HOLLYWOOD PARK : Paseana Extends Streak to Six

If the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup was more than two weeks away, Paseana’s owner, Sidney Craig, might be tempted to try his mare against males.

The 5-year-old daughter of Ahmad scored her sixth consecutive victory in the $161,700 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Because her handlers don’t want to bring her back that soon, Paseana will probably make her next appearance in the Vanity Handicap July 19 and she will be expected to dominate again.

Paseana’s presence in the Gold Cup on June 27 would certainly have brought a much-needed lift to the next American Championship Racing Series event, but she could get her shot at the boys in the $1-million Pacific Classic Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

“I love that idea,” Craig said of the possibility. “But I’d have to leave it up to my genius trainer (Ron McAnally). I think she’s good enough to do that. If the opportunity comes up, I’d like to try it.

“She’s miraculous. She just goes when you ask her to run. I used to get a little more nervous (before she ran), but now I have sort of quiet confidence.”

Craig and his wife, Jenny, could have quite a time on Breeders’ Cup Day later this year at Gulfstream Park.

“My dream for the Breeders’ Cup would be to have Exchange (a multiple-stakes winner trained by Bill Spawr) in the Distaff, Paseana in the Classic against the boys and (Epsom Derby winner) Dr Devious in the Turf.”

The last time McAnally tried an Argentine mare against the boys, Bayakoa trailed in the 1990 Santa Anita Handicap.

“That’s not a fair analogy,” said McAnally, who, shortly before the Milady, watched his Algenib win by four lengths in the $400,000 Golden Gate Handicap. “(Bayakoa) had just run a couple of weeks before (winning the Santa Margarita), and it wasn’t fair to run her back that quick.

“If there’s the right spacing (between races) and the right field of horses, we could give it a shot. We’ll have to discuss it with Sid and Jenny.”

Ridden by Chris McCarron, Paseana moved to the leaders while four-wide, then quickly drew clear at the top of the stretch. Her final margin was 2 3/4 lengths and she covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 2/5 under high weight of 125 pounds. She paid $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite.

“All they have to do is let me know 24 hours in advance where she’s going to run next, and I’ll be there,” McCarron said. “She sure is an awful good one. She showed us a different dimension today.”

Re Toss, the second longest shot in the field at 39-1, rallied from last to be second, three-quarters of a length in front of Fowda. McAnally’s other entrant, Brought To Mind, was fourth, then came La Charlatana, Apreciada and Sacramentada.

Fresh from a victory in the Hawthorne Handicap in her first start with blinkers, Sacramentada was beaten by about 29 lengths and was eased by Kent Desormeaux nearing the wire.

Paseana wasn’t the shortest-priced winner on the program.

Bel’s Starlet was 3-10 when winning the $108,200 Valkyr Handicap, which was the race before the Milady. Her $2.60 mutuel was the shortest of the meeting.

Although the margin was only a neck, the 5-year-old Bel Bolide mare won comfortably under Desormeaux, beating 16-1 shot Another Natalie and five other California-breds. Bel’s Starlet completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:01 3/5.

Second to Quest For Fame in the Hollywood Turf Handicap in his last start, Classic Fame is the 120-pound highweight and 2-1 morning line favorite for the $150,000-added John Henry Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

After Digression and Bold Russian were scratched Saturday, a field of eight was set for the 1 1/8-mile Grade II turf race.

A lightly-raced, 6-year-old son of Nijinsky II, Classic Fame won the 1990 American Handicap over this turf course, upsetting Steinlen. Desormeaux will ride for trainer Gary Jones, who will also send out Notorious Pleasure.

Russell Baze, far and away the leading rider at Golden Gate Fields, will ride Notorious Pleasure, who won the Rolling Green Handicap on May 23. In his last local start, he won a division of the Citation Handicap, beating, among others, Classic Fame. Overall, Notorious Pleasure has four victories and one third in five starts on the Hollywood Park turf course.

Beaten by a head by Pharisien in this race last year, Marquetry will go from the John Henry into the Hollywood Gold Cup, where he will try to duplicate his 1991 upset. David Flores will ride for trainer Bobby Frankel and the 5-year-old Conquistador Cielo is the 7-2 second choice.

The rest of the lineup consists of Blaze O’Brien (McCarron, 5-1), Repriced (Gary Stevens, 6-1), Balleroy (Laffit Pincay, 8-1), Qathif (Alex Solis, 8-1) and Gum (Pat Valenzuela, 20-1).

Horse Racing Notes

Now perfect in two starts since being moved to Ron McAnally’s barn, Algenib toyed with six rivals at Golden Gate Fields and earned $220,000. Laffit Pincay rode the 120-pound highweight. Missionary Ridge, one of three horses Bobby Frankel had in the Grade II race, was a neck in front of stablemate and 5-2 second choice Never Black. Algenib paid $4.20 at Golden Gate and $3.80 at Hollywood Park. . . . Dr Devious will make his next start in the Irish Derby on June 28. . . . A trainers’ boycott resulted in the cancellation of next Wednesday’s races at Evangeline Downs in Carencro, La., and officials at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City said they might have to cancel today’s program. The trainers have said they will boycott until they get 50% of off-track betting proceeds; they now get 40%.