Frankel Experiences Major Success in Palos Verdes

Staying home proved to be the right decision for Major Success.

Bobby Frankel, who trains the 5-year-old Mazel Trick horse for Ed Gann, had considered the $250,000 Duncan F. Breeders’ Cup Handicap in Louisiana a week earlier, but decided to keep Major Success at Santa Anita for the $150,000 Palos Verdes.

Continuing his improving pattern, Major Success made a successful graded stakes debut Saturday, outgaming Jet West and favored Attila’s Storm while racing between those two during the stretch run.

After looking as if he was going to finish third at one point in the final eighth of a mile, Major Success won by a neck in 1:09.23 for the six furlongs.

It was the third consecutive victory for the dark bay since Frankel decided to shorten him up after Major Success had finished fifth and sixth in consecutive two-turn races last year.

“He had been stopping in his routes, so we decided to try him shorter,” said Frankel after his first win in the Palos Verdes, which is a Grade II, since he won with Fighting Fit in 1983.

“I don’t really root, but in the stretch, I was saying, ‘Come back, come back,’ and he did.”

Jet West finished a head in front of Attila’s Storm, the 3-2 choice, who is winless in four starts in California, then came Gray Black N White, Stalking Tiger, Papa To Kinzie and With Distinction.

*

Fort Prado, the 7-2 second choice, edged pacesetter Onthedeanslist to win the $189,800 Fair Grounds’ Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Louisiana Downs.

In winning by a neck in 1:43.16 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf, Fort Prado was one of five winners on the day for jockey Robby Albarado.

Chinese Dragon, the 13-10 favorite for trainer Bob Hess Jr. and jockey Kent Desormeaux, finished fifth in the Grade III race.

*

Smokey Glacken ($9.40) rolled to a 4 1/4 -length win over Kuanyan and six other fillies and mares in the $100,000 First Lady Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Javier Castellano rode the 5-year-old Forestry mare for owners Susan and John Moore and trainer Jimmy Jerkens. She ran the six furlongs in 1:08.8 and won for the eighth time in 16 starts.

*

Happy Hunting was successful in his graded stakes debut, winning the $110,000 Aqueduct Handicap in New York.

Trained by Shug McGaughey for owner-breeder Phipps Stable, the 5-year-old Seeking The Gold horse has won four in a row after his one-length victory over an unlucky Evening Attire, who spotted the field about a half-dozen lengths at the break after he broke slow. Norberto Arroyo Jr. rode the 5-2 favorite, who ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.56.

*

Penny Chenery, the owner of the 1973 Triple Crown winner and horse of the year Secretariat, will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit when the Eclipse Awards are presented on Monday night in Beverly Hills.

Chenery, who raced under the name Meadow Stable, now lives in Boulder, Colo., and she has remained active through the years. She has served as president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Assn., the Grayson Foundation for equine research, became a member of the Jockey Club in 1983 and helped form the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation 25 years ago.

“I’m tickled to win this award,” Chenery said. “I’ve had a wonderful time in racing with the fans, my peers and, of course, the horses.”