Antespend, a California Girl, Is Back on Track

Antespend can run on dirt and she can run on grass, but the one thing the 3-year-old filly can’t do is run well over the sandy, cuppy tracks in Arkansas and Kentucky.

Back from an unsuccessful trip to Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs, Antespend returned to California on Sunday for the $137,350 Honeymoon Handicap, and she remained undefeated at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita by rallying through the stretch for a one-length victory.

Antespend’s three victories at Santa Anita this winter came on dirt and her two wins at Hollywood Park have been on grass. Sunday marked her first start at Hollywood since trainer Ron McAnally’s filly won the Miesque Stakes there in November.

Antespend went East with a six-race winning streak, but finished second in the Fantasy at Oaklawn on April 5, then ran fourth in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Kentucky Derby. Rather than run in the Black-Eyed Susan last week at Pimlico, another cuppy track, McAnally brought his filly home.

“Usually on the far turn, Chris [Antley] will still have a hold of this filly,” McAnally said. “But over the tracks back there, he’d already have to start riding her hard.”

Najecam, a 28-1 shot, led with an eighth of a mile left, but she couldn’t hold off Antespend and finished third, a neck behind Clamorosa, who also put in a late run. Antespend, earning $82,410 for owner-breeder Jack Kent Cooke, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 2/5 and paid $5.40 as the favorite. Antespend carried high weight of 122 pounds, six more than Clamorosa.

“Today was actually the first time she settled,” Antley said. “I had to bide my time, wait and hope to get lucky enough to get through.”

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Northern Spur, the 8-5 morning-line favorite who is also trained by McAnally, will try to reverse a trend today in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap. Of the last seven favorites, only Quest For Fame, in 1992, has won this stake.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf winner and Eclipse Award champion last year, Northern Spur has run twice this year, finishing fourth in the San Luis Obispo Handicap and winning an allowance race at Hollywood Park on May 1.

Four of the other five horses in the field haven’t won since last year, including Earl Of Barking, whose last win was in this stake a year ago. Petit Poucet, the second choice on the morning line, won in allowance company at Santa Anita in April and finished second to Mecke on May 4 in the Early Times Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Horse Racing Notes

Eddie Delahoussaye, injured when his mount, Collector’s Purse, flipped in the gate before the third race, took the rest of the day off. He suffered a bloody nose and a minor ankle injury. . . . Gary Stevens is expected to sit out his third consecutive full day of riding today for what he has called personal reasons.