HOLLYWOOD PARK : Paseana Holds Off Bold Windy to Win Milady by Half-Length

Not wanting Paseana to carry an extra pound in the Hempstead Handicap at Belmont Park on Saturday, trainer Ron McAnally and owners Sid and Jenny Craig decided to keep the Eclipse Award-winning mare at home for the $162,000 Milady Handicap.

The 2-5 favorite made it five consecutive victories in the Grade I race for McAnally, but she had to work harder than expected under highweight of 125 pounds.

Winning for the 15th time in 23 starts, Paseana was extended to beat 8-1 shot Bold Windy, who was carrying 11 fewer pounds, by a half-length in 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

McAnally believes things would have been a lot easier in New York, where Turnback The Alarm won the Hempstead by 1 1/2 lengths as the 7-5 favorite.

“I’d have much rather been there facing her than facing these fillies here,” McAnally said. “I think (Turnback The Alarm) would have trouble beating the (mare) that ran fourth here (Guiza, who was beaten six lengths by Paseana). In all honesty, our fillies here today are much tougher than the filly that won in the East.”

After breaking from the rail in the field of seven, Paseana was behind the pacesetters Steff Graf, Bold Windy and Shes A Sure Bet down the backside, but Chris McCarron angled her to the outside nearing the far turn, moved up get near the lead at the top of the stretch, then battled with Bold Windy through the final furlong.

“She didn’t draw well, but she’s such a champ that she maneuvered when I needed her to,” McCarron said. “She’s like driving a Testarossa. I worked one the other morning that I described as a Rolls Royce--this one’s a Testarossa.

“At the sixteenth pole, I was more concerned with Re Toss (who finished third, beaten by a length) than (Bold Windy) because I could hear Eddie (Delahoussaye on Re Toss) growling. It was just a case of keeping Paseana to her task. She won all-out today. I hit her five or six times. She couldn’t have won by farther.”

Making her first start around two turns, Bold Windy refused to quit after being headed by Paseana.

“It was a big thrill,” trainer Gary Jones said. “If they’d left her alone just a little bit. . . . Everybody was sending. I knew she was going to run a big race.”

Paseana might return in the Vanity Handicap on July 18.

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Johann Quatz, second at 7-10 odds in his last start after an impressive American debut, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for today’s $107,500 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Successful in three of eight starts in Europe before being purchased by McAnally for owner Tadahiro Hotehama, Johann Quatz beat allowance horses by nearly three lengths on April 23 in his first start in more than eight months, then was beaten three lengths by Tertian a month later.

Journalism, who has won four in a row since trainer Wally Dollase purchased him for owner Richard Stephen, is the 3-1 second choice. Included in the 5-year-old gelding’s victory streak is a 15-1 upset in the Shoemaker Handicap on April 25.

Tertian and Luthier Enchanteur, both trained by Bobby Frankel, are both 4-1 on the line. Then comes The Tender Track (8-1) and Prince Ferdinand (10-1).

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Knight Prospector remained unbeaten at Hollywood Park with a record-setting performance in the $56,400 Porterhouse Handicap on Friday night.

The 4-year-old Native Prospector filly won for the sixth time in Inglewood, defeating males by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:02 1/5 for 5 1/2 furlongs. The previous record was 1:02 2/5, by Colonel Rumbo last year.

Since returning to the races on April 28 for new trainer Craig Lewis, Knight Prospector has been perfect in three starts and has won six of her last seven overall.

Exceptionally fast out of the gate, the California-bred has been untested this year and improves every time she runs.

“It’s always questionable whether a filly can handle the colts, but that was the only question as far as I was concerned,” Lewis said. “She won her last race geared down in 1:08 2/5 (for six furlongs), and I hadn’t seen a horse go that fast that easy.”

Horse Racing Notes

Riding for the first time since he was injured in a spill on April 25, Martin Pedroza won with his first two mounts, winning the fifth with 10-1 Secret Haze and the sixth with 7-2 second choice Big Paz. . . . Emerald Jig won the $150,000 Rolling Green Handicap by two lengths at Golden Gate Fields. Ridden by Rafael Meza and trained by Jose Silva, Emerald Jig paid $17.60 at Hollywood Park, where the race was simulcast. Favored Never Black was fourth in the field of six. . . . Stark South defeated Cleone by a nose to win the $110,700 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs. Stark South, trained by John Russell, paid $6 as the 2-1 second choice. . . . Codified made it two consecutive victories since returning to the races for trainer David Hofmans by easily winning a $42,000 allowance race Saturday at Hollywood Park. Able to cruise on the lead under Kent Desormeaux, the 3-5 favorite won in 1:42 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles. Owned by Georgia Ridder, the 3-year-old Lear Fan colt has now won three of five career starts. . . . Eliza, who is expected to start in the Princess Stakes next Saturday, worked five furlongs in 58 3/5 Saturday morning. . . . There was a minus show pool on the Milady of $906.56.