Jewel Princess Gets Extra ‘Push’

Before Cincy Dollase’s father, Jim Rouda, died last week at age 83, he had a message for his daughter.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘Honey, I’m going to give them all [trainer Wally Dollase’s horses] a push,’ and he has,” she said Sunday after Jewel Princess, trained by her husband, won the $209,900 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita.

It was Jewel Princess’ second stakes victory of the meeting and the sixth for the Dollase barn.

“In the stretch, I was shouting out, ‘Any time, dad,’ ” Cincy Dollase said. “I hope it’s legal to have that kind of help.”

The follow-up to Jewel Princess’ El Encino victory three weeks earlier didn’t come easily.

The 4-year-old Key To The Mint filly had to overcome a troubled beginning and some traffic problems before beating longshot Dixie Pearl by three lengths in 1:49 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Purchased by Dollase for owners Richard and Martha Stephen more than a year ago, Jewel Princess, the 9-10 favorite Sunday, has eight victories in 15 lifetime starts and doesn’t need to carry her surface with her. She has five victories on dirt and three on turf, meaning she has a lot of options for the rest of 1996.

“Coming into this race, she was training as well as she ever had,” said Dollase, who has nine wins from 24 starters at the current meeting.

“She proved today that she’s a class filly because she had a rough trip. It just shows class when they can overcome those things and win the way she did. It was the best race she’s ever run.”

Dixie Pearl, who won her first two starts after being moved to trainer Richard Mandella’s barn, outfinished Privity, the 2-1 second choice while coupled with fifth-place finisher Sleep Easy, by 1 1/4 lengths.

Urbane was fourth, the switch from Corey Nakatani to Chris Antley not making any difference. Apparently, she’s just not the same filly she was a year ago when she gave Serena’s Song three consecutive battles.

“I sent her out of there,” said Antley. “[Trainer] Randy [Bradshaw] told me just to kind of ride her out of there and get her under me, then let her carry me. So, that’s what I did.”

“Until the three-eighths pole, I was kind of driving and horses were swarming up on either side of me. I thought I was finished midway around the turn. Then she came back on in the lane. So, hopefully she’s waking back up.”

Horse Racing Notes

Services for Jim Gouda were held Saturday in Solvang. . . . Jewel Princess’ $129,900 payday Sunday pushed her career earnings to $464,560. . . . Northern Spur, who will make his 1996 debut in the $200,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap a week from today, worked 1 1/8 miles in 1:54 Sunday morning.

Jockey Laffit Pincay was off his mounts for the second consecutive day because of flu. . . . John Longden will be at Santa Anita Wednesday to celebrate his 89th birthday.