Bel Air Suits Him Just Fine

Thirteen days after one participant in the memorable 1997 Triple Crown made a successful return, another did the same Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Not wanting to be outshone by Touch Gold, who toyed with opponents in an allowance race at Churchill Downs, Free House blew away his four rivals in the $106,100 Bel Air Handicap.

Making his first start since finishing last as a 7-10 favorite in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 28, the 4-year-old son of Smokester showed himself as someone who will have to be dealt with in major races the remainder of the year.

Despite breaking outward at the start and drifting in past the eighth pole, the 4-5 favorite rolled home seven lengths in front of the 17-10 second choice Wild Wonder to win in 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

This was the sixth victory in 16 starts for the owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan’s homebred and continued a remarkable meeting for them and trainer Paco Gonzalez. They have won with 10 of 20 starters at Hollywood Park and only four horses have finished worse than third.

Next on the agenda for Free House is another match with Silver Charm in the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 15 at Del Mar. The two grays ran against each other six times last year with Silver Charm winning four.

“I was worried about him bleeding because he bled in the Super Derby,” Gonzalez said. “He trained beautiful for this race and he looks pretty good [afterward]. He looks like he’s not stressed.

“I think he’s more mature now, stronger and more relaxed. We hope he stays this way. I feel good now. It was a lot of pressure before this race, believe me, because everybody expected him to win.”

After scaling Free House for the first time, jockey Chris McCarron wasn’t eager to stop. Jokingly, he offered to ride him back to Gonzalez’s barn.

“He won pretty comfortably,” McCarron said. “His temperament was wonderful. He was a little anxious going over there because he’s so fresh--just bouncy, but not nervous, really anxious.

“He beat Silver Charm last year. If you look at his form, you’ve got to say he’s ready for the best.”

Losing for the first time in his last four starts on the main track, Wild Wonder set a fast pace after breaking awkwardly, wasn’t any match for the winner but did finish 4 1/2 lengths in front of Albaha, the longest shot in the field at 16-1. Cantbetouched and River Keen completed the order of finish.

Unbeaten in two starts with an average victory margin of 10 1/2 lengths, Manistique is the 8-5 favorite against five other 3-year-old fillies in today’s $200,000 Hollywood Oaks.

Making her stakes debut in the Grade II race, the tall daughter of Unbridled broke her maiden by 11 lengths in going seven furlongs, then won by 10 at 1 1/16 miles for owner Marshall Naify’s 505 Farms and trainer John Shirreffs.

With Corey Nakatani participating in a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Gary Stevens has picked up the mount on Manistique, who has two seven-furlong workouts since her last victory on June 4.

“I knew she had a nice stride, could cover the ground and you knew she was going to go a distance,” Shirreffs said. “What really surprised me in her first race was when she showed all that speed because I didn’t think she would be in front.

“I thought she would be stalking or in the middle somewhere making up ground at the end. Since her last race, we’ve been working her in company and trying to get her to relax. The afternoon is a different story, but if she can relax next to another horse, or at the hip of another horse, that would be to her advantage.”

Hoping to steal away from the morning-line favorite is 2-1 second choice Visible Slew, who will be trying to give McCaffery, Toffan and Gonzalez a weekend stakes sweep. After winning twice by large margins, she didn’t make the lead in last month’s Princess Stakes and had to settle for third.

Rounding out the Oaks field are Sweet And Ready, who benefited from a fast pace in the Princess to win at nearly 11-1, Social Noel, Hope Island and Yolo Lady.