Eastside Westside All Around the Town Nov. 8?

While still trying to figure out why Pert Laura and Marlin were disqualified during the second week of the Oak Tree meeting, some other random notes, thoughts and opinions:

* A lot of people on the East Coast believe the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner ran last Saturday at Keeneland.

Countess Diana won for the fourth time in five tries, beating highly regarded Beautiful Pleasure in the Alcibiades.

It was the first time around two turns for either filly, and if the best Countess Diana can do at 1 1/16 miles is what she did five days ago, good luck to her on Nov. 8 at Hollywood Park.

After running six furlongs in 1:09 2/5, the daughter of Deerhound ran the fourth quarter in a harness-like 28 2/5 seconds and needed 7 2/5 seconds to get the final sixteenth.

Our early choice for the Juvenile Fillies’ is Eastside Westside, who romped against maidens at Del Mar in her second race--and first around two turns--and who will make her stakes debut in the $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes Saturday. She has continued to train well for Bob Baffert and owners Bob and Beverly Lewis.

* Marlin, who was retired after being injured in Sunday’s Oak Tree Turf Championship, will be missed. The 4-year-old, who raced for owner Michael Tabor and trainer Wayne Lukas, gave it his best every time out. It said a lot for his courage that he was able to finish second on Sunday, even though he probably hurt himself on the clubhouse turn of the 1 1/2-mile race.

* As of Wednesday afternoon, jockey Pat Valenzuela still hadn’t contacted Oak Tree stewards Ingrid Fermin, Pete Pedersen and George Slender after failing to show up for his mounts on Monday. He was taken off his Wednesday mounts that day and one of them--Grappa--won under Goncalino Almeida. Reaction: So what? Everyone tired of his antics long ago.

* The Santa Anita turf course has not been kind to speed during the Oak Tree season. Through the first 11 days, I Ain’t Bluffing is the only horse who has been able to win gate-to-wire on the lawn, and that includes sprints and routes.

* Puissant is one of the thoroughbreds who came from way back to score. The 6-year-old Nashwan horse rallied from last to win on Oct. 2, and he has been quite a success story for trainer Marty Jones and owners George Hicker, who was a basketball teammate of Dave Bing’s at Syracuse and who was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame last month, Dan Robinson and Alex Venneri.

Hicker, Robinson and Venneri bought Puissant for $10,000 earlier this year, and the British-bred, who was on an extended losing streak after winning his first start in this country a few years back, has now won four consecutive races at Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Santa Anita while earning more than $120,000. A stakes appearance could be next.

* Souvenir Copy and Old Topper, who finished 1-2 in the Del Mar Futurity Sept. 10, will get together again in the $200,000 Norfolk Stakes Sunday as they both try a distance for the first time.

They figure to be the first two betting choices in the Grade II.Souvenir Copy has trained well locally for Baffert. Old Topper worked six furlongs in 1:11 3/5 on Monday for ageless Noble Threewitt, 86.

* Christopher Greeley scored the his first training victory with the first starter of his career when 5-1 shot Ruby Wedding won on Sunday. Greeley was an assistant to Richard Mandella for two years. Besides Ruby Wedding, a 2-year-old daughter of Rubiano, Greeley, 26, has five other horses in training.

* Skip Away turned in another fast work at Belmont Park recently, getting ready for Saturday’s $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

DOWN THE STRETCH

A.J. Jett, a 5-year-old Jett Sett Joe gelding, won his sixth consecutive race Wednesday, beating $40,000 claimers in the day’s sixth race. He won four for trainer Doug Peterson and has now won two races since being claimed for $16,000 by trainer Marcelo Polanco for owners Vickie and Louis Block.