Desormeaux Making Grade in Important Races This Year

A win aboard Ladies Din in today’s $350,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile would continue what has been a memorable two months for jockey Kent Desormeaux.

A winner in five Grade I races for all of 1999, Desormeaux will equal that figure if he wins today--and all of the victories would have come in43 days.

Beginning with Fusaichi Pegasus in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs, the rider’s hot streak also includes wins with Golden Missile in the Pimlico Special, White Heart in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap and Astra in the Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Desormeaux added another big-money victory to his ledger Saturday. On a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, Golden Missile made it two victories in a row with a virtual gate-to-wire win in the $810,000 Stephen Foster Handicap, a Grade II race.

“I’ve had a tremendous [six weeks],” said Desormeaux. “I’m grateful to everyone who has given me an opportunity to ride their horses. What they’ve created is a jockey who is having the best time he’s ever had being a jockey.”

Ladies Din will race coupled with Silic--the defending Shoemaker champion and 1999 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner. Ladies Din was second in the Shoemaker last year, beaten by a nose. The entry is the 7-5 choice on Russ Hudak’s morning line and nine others were entered in the grass affair.

Ladies Din ended a losing streak at 10 races with a win in the San Francisco Breeders’ Cup Mile on April 29 at Golden Gate Fields.

White Heart, who will be ridden today by Brice Blanc, is the 7-2 second choice. Before winning the Whittingham, White Heart won an allowance race at the Shoemaker distance (a mile) in his U.S. debut for trainer Neil Drysdale. He has won eight of 18races.

Rounding out the field for the Shoemaker, which is part of Hollywood Park’s $1-million guaranteed Pick Six pool, are Lord Smith, Sharan, First Titanium, Elaborate, Montemiro, Mula Gula, Auction House and Takarian. Lord Smith and Auction House were supplemented to the race for $10,000 and all starters will carry 124 pounds.

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By virtue of Golden Missile’s 2 3/4-length win Saturday, trainer Joe Orseno proclaimed the 5-year-old son of A.P. Indy the current leader in the country’s handicap division.

“He’s at the head of the class right now,” said Orseno, who won last month’s Preakness with Red Bullet. “[He’s] the only horse in the country that has shown up in all of these races.”

Owned by Frank Stronach, Golden Missile--the 5-2 second choice Saturday--won for the seventh time in 20races and the $502,200 payday pushed his career earnings over $2 million. Hs final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49 2/5.

Ecton Park, the 3-2 favorite, finished second, two lengths in front of Cat Thief, then came Chester House,Aly’s Alley and K One King.

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Full Moon Madness, the 3-5 favorite, won for the fifth time in eight races in 2000, surging past the pacesetters late to win the $76,950 Answer Do Stakes Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Bob Marshall, Full Moon Madness--a the 5-year-old gelding--beat 5-1 shot The Morris Monroe by 1 1/2 lengths under Corey Nakatani in 1:01 3/5 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Horse Racing Notes

Deploy Venture, at 4-1 odds, defeated 4-5 favorite Single Empire and four others to win the $200,000 Golden Gate Handicap. Russell Baze rode the winner for the Red Baron’s Barn and trainer Darrell Vienna and had to survive a steward’s inquiry. . . . Favored Top Of The Game won the $100,000 California Sire Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Hollywood Park. . . . Country Hideway, the 6-5 favorite, won the $109,100 Vagrancy Handicapat Belmont Park a race after Promontory Gold, at 2-1 odds, won the $100,000 Hill Prince Handicap for owner Robert Witt and trainer Bobby Frankel.