Landaluce Winner Might Be Going On to Notable Career

Owners John and Betty Mabee and trainer Bob Baffert hope the outcome of the $108,400 Landaluce Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park was a good omen for this afternoon.

Notable Career, owned by the Mabees and trained by Baffert, was an easy winner as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade III Landaluce, winning for the second time in three races under jockey Corey Nakatani.

Today, Notable Career’s three-quarter brother, the Mabee-owned and Baffert-trained General Challenge, will run as the probable favorite in the $1-million Sempra Energy Hollywood Gold Cup.

This was the second Landaluce victory in three years for Baffert, who also got the money with Hookedonthefeelin in 1998.

Notable Career, nearly six weeks after breaking her maiden by 12 lengths, Notable Career took the lead shortly after the start, easily shook off 4-1 second choice Magic Madam and went on to win by four lengths in 1:11 for the six furlongs.

“I expected her to win, but I was very happy with her race,” said Baffert. “I think she has a chance to be awesome once we start getting her around two turns.”

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Trainer Julio Canani made it three consecutive victories in Hollywood Park’s $78,775 Royal Heroine Stakes when 13-10 favorite Tranquility Lake made a successful comeback Saturday.

Tranquility Lake, racing for the first time since finishing last in the Yellow Ribbon Oct. 2 at Santa Anita, held off Dianehill in the closing yards to win by a neck in running 1:33 4/5 for the mile on turf. Canani had won the previous two Royal Heroine races with Tuzla.

Tranquility Lake, owned Marty and Pam Wygod, won for the sixth time in 16 starts--and the third time in five races over the Hollywood Park turf course.

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Even though today’s $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park features both the winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, the winner could be a colt who has won only once in four starts this year.

Red Bullet, who surprised Fusaichi Pegasus in the Preakness, and Commendable, who surprised at odds of nearly 19-1 in the Belmont, are among four entered for the Dwyer, a Grade II race at 1 1/16 miles.

More Than Ready, who is likely to be the second betting choice behind Red Bullet, is the one they’ll both have to catch. Fourth in the Kentucky Derby after pressing a very fast pace, More Than Ready should take the lead with little effort.

The Dwyer is also run around one turn and More Than Ready has been beaten only once in eight races around one turn. Among his victories are two at Belmont--the Flash and Tremont stakes last year.

With Pat Day at Hollywood Park to ride Cat Thief in the Gold Cup, Brice Blanc gets the mount on Commendable, whose win in the Belmont was only his second in eight starts.

Since his Preakness victory, Red Bullet has been training at Belmont Park for trainer Joe Orseno. The son of Unbridled has won four of five races.

Albert The Great, who has won three in a row for trainer Nick Zito and is unbeaten in two races at Belmont Park, completes the field.

Notes

Frank Stronach, who has purchased several racetracks in recent years--including Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park--has reportedly bought 225 acres of land in Northern California to build a new track. The site of the new track is in Dixon, about 20 miles west of Sacramento. The track will replace Bay Meadows, which will be developed by Paine Webber in 2002. . . . Thanks to a two-day carryover of nearly $714,000, Friday’s gross Pick Six pool of $3,049,722 was the third largest in Hollywood Park history. . . . Gold Mover, the 1-5 favorite, remained unbeaten in three races with an easy victory in the $100,000-added Debutante at Churchill Downs. Gold Mover, trained by Mark Hennig and trained by Edward Evans, took the lead shortly after the start under jockey Craig Perret and went on to win in 1:03 3/5 for 5 1/2 furlongs.