Frankel Is Off to Quick Start

It didn’t take long for trainer Bobby Frankel to win his first stakes race of the Hollywood Park meet.

Third on the all-time list in Inglewood behind two other Hall of Famers--Charlie Whittingham and Ron McAnally--Frankel picked up his 97th stakes victory locally when 5-1 shot Fateful Dream won the $107,100 Inglewood Handicap on Saturday, the second day of the meet.

Rebounding from two disappointing efforts at the Fair Grounds and Santa Anita, Fateful Dream, a 4-year-old Distant View colt owned by Edmund Gann, won for the third time in five U.S. starts.

Last under jockey David Flores in the field of five while 9-1 shot Casino King set a slow pace, Fateful Dream moved up along the inside around the turn, got through on the rail in the stretch and won by a length over 9-5 second choice National Anthem in 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf. Sarafan, the 3-2 favorite, finished last in the field of five.

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Perfect in two U.S. starts, Fantastic Filly is the even-money favorite to extend her win streak in today’s $100,000 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Frankel for Agri-Harvest Inc., the 3-year-old daughter of Myrakalu won the Miesque Stakes in her first start in this country over the local turf course at 20-1. Idle for nearly four months afterward, she returned to beat stablemate Heads Will Roll as the 4-5 favorite in the Some Sensation at Santa Anita.

Garrett Gomez will be aboard Fantastic Filly, who has won three in a row. She clicked in her finale in France last Oct. 4.

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Marciano, a son of Two Punch, may have earned himself a start in the Preakness with a 1 1/4-length victory over Talk Is Money and favored Burning Roma in the $145,500 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico.

Trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Mark Johnston, Marciano paid $13.40 and completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49. Burning Roma, who was ridden by Chris McCarron, finished third in the field of four.

McCarron won one race in four mounts at Pimlico, taking the $100,000 Jennings Handicap aboard 1-5 favorite Include. McCarron has 6,998 career victories.

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Keats, who was eliminated at the start of the Spiral Stakes dominated by Balto Star last month, took the lead shortly after the break when favored Distilled had early trouble and went on to win the $371,475 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

Trained by Niall O’Callaghan for owner Henry Pabst, the 3-year-old son of Hennessy was ridden by Larry Melancon. Winning for the third time in seven starts, Keats completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 2/5 and paid $35.40.

“Everything is up in the air, but we’re not ruling the Kentucky Derby out,” O’Callaghan said.

Mr. John, who finished second under jockey Corey Nakatani, was disqualified and placed last for causing interference after the start and into the first turn.

Griffinite was moved up to second by the stewards and Bay Eagle was third. Distilled, winner of the Illinois Derby on April 7, was pulled up by Jerry Bailey after an extremely rough trip.

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Funeral services for David Flores, 92, the father of the jockey, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Forest Lawn in Covina.

The elder Flores died Thursday. The father of 19 other children, he was a jockey and exercise rider in the United States and his native Mexico for almost 50 years.

Notes

There is a pick six carryover for today of $109,106.28. . . . Despite inclement weather, Hollywood Park’s on-track attendance and handle figures for opening night on Friday were up over last year. The crowd of 23,609 was 2.1% higher than 2000 and the handle of $2,230,384 was up 4.2%. . . . Friday’s rain marked the first time there had been wet weather for an opening card at Hollywood Park since 1971. . . . Tincin, the maiden who has yet to come close in seven starts but is being pointed to the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in 48 flat Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Fitted with blinkers and a shadow roll for the first time by trainer Steve Larue, Tincin’s time was tied for fastest among 38 works at the distance.