It’s One Down and Four to Go

So far, so good for trainer Bobby Frankel in Hollywood Park’s Turf Festival.

Frankel, who will send out five horses in the six-race, $2.15-million weekend, scored an unexpected victory with the first of his runners.

Star’s Proud Penny, a 33-1 longshot, rallied to beat Superlative by half a length in the $200,000 Miesque Stakes Friday.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez for Agri-Harvest Inc., the 2-year-old daughter of Proud Birdie won for the third time in eight starts, completing the mile on a good course in 1:37 2/5.

“It was a softer turf course today [than it was when she was fourth in the Ridgewood Pearl on Nov. 5] and I thought she would like the soft turf,” said Frankel, who will saddle Martiniquais in the $300,000 Citation Handicap and Andy Dufresne in the $250,000 Generous Stakes today, then Ryafan in the $700,000 Matriarch and Lord Cromby in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby on Sunday.

“She won two races in the slop in Florida and New York. She went great. I can’t tell you I loved her before the race or else I would have bet on her. I hope this is the beginning of a good weekend. I thought this was my worst chance.”

Country Garden, the 11-10 favorite, was, surprisingly, on the pace after coming from behind to win the Ridgewood Pearl, and she faded to fourth under Kent Desormeaux.

In the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Express, the day’s other Festival event, Advancing Star went wire to wire in beating eight male rivals, winning by a half-length in 1:02 3/5 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.

With Desormeaux aboard, the 2-1 favorite held off Latin Dancer, the 4-1 third choice, for her eighth victory in 18 races for trainer Richard Mandella and owners John and Betty Mabee.