Horse Racing : HOLLYWOOD PARK : McCarron Returns in Style

Chris McCarron didn’t have much luck in Japan this weekend, finishing eighth in the World Super Jockey Series at Tokyo Race Course.

Once the rider returned home Sunday, his luck improved considerably. About 3 1/2 hours after returning, McCarron rode Golden Klair to an 11-1 upset in the $108,500 Silver Belles Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Close but unable to win in her first three American starts, Golden Klair rallied from off the pace to beat 5-2 second choice Pacific Squall by a half-length in 1:41 1/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

A 3-year-old filly bred in England, Golden Klair was purchased by trainer Darrell Vienna for owners Bob and Sally Pernecky and Anthony and Jack Mansourf at the recommendation of agent Richard Duggan.

“She had run well on dirt (in England),” Vienna said. “I was a little concerned in this race because she was a little more forwardly placed than usual, but she still had her kick.

“I told the owners that she would have to reach a different level to be competitive (in the Silver Belles), and I think she’s done that. I knew Chris had expressed interest in riding her if he got back from Japan in time and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

This wasn’t the first time McCarron had returned from Japan and gone right to the winner’s circle. A year ago, he came back to ride Flawlessly to victory in the Matriarch after finishing unplaced on Dr Devious in the Japan Cup.

“She’s a filly that likes to settle and make one run,” McCarron said of the winner. “At the three-eighths pole, she just took off. She kind of has a tendency to lean in a little bit and it kind of makes her hard to steer outside. But I didn’t fight her. I just brought her up gradually and she cooperated really well.”

Pacific Squall, who had won the Hollywood Oaks in her only other start on the Hollywood Park main track, finished four lengths ahead of Cargo. Re Toss, the 3-2 favorite who had run third behind Hollywood Wildcat and Paseana in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finished sixth, beating only Prying.

“I don’t know, it just wasn’t her day,” jockey Corey Nakatani said.

Horse Racing Notes

Making his first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 31, 1992, Navarone ran second as the even-money favorite in the seventh race Sunday at Hollywood Park. The 5-year-old Irish River colt got to the front nearing the wire in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, but Modernise passed him late to win by a length in 1:42 1/5. . . . Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Brocco, who probably will run in the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 19, worked six furlongs in 1:11 2/5 Sunday morning at Santa Anita. . . . Bien Bien, who won the Hollywood Turf Cup last year when Fraise was disqualified, will meet that rival again in the $500,000 Grade I on Sunday. Others considered probables for the 1 1/2-mile race are Hollywood Derby winner Explosive Red, Citation Handicap winner Jeune Homme and Know Heights. . . . Jockeys Chris Antley, Alex Solis and Corey Nakatani each won twice Sunday. Nakatani, who will spend the next week in Hong Kong, tops the standings with 18 winners, four more than Solis.