For a Day, Milch Has It All Covered

Owner David Milch hopes Val Royal can begin March the way Above Perfection and Echo Eddie ended February.

Above Perfection, a California-bred filly Milch purchased privately in a five-horse package last spring, upset Kalookan Queen in the $128,375 Las Flores Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Then, a couple of hours later, Milch watched on television as favored Echo Eddie dominated four opponents in the $100,000 Ken Maddy Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

In six days, Milch hopes Val Royal, who hasn’t run since his impressive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile Oct. 27, makes a successful 2002 debut in the $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, one of two graded stakes sharing the bill with the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap.

The 2-1 second choice in the field of four, Above Perfection outbroke Kalookan Queen, the 2-5 favorite, surrendered the lead briefly down the backstretch, but took over before a half-mile and went on to win by a length in 1:083/5 for six furlongs.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani and trained by Darrell Vienna, who also conditions Echo Eddie, the 4-year-old daughter of In Excess won for the sixth time in eight starts. The Grade III Las Flores was her first graded stakes win. Her only two defeats have come in Grade I races. She lost by a neck to Xtra Heat in the Prioress at Belmont Park July 4, then was fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the La Brea earlier in the meet at Santa Anita.

“At this distance, I wouldn’t want to trade places with anybody, although I wouldn’t mind if Xtra Heat stayed home,” said Milch, who had a third winner Saturday when Hideaway Cafe, part of the package that brought him Above Perfection, earned his maiden victory in the sixth race at Santa Anita.

“Darrell has done just a splendid job with this filly the way he has gotten her to relax.”

In receipt of five pounds (122-117) from the favorite, Above Perfection, who battled through 212/5 and 432/5 fractions Saturday, certainly stepped up her performance over her win last month at Golden Gate. The 1-2 favorite in the Orinda Handicap, she didn’t seem overpowering in winning by a length over Bullish Miss.

Vienna shared that view, but Nakatani’s declaration after the victory left him feeling better.

“I thought she looked pretty desperate up north, but in talking with Corey, he said she had plenty left,” Vienna said. “It didn’t look like that to me, but he assured me. It almost felt like she had gotten beat that day.

“This race today was an important one for my psychological well being. It’s possible, about 50-50, we could go to Dubai [for the $2-million Golden Shaheen on March 23]. She has been invited.”

Looking for her ninth victory--and third in a row--in 19 starts, Kalookan Queen finished three lengths clear of Enchanted Woods, who beat Warren’s Whistle by a head.

“It just wasn’t her day,” said Alex Solis, the regular rider of the runner-up. “She tried. The other filly was just better today, I guess.”

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Hideaway Cafe, who is trained by Vienna, provided jockey Kenny Black with his first win at Santa Anita since April 12, 1984.

He won the sixth race that day with Silent Siren, who was also trained by Vienna.

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Siphonic, who is scheduled to make his next start in the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 17, worked five furlongs in 1:001/5 for trainer Dave Hofmans at Hollywood Park.

A workout a week earlier was postponed after the 3-year-old Siphon colt came down with a slight fever, but he went well Saturday morning. “He galloped out six furlongs in 1:132/5 and seven furlongs in 1:274/5,” Hofmans said.

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Descapate, a 4-year-old Dehere filly owned by Bill Heiligbrodt’s Racing Stable and Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel’s Team Valor, easily won the $150,000 Chou Croute Handicap at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.