HOLLYWOOD PARK : Earl Of Barking Throws Out Odds and Scores Upset in Turf Handicap

Goncalino Almeida’s first Hollywood Turf Handicap worked out much better than his first Kentucky Derby.

In his debut in the Derby about three weeks ago, Almeida rode Jumron, a colt who was struck by another jockey’s whip and returned from a courageous fourth-place finish with badly cut legs.

Almeida didn’t have a rocking-chair trip in Monday’s $500,000 Turf Handicap, either, but compared to the Derby, the Hollywood Park race came with only minor detours. In mid-stretch, blocked by the front-running Vaudeville and Del Mar Dennis, Almeida swung Earl Of Barking to the outside, finding a hole between Del Mar Dennis and a late-running Sandpit, and the 5-year-old Irish-bred sprinted to a 2 1/4-length upset victory.

The last time Almeida had ridden Earl Of Barking, in the Early Times Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Derby day, their luck was almost as bad as Jumron’s a little later. Earl Of Barking was compromised early, and when Almeida was forced to bring him 10 wide coming into the stretch, they settled for a seventh-place finish, though only 4 1/4 lengths behind Romarin, the winner of the race.

“That race was a throw-out,” Earl Of Barking’s trainer, Richard Cross, said after Monday’s victory.

Earl Of Barking, winner of only two of his last nine starts, seemed to be overmatched every time he moved into serious competition and was virtually a throw-out horse on the tote board for the Turf Handicap. His $275,000 victory, in a time of 1:59 3/5 for 1 1/4 miles, resulted in a $50.60 win payoff. Only two starters in the 10-horse field went off at longer odds.

Sandpit, who went off at 5-2, became the sixth favorite in the last seven years to be beaten in the stake. The Brazilian-bred 6-year-old finished second, a head in front of Savinio, who closed with relish on the inside. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Del Mar Dennis, who was running on grass for the first time in more than 20 months.

Almeida, 39, was a leading jockey in Brazil, winning more than 2,500 races. He has been riding on the California circuit for 2 1/2 years.

Earl Of Barking is owned by Henry Pabst, a retired businessman who watched Monday’s race on a simulcast at Canterbury Downs, not far from his home in St. Paul, Minn. Earl Of Barking began his career in Ireland and began running in the United States at the end of his 2-year-old season. Monday’s victory was his ninth in 25 starts and sent his earnings over the $1-million mark.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Almeida said. “This horse had a nice win in New Orleans [this year]. In Kentucky, I had a big problem when my horse got completely stopped early. For this race, Richard Cross told me to stay close, but to wait and wait. I waited and waited, and this horse exploded.”

Cocooning, at 31-1, led the race for the first six furlongs, running slow fractions while Del Mar Dennis, Sandpit and Vaudeville stayed close. Earl Of Barking was third from last after a half-mile, came between horses down the backside and took a bead on the leaders on the inside while Sandpit was beginning to roll on the outside.

“I told Goncalino to follow Vaudeville, save ground and get him to relax, because a mile and a quarter is as far as this horse has ever been,” Cross said.

Earl Of Barking carried 115 pounds, seven less than the high-weighted Sandpit.

“My horse got packed wide on the turns,” said Corey Nakatani, who rode Sandpit. “Those things happen. He still ran a big race. The winner just got in too light.”

Walter Greenman, trainer and part owner of Savinio, thought the 5-year-old gelding might have won with better luck on the last turn.

“I did get through on the inside, but I had a little trouble,” said Greenman’s jockey, Chris McCarron. “But that’s what happens when you have a $12,500 horse [Cocooning] in the race. He gets in people’s way.”

Cocooning, claimed by trainer Sam Aldabbagh last year for $10,000, had moved up in the ranks and was making his second stakes start of 1995. He finished last, beaten by more than 41 lengths.

Horse Racing Notes

Trainer Bobby Frankel deputized Sally Lundy to saddle You and I for his victory in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, but his hot stakes hand in California cooled off. Frankel’s filly, Wandesta, was eighth in the Hollywood Turf Handicap, and at Golden Gate Fields, Forest Gazelle, at 1-5, ran fifth as Crafty Dude won the $100,000 Oakland Handicap. . . . Another Frankel filly, Possibly Perfect, will be heavily favored in next Sunday’s Gamely Handicap at Hollywood. . . . Six of Earl of Barking’s nine victories have come in stakes. . . . His last stakes victory in California was in the San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita on Jan. 1, 1994. . . . Miraloma, the only filly in the field, won Monday’s $101,050 Kentucky Budweiser Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs. Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, the 2-year-old is trained by Wayne Lukas and was ridden by Donna Barton. The Pick Six carryover for Wednesday is $441,646.53.