HOLLYWOOD PARK : Desormeaux Gets Wish, Victory

Kent Desormeaux finally got his wish at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

After two years of asking trainer Bobby Frankel if he could ride Marquetry, Desormeaux was put on the 6-year-old in the $160,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap.

Frankel, Desormeaux and those who made Marquetry the 2-1 second choice in the prep for next month’s Hollywood Gold Cup were delighted with the result.

Able to control things up front through a moderate pace, the Conquistador Cielo horse drew off in the final quarter of a mile to beat 11-1 shot Potrillon by four lengths in 1:49 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Latin American, the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Grade II race, was scratched before the sixth race. Trainer Bob Marshall wasn’t happy with the track condition for the Californian winner.

“I didn’t go to Pimlico (for the Pimlico Special) because he doesn’t like a deep, sandy track,” Marshall said. “If I didn’t go there for $400,000, I don’t know how I’d run him for $150,000 on a deep, sandy track.

“Any time he’s run on a ‘good’ track--dirt or grass--he’s run poorly. He tries, but he just spins his wheels. He needs a firm, hard track. I’ll train him up to the Gold Cup (July 3) or, if an allowance race comes up, maybe use that as a prep.”

Marquetry always runs well on the Hollywood Park main track. He has two local victories and he has never been worse than third in six tries.

“He ran well today,” Frankel said. “It looked good in the (Daily Racing) Form because there wasn’t much speed in the race. He hadn’t been himself (in recent races). He started coming around and looking good again after his last race (fifth in the John Henry on May 9). I thought he’d run really well today. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t know what to say.

“This is a good sign. He’s coming up to (the Gold Cup) in good shape.”

Sir Beaufort, the 7-5 favorite, turned in his second consecutive lackluster effort since his surprising victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. A distant fourth at 6-5 in the Californian, he was fifth Sunday, beating only the badly overmatched Vying Victor.

“He can be a little bit common, and today he didn’t want anything to do with running,” Pat Valenzuela said. “I was sitting right where I wanted to be, and when I asked him to run by (Marquetry), he didn’t put his best foot forward. He just stopped running. He’s got a lot of ability, but sometimes he just doesn’t want to use it.”

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A proposal by Hollywood Park would allow fans to make alternative selections in the Pick Six, Pick Three and Bet-A-Buck if their original choice is scratched.

The track has asked the California Horse Racing Board to change the rules and hopes to have approval before the start of Hollywood Park’s fall meeting on Nov. 17.

Under Hollywood Park’s suggestion, bettors would be allowed to make one alternative choice in each race of the Pick Six, Pick Three or Bet-A-Buck, and that would become the substitute horse in case of a scratch. Currently, a bettor is given the starting favorite if their selection is scratched.

On Wednesday, Hollywood Park will begin its overlapping triples, which was recently approved by the CHRB. There will be seven triples each day, beginning with the first through seventh races.

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Paseana, the defending champion, was given highweight of 125 pounds for Saturday’s $150,000 Milady Handicap. Idle since winning the Apple Blossom Handicap on April 16, the 6-year-old mare might run in the Hempstead Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park instead of the 1 1/16-mile Milady. Bountiful Native, who is at her best sprinting, is next on the list with 117 pounds.