OAK TREE : A Sweep of the Late Double Caps Perfect Day for Trainer Mandella

After the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Turf, there was more to come from Richard Mandella.

The trainer fell one victory short of matching Shug McGaughey’s feat of five stakes victories in one day three weeks earlier at Belmont Park, but Mandella did the best he possibly could. He started only four horses Saturday at Santa Anita.

Mandella followed up the successes of Phone Chatter and Kotashaan with a sweep of the late double. Memo scored a $25.20 upset in the $100,000 Smile Handicap, then about 35 minutes later, favored Region won the $150,000 Skywalker Handicap.

The four stakes victories were a Santa Anita record, and Mandella’s parents, Tina and Gene, were on hand to see all of them. “I thought we had a hell of a chance going in, but I never dreamed they would all win,” said Mandella after Region completed his dream day.

“I did win four of four at Hollywood (Park) one day, but they weren’t stakes races. You never go in thinking you’re going to win four. Luck usually gets to you before that.”

Memo’s 3 1/2-length victory in 1:20 4/5 for seven furlongs over 5-2 favorite The Wicked North was certainly welcome to jockey Paul Atkinson. It was his first victory of the now 24-day-old Oak Tree season. He had lost with his first 62 mounts.

“It’s been hard for me to go out there and hold my head high while everyone’s calling me a so-and-so,” Atkinson said. “For this horse to win a stakes on Breeders’ Cup day like this almost makes it all worthwhile.”

A gelded son of Devil’s Bag, Region won for the third time in his last four starts. He rallied from well off the pace to beat 17-1 shot L’Express by a head in 1:47 4/5 for 1 1/8 miles.

Horse Racing Notes

To show its appreciation for the success of the Breeders’ Cup, Oak Tree Racing Assn. and Santa Anita will offer free general admission today. . . . Memo wrapped up a Pick Three, which also included Kotashaan and Arcangues, that paid $26,286.90. . . . In the race before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Arches Of Gold beat favored Cargo by three-quarters of a length in the $107,500 Cascapedia Handicap. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by David Flores, Arches Of Gold paid $6.60 and completed the seven furlongs in 1:21 4/5.