Paulsons and Mott Double Fun

For the second time in less than a week, a horse owned by Allen and Madeleine Paulson and trained by Bill Mott repeated in a stakes race here.

Five days after Yokama followed her 1997 win in the Honey Fox with a romp in the ’98 renewal, Dowty duplicated his victory in last year’s Escondido Handicap with another on Wednesday.

Dowty, the 6-year-old Irish River horse and 7-10 favorite, held off 4-1 shot Cloud Forest, who was also second in the race last year, to win by a length in 2:14 for the 1 3/8 miles on turf. The scratch of Star Performance, the 8-5 second choice on Jeff Tufts’ morning line, had reduced the field to five betting interests.

The victory was the fourth of the meeting for Mott, whose local string is being handled by his assistant Simon Bray and Bray’s wife, Louise, and equaled the stable’s output at this track a year ago.

“He was very relaxed, but he had to run every step of the way,” said Gary Stevens, who won his fifth stakes of the meeting, tying him for the lead in that category with Corey Nakatani. “He finished within himself. He takes care of himself and only does what he has to do.”

In making his first start since Feb. 14 and only his second since finishing a distant fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Nov. 8 at Hollywood Park, Dowty won for the seventh time in 18 tries on turf.

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Puerto Madero and Gentlemen, who finished 2-3 behind Skip Away in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28, both worked Wednesday morning in preparation for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 15.

With Kent Desormeaux aboard, Puerto Madero went a mile in 1:38 2/5 while Gentlemen, who won the Pacific Classic last year, went the same distance in 1:39 1/5 under Nakatani.

Even without Silver Charm, who might not race again this year after his dismal performance in the San Diego Handicap on July 25, the Classic is shaping up as a quality race with Touch Gold, Free House and Californian and San Diego winner Mud Route among those also expected to go.

Successful in his 1998 debut at Churchill Downs hours before Skip Away won the Gold Cup, Touch Gold arrived at Del Mar Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled to work six furlongs this morning for trainer Pat Byrne.

Horse Racing Notes

Furlough, a 6-1 shot, won the $75,000 Honorable Miss Stakes Wednesday at Saratoga. Mike Smith rode the 4-year-old Easy Goer filly for trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Ogden Phipps. Angel’s Tearlet was second and Dixie Flag third in the six-furlong race. . . . Awesome Again, who upset Silver Charm in the Stephen Foster Handicap in June, and Tale Of The Cat are expected to head the field for the $400,000 Whitney Handicap on Saturday at Saratoga, then Victory Gallop and Coronado’s Quest will face off in the $1-million Haskell Invitational the following day from Monmouth Park.