Drought Could End Today for McAnally

Trainer Ron McAnally has won countless stakes in his career, but he’ll be trying to win one today that has escaped him.

McAnally has never won the Hollywood Starlet, a Grade I for 2-year-old fillies, which will be run for the 23rd time today on the final day of Hollywood Park’s autumn meet.

McAnally is well-represented with House Of Fortune, a talented California-bred he trains for owner Arnold Zetcher.

Purchased for $125,000 at the Barretts March Sale this year, House Of Fortune, a daughter of Free House, has won three in a row against state-breds and now she’ll try tougher competition in an attempt to improve her record to four victories in five starts.

After splitting the field in her debut on Aug. 10 at Del Mar, House Of Fortune beat maidens by eight lengths on Sept. 6 by the beach, then won the Cover Gal and California Cup Juvenile Fillies during the Oak Tree season.

She is the 3-1 second choice in the Starlet and will break from Post 2 in the field of six under jockey Alex Solis.

The 7-5 favorite is Victory U.S.A., who will leave from the inside in an attempt to give trainer Bob Baffert his third victory in the 1 1/16-mile race since 1998. Baffert won that year with Excellent Meeting and again in 2001 with Habibti.

Race of the day: Shake You Down, a winner of six of 12 this year, will make his first start since he was second to Cajun Beat in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in today’s $100,000 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old Montbrook gelding will carry highweight of 124 pounds in the Grade III at six furlongs.

One for the road: Contexte is on top of his game for trainer Gennadi Dorochenko and can make it three victories in a row in today’s fifth at Golden Gate Fields. The 6-year-old gelding showed he can handle a wet track in his last and those conditions are expected to apply today.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Castor Troy in the eighth, Victory U.S.A., House Of Fortune and Rahy Dolly in the ninth and Let’s Face It, Bingo Card, Razik and Butte City in the 10th.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 4/91. Money: Previous day/meet total: $21.80/$497.40. Total money bet: $496.