El Cielo Defends Turf With Conviction

Although no one can say for certain, El Cielo has probably won more races than any other horse on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course.

His second consecutive win in the $107,800 Morvich Handicap on the final day of the Oak Tree meet Monday was his ninth in 12 races at the about 61/2-furlong distance and, although there may be some question about whether that is a record, there is something that can be said with conviction about his most recent score.

No one has ever run faster over the layout that was opened in 1953. In beating a very game Speak In Passing, the 9-5 second choice, by a half-length, El Cielo, a 7-year-old El Prado gelding, won in 1:11.46, beating the mark of 1:11.57 set by Comininalittlehot in the 1996 Morvich.

Trained by Craig Dollase for a partnership and ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., El Cielo, the 13-10 favorite, sat third behind Speak In Passing, who set a rapid pace, and Islander, went wide into the stretch to collar the second choice and prevailed for the 13th time in 19 outings. The 123-pound high weight, he was spotting seven pounds to the runner-up, who finished 31/2 lengths clear of Islander.

“He knows where the wire is,” Dollase said. “He was a little short for his last race [a neck win on Oct. 5] and his heart took him across the wire. He needed that race badly.

“To come back and win this race for a second year in a row, well, hats off to the horse. And to break the course record was icing on the cake. One of these days, they should name a race after him.”

Valdivia couldn’t agree more.

“Now they really have to name something after this horse,” he said. “He’s just an amazing animal. When he gets down to fight off a horse, I don’t think there’s been a horse to come back to beat him after he’s put his head in front. I love this horse.”

For Speak In Passing, it was another tough defeat. The Danzig colt, trained by Bobby Frankel for Juddmonte Farms, has been second in his last three races, having lost his previous two by a neck and a head. Before his first U.S. win, he lost by a nose in his initial start in this country.

“This horse has been running holes in the wind and not getting rewarded for it,” jockey Kent Desormeaux said of Speak In Passing. “He’s the fastest horse I’m riding right now.”

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Val Royal, who preceded his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile with a win in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 7, was voted the horse of the meet at Oak Tree.

Owned by David Milch and trained by Julio Canani, Val Royal, who like War Chant and Silic in the previous two years had followed up his win in the Oak Tree Mile with one in the Breeders’ Cup, was also chosen top grass horse in voting done by press box regulars.

Freedom Crest, who finished a distant last in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, was chosen top older horse on the strength of his upset of Tiznow and Skimming in the Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap early last month.

Janet, who finished third as the 5-2 favorite in Sunday’s Las Palmas Handicap, was nevertheless a winner in two categories. She was selected as top older filly/mare and top grass filly/mare, thanks to her victory in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes in September.

Other winners: No Slip (3-year-old), Cindy’s Hero (3-year-old filly), Yougottawanna (2-year-old), Tali’sluckybusride (2-year-old filly), Swept Overboard (sprinter), Copelan’s Eagle (claimer), Bill Spawr (trainer), Laffit Pincay (jockey), Ricardo Jaime (apprentice jockey), California Cup Mile (race) and Native Desert winning his second Cal Cup Mile in his fourth attempt at age 8 (accomplishment).

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With a fast finish, Pincay won his second consecutive riding title at Oak Tree--his sixth overall--beating Alex Solis, 33-31.

Spawr was also a repeat winner, earning his second consecutive Oak Tree championship with 13 training victories, three more than Richard Mandella.

Spawr and Pincay teamed for two winners on closing day, taking the first with McAdam and the third with Hemet Thought.

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The Oak Tree meet showed a 3.6% gain in average total handle over last year. The combined average daily handle was $10,111,519 and the combined average daily attendance declined 3.2% to 21,499 compared to 22,219 in 2000.

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Hollywood Park Meeting

* Dates: Wednesday-Dec. 17 (31 days).

* Post times: 12:30 p.m daily (Wednesday-Sunday) except for 7 p.m. Friday and Nov. 16 and 11 a.m. Nov. 22.

* Major races: $200,000 Hollywood Turf Express (Nov. 23), $200,000 Miesque Stakes (Nov. 23), $500,000 Citation Handicap (Nov. 24), $200,000 Generous Stakes (Nov. 24); $500,000 Hollywood Derby (Nov. 25) and $500,000 Matriarch (Nov. 25); $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (Dec. 1), $200,000 Hollywood Futurity (Dec. 15) and $200,000 Hollywood Starlet (Dec. 16).

* Leading jockey (2000 Meet): Victor Espinoza (32 victories).

* Leading trainer (2000 Meet): Bobby Frankel (14 victories).