Fillies Give McAnally 1-2 Finish in ‘Oaks

Except for a dead heat for the win, trainer Ron McAnally couldn’t have asked for a better result in the $180,712 Hollywood Oaks on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Listening and Antespend, his two starters in the meeting’s main event for 3-year-old fillies, finished 1-2 in a field reduced to four after three late scratches (Supercilious, Najecam and Bella Capote).

Listening, the 2-1 second choice behind her more accomplished stablemate, trailed the early pace set by Antespend, the 4-5 favorite, then took charge in the stretch and won going away. At the end, she had 2 1/4 lengths on Antespend and completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 3/5 under Chris McCarron.

This was the fourth win in seven starts for the roan daughter of Night Shift. Listening is owned by Janis Whitham and gave McAnally his first victory in the Grade I Oaks.

Second in her only two starts of 1995, Listening went to the sidelines for several months because of shin problems. Since returning, her only loss came when she was fifth in the Senorita on April 27.

Horse Racing Notes

Fifth behind stablemate Siphon in the Hollywood Gold Cup two weeks ago, Dare And Go is the 8-5 favorite against six opponents in today’s $100,000 Bel Air Handicap at 1 1/16 miles. . . . Jockey Chris Antley, who appealed a five-day suspension which was to have begun last Friday, was given a stiff seven-day suspension by the Hollywood Park stewards for an incident last week. Riding Tru’s Heritage in the first race on July 10, Antley was disqualified from first and placed last for “altering course without sufficient clearance.”