HORSE RACING / OAK TREE MEETING : Hollywood Wildcat Wins Again

Moving to California was the best thing that ever happened to Hollywood Wildcat.

A winner of two of seven starts in Florida before owners Irving and Marge Cowan sent her to trainer Neil Drysdale, the 3-year-old Kris S. filly is unbeaten here.

Successful over the Hollywood Park dirt and twice over the Del Mar turf, Hollywood Wildcat handled Santa Anita’s main track and four rivals in the $106,700 Lady’s Secret Handicap on Monday.

Prepping for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 6 against a field weakened by the scratches of Jolypha and Pacific Squall, the 7-10 favorite beat Re Toss by two lengths in 1:41 for the 1 1/16 miles.

“I think the race is going to help her tremendously for the Breeders’ Cup, since she hadn’t run since Del Mar (Aug. 22),” jockey Eddie Delahoussaye said. “She won pretty handily.

“I don’t know who was training this filly in Florida, but whatever Neil has done with her, he’s sure done it right.”

Eager to see how Hollywood Wildcat would handle older fillies and mares and a different surface, Drysdale was happy with the effort.

“This race was very satisfactory,” he said. “It will be a good prep for the Distaff. It seemed a perfect race for her. She ran very willingly, but it’s always worrisome to go from turf to dirt.

“But it doesn’t seem to bother her. She’s very versatile. She’s equally adept at both surfaces. The timing (of the Lady’s Secret) was very good for her.”

Third behind the pace being set by Looie Capote and Magical Maiden, Hollywood Wildcat moved into the lead around the turn and wasn’t fully extended in beating Re Toss, the 5-1 third choice. Wedding Ring was two lengths behind in third, then came Looie Capote and Magical Maiden.

A winner of two straight at Del Mar, Magical Maiden was especially disappointing as the 5-2 second choice. It was only the third time in 18 starts she finished worse than third.

“She didn’t run a jump,” said Gary Stevens. “She was locked down on the fence, but that’s no excuse for a filly like her.”

*

Trainer Gary Jones said he was going to talk to owner John Mabee about running Best Pal in the $250,000 California Cup Classic on Saturday or the $200,000 Goodwood Handicap on Sunday.

Certain to be heavily favored in the Classic, the 5-year-old gelding was assigned 126 pounds for the 1 1/8-mile race, which means he will be spotting his seven probable rivals 10-18 pounds. In the Goodwood, where the competition would be stiffer, he was given 123 pounds.

“(The Cal Cup weight assignment) wasn’t much different than what we anticipated,” Jones said, adding that if the decision were his, he would run in the Cal Cup.

Beaten as the odds-on choice in the 1991 Cal Cup, Best Pal worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 Monday.

“Our main concern was just to get a work(out) over this track,” said Jones, who normally trains Best Pal at Hollywood Park. “It went well. He likes it when the track has a little moisture over it.”