HOLLYWOOD PARK : Delahoussaye Easing Up Some, Still Winning

Before making California his home in 1979, Eddie Delahoussaye won a riding title at Churchill Downs, in addition to successes at Keeneland, Arlington Park and Louisiana Downs.

Briefly this spring, Delahoussaye considered returning to Kentucky to ride for a few months, skipping the Hollywood Park meeting.

Even more intriguing was that trainers Mark Henning and Alex Hassinger, both of whom Delahoussaye has had success with, have stables there. Brian Mayberry also sent some horses east and Neil Drysdale considered sending some too.

Delahoussaye, 43, decided to stay put, and he also plans on continuing to ride. Retirement rumors have circulated, but he has been on top of his game through the first 13 days at Hollywood Park.

He was especially strong Saturday, winning five races for the first time since Nov. 11, 1992 to move into second in the jockey standings with 13 victories. The biggest came aboard 6-1 longshot Via Lombardia, who rallied from last to beat favored Mr Purple in the $108,650 Will Rogers Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Plagued by a condition called sinusitis last year, Delahoussaye says his health is fine now, but acknowledges he has had to slow down.

“When you hit a certain age, you have to back down a little bit,” he said. “I have to pace myself if I want to continue riding a little longer.

“I’m not ready to quit. Like I said last year, I’d like to ride another two years if I can. But, I’m just taking it one year at a time.”

Delahoussaye took a first step by not riding on Friday nights. He was active opening night (April 28) because Concept Win ran in the Los Angeles Handicap and he’d only do it again, he said, if another top horse was to run on a particular Friday.

“I haven’t been working as hard in the mornings,” he said. “I’ve been hesitant to push myself. (The health problems) shook me up a little bit last year. I’m afraid of a recurrence. Something like that makes you pick up your head not only about riding, but about your life in general.

“I’m still enjoying myself. I still like what I’m doing and I’m feeling fine.”

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A 3-year-old Irish bred making his first start in America, Via Lombardia was last for the first six furlongs in the Will Rogers before swinging wide and getting up to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:34 for the mile on turf.

A winner of two of four starts in his homeland, the Shardari colt, who had last raced on Aug. 27, is owned by Henry Pabst and trained by Neil Drysdale.

The 11-10 choice, Mr Purple was three-quarters of a length better than Bee El Tee. He has now been second in both of his turf starts after his runner-up performance behind Fine N’ Majestic in last month’s California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

“We’re just finding out now how good this horse might be,” Drysdale said. “He’s trained like a good horse and he had good form in Ireland. He had a long layoff, but he’s a very tractable horse and he does everything you ask. I was hoping to see that kind of rally through the stretch, and I was glad that we did.”

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If they cashed quickly, bettors who tied Faiths Prospect, the winner of Friday night’s first race at Hollywood Park, with 22-1 shot Qui’s A Lady in the exacta, did a lot better than they should have.

Because of a computer error from an out-of-state simulcast site, the mutuel pool for the first race was inflated and so was the exacta payoff.

As it was originally posted, the mutuel pool was $461,980.32 when the correct figure was $126,436 and the exacta came up $262.20 for a $2 bet when the actual payoff really was $71.80.

When the error was discovered later in the evening, the California Horse Racing Board was contacted and, under CHRB rules, bettors were not allowed to cash tickets on the race until everything was sorted out.

According to Hollywood Park officials, it will be a couple of days before it is determined how much money was paid out incorrectly. The CHRB was still looking into it Saturday.

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Possibly Perfect, who has a three-race winning streak spanning 14 months, will be heavily favored to make it four in a row in the $125,000 Wilshire Handicap today.

Looking to give trainer Bobby Frankel his third consecutive victory in the 1-1/16 mile turf race, Possibly Perfect is 4-5 on the morning line and will probably be shorter than that. Kent Desormeaux will ride the 121-pound high weight, who will have only four opponents.

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Corey Nakatani will begin a three-day suspension on Wednesday, the aftermath of an appeal stemming from an incident Jan. 29 at Santa Anita.

Riding Ima Game Master in the day’s third race, Nakatani wasn’t disqualified, but was handed a five-day suspension by the stewards for alleged interference going into the first turn.

Nakatani appealed, but a California Horse Racing Board hearing officer upheld the stewards’ decision. The CHRB then amended the officer’s decision, reducing the suspension to three days.

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Two weeks after winning the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs, Peaks And Valleys took advantage of a perfect trip, drawing clear late to win the $500,000 Illinois Derby Saturday at Sportsman’s Park in Chicago.

Ridden by Julie Krone for trainer Jim Day, the 2-1 favorite ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48, beating 7-1 shot Da Hoss by two lengths. Western Echo, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was third and Petionville, handled by Chris Antley, was fourth.

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Horse Racing Notes

Making his first start since last July 30, Abaginone was impressive in winning the fourth race Saturday, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race. With Gary Stevens aboard for trainer Sandy Shulman and owners Ron Charles and Clear Valley Stables, the 4-year-old Devil’s Bag colt won by 10 lengths and ran the distance in 1:14 3/5. He went the half-mile in 43 1/5. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye’s other victories Saturday came on Jo Knows in the second, Berillon in the fifth, Regal Gentry in the sixth and Rhythninjava in the 10th.