Kalookan Queen Makes Grade

Even though Kalookan Queen had won seven times and banked nearly $484,000, there was something missing from her resume until late Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.

Second and third in her two previous starts in Grade I races, the 6-year-old Lost Code mare made the third time the charm with a half-length victory over 19-1 shot Leading Light and three others in the $200,000 Santa Monica Handicap.

Trained by Bruce Headley for owner Luis Asistio, Kalookan Queen, the even-money favorite, tracked the pace outside Favorite Funtime early, took command approaching the stretch, drew clear, then held off the longest shot in the field to win in 1:221/5 for the seven furlongs.

This was a welcome victory for Headley and jockey Alex Solis, who had lost a heartbreaker in another graded stakes six days earlier. In the most exciting race of the Santa Anita season, Affluent and Eddie Delahoussaye had nosed out the Headley-trained and Solis-ridden Royally Chosen.

“She was really awesome today,” said Solis, who has been aboard for all of Kalookan Queen’s victories. “At the eighth pole, she really got to waiting for other horses and it made it a little interesting, but she got it done.

“Bruce has done a great job with her. Every year she is getting better.”

Second in last year’s Santa Monica behind Honest Lady, Kalookan Queen definitely has been consistent. A winner in her debut on Jan. 10, 1999, at Santa Anita, she has finished worse than third only once--a fourth, after a slow start, in the A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park last summer.

“Winning this one was really important,” Headley said after the dark bay won for the fifth time in nine starts at Santa Anita. “A Grade I really increases her value.

“I was glad that she had somebody [in front of her] down the backside. She does well when she lays second.

“She looked good to me turning for home because Alex hadn’t turned her loose yet. When he did, she gave that big burst of speed, but at the eighth pole, she threw her ears up and kind of started waiting.”

Leading Light, who has spent most of her career running in high-priced claimers, finished two lengths clear of 19-10 second choice Spain, then came Favorite Funtime and Warren’s Whistle.

Closing in on $3 million in career earnings, Spain was trying for her second Grade I win at seven furlongs, having beaten Cover Gal, Serenita and Chilukki in the La Brea Stakes at the end of 2000.

“It takes her out of what she does best when she has to chase those kind of fractions [22 and 444/5 for the half-mile],” said Wayne Lukas, Spain’s trainer. “She’s a better two-turn filly. We’ve got that one under our belt and we’ll go from there.”

Presumably, Spain will stretch out to 11/16 miles in the $200,000 Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 17 while Headley indicated Kalookan Queen, who has never run more than seven furlongs, will shorten up to three-quarters of a mile in the $125,000 Las Flores Handicap on Feb. 23.

Easyfromthegitgo, the 2-1 favorite, made it three victories in a row with a nose decision over 2-1 second choice Sky Terrace, who was hampered by a poor start, in the $100,000 Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Owned by James Cassels and Bob Zollars and trained by Steve Asmussen, Easyfromthegitgo, the 3-year-old son of Dehere completed the mile in 1:374/5, the fastest time of the meet for the distance.

“The race went perfect,” said jockey Donnie Meche, who picked up his 1,000th career victory in the Lecomte. “He had the one hole [post position] and he doesn’t mind dirt in his face....

“Going around the turn, I had a lot of horse and I eased him out and he pinned his ears back, jumped to his right lead and gave me an extra little bit.”

A day after the Television Games Network began opening accounts and accepting bets over the telephone and through the Internet, XpressBet, which is owned by Magna Entertainment, kicked off Saturday.

Magna, the corporation that owns Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields, was granted its license for XpressBet by the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday and those who opened accounts could start making wagers at some 40 tracks.

Given the experience of at least one person, fans apparently could not wait to get involved, but they also had to have patience.

Seeking to open an account, a reporter was on hold for nearly 20 minutes Saturday morning, waiting for the “first available representative” to assist him.

While holding, he was entertained by an audio feed from the Meadows Racing Network. He heard the scratches and changes for the entire card at the Fair Grounds, a rundown and a selection for the first at that track from the nameless voice, a synopsis on the field for the third at Aqueduct and the second at Gulfstream Park and a live call from track announcer Vic Stauffer of the second at Gulfstream.

Once connected with a representative at the XpressBet hub in Pennsylvania, the reporter, after choosing a password, set up his account in a matter of minutes. After depositing $100--plus a $6 surcharge--he was free to start making wagers on any available races.

“We’ve been extremely busy,” an XpressBet operator said. “We’ve been getting a lot of calls from California for the past couple of days.”

A signup booth on the first floor of the grandstand--there was another in the clubhouse--was doing brisk business before and during the Santa Anita races on Saturday.

“We’ve had a lot of customers,” said Jessica Anderson, the director of account wagering for XpressBet. “The booths have been extremely busy since the gates opened. The interest has been very good.”

For now, the only real way for phone or Internet bettors to see the races is, of course, to be at a track or via computer by logging on to Xpressbet.com. Magna has started a television satellite service, but it currently has limited access. The company desires to expand in the coming months and is looking to gain access to providers of cable television.