flawlessly in the Harold C. Ramser Handicap at Santa Anita in her American debut, Gravieres covered the about 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48 1/5 and paid $3.20 at Hollywood Park.

Chief Honcho proved he can lose to anybody in Saturday’s $350,000 Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct.

After chasing Black Tie Affair, Festin and In Excess, the 4-year-old son of Chief’s Crown was 4-5 to win the 1 3/8-mile race. Instead, he finished second, losing by 2 1/4 lengths to 20-1 shot Timely Warning.

A loser of his three previous starts in Maryland and New York, Timely Warning led all of the way, completing the distance in an Aqueduct record 2:14 over a track labeled good. Ridden by Mike Luzzi and trained by Buddy Raines, Timely Warning paid $42.60 for his biggest victory.

Jockey Mike Smith had no excuses for Chief Honcho, who hasn’t won since April 27.

“My horse ran well, he just didn’t come home first today,” he said. “The other horse ran the race of his life.”

Horse Racing Notes

Chris McCarron rode three winners Saturday. Besides Paseana, he also won with Real West and Private Policy, both of whom were easy winners of maiden races. . . . Frank Alvarado, who was suspended for 60 days after testing positive for cocaine during the Fairplex Park meeting, won for the first time since returning Wednesday. He won the third aboard longshot L’Eau Vivre.

Star Of Cozzene, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in his last start, will run in France next year and be trained by Francois Boutin, Arazi’s trainer. Owned by the Clover Racing Stables, Star Of Cozzene had won three consecutive stakes before the Breeders’ Cup for Wayne Lukas. Currently in quarantine in Kentucky, the 3-year-old will leave for Paris Dec. 13.