Manistique Possesses Quite a Track Record

Given Manistique’s history at Hollywood Park, today’s $100,000 Bayakoa Handicap doesn’t figure to be much of a race.

In the first three races of her career at Hollywood Park earlier this year, the 3-year-old Unbridled filly won by a combined 31 lengths, including a 10-length blowout in the Hollywood Oaks.

Sent to Saratoga after the Oaks, Manistique flopped as the 1-2 favorite, beaten by Banshee Breeze, the probable 3-year-old filly champion.

However, Manistique, who is owned by Marshall Naify’s 505 Farms, was found to have an excuse for her poor performance.

“She wasn’t really sick, she just had a little cough,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “We thought she was over it, but the first time we took her back to the track to jog, she made a gurgling sound.

“The veterinarians found she had an infection in her throat. She was treated with antibiotics. You’re never happy to see one of your horses get sick, but frankly we breathed a huge sigh of relief.”

Put back in training in late September, Manistique has a series a good workouts for her return and is the 4-5 favorite against only three opponents in the Bayakoa, a race that was won easily by Sharp Cat last year.

Gary Stevens, who gained the mount on Manistique when Corey Nakatani decided to play in a celebrity golf tournament the weekend of the Oaks, will be aboard this afternoon. Stevens is due to arrive at LAX at 11:30 this morning after competing in a jockey challenge in Tokyo.

Victory Stripes, who was second to Magical Allure in the Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita in her previous start, is the 7-5 second choice and the field for the 1 1/16-mile race is completed by Numero Uno, who has three wins on the Hollywood Park main track, and India Divina.

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Trainer Wayne Lukas has more wins in the Hollywood Starlet (six) and Hollywood Futurity (three), but has never won both races in the same year.

Bob Baffert, who won the Futurity for the first time in 1997 with Real Quiet, will try for a sweep of the Grade I events for 2-year-olds next weekend.

In Saturday’s $450,000 Futurity, Baffert is expected to start three, including unbeatens Premier Property and Prime Timber. The next day, Excellent Meeting, who finished a close second to Silverbulletday in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is the probable favorite in the $375,000 Starlet.

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Attitre, the 19-10 favorite, won for the second time in three starts in the United States, beating 24-1 shot Maureen’s Hope by a neck in the $73,450 Waya Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Owned by Team Valor and partners, the 4-year-old French-bred filly took the lead in the final strides under jockey Alex Solis and won in 2:33 1/5 for the 1 1/2 miles on a yielding turf course.

The stakes victory was the 26th of the year in Southern California for Neil Drysdale, putting him one ahead of Baffert for the lead among trainers on this racing circuit.

“She liked the ground and she has some class,” Drysdale said. “I think she’ll continue to improve.”

Horse Racing Notes

Nakatani has signed a contract to have first call on Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp. horses. Nakatani’s father-in-law, Wally Dollase, trains for the Thoroughbred Corp. . . . Jockey Martin Pedroza will begin a five-day suspension Wednesday after being disqualified on Sidewinder for an incident shortly after the start of Thursday’s second race. . . . River Keen, who was claimed for $100,000 by Baffert for owner Hugo Reynolds after an easy victory Friday, was the highest-priced claim at Hollywood Park since Varadavour was claimed for $100,000 on May 7, 1995. River Keen might run in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap Dec. 20.