Frankel has a one-two punch

The $500,000 Matriarch, which will be run for the 25th time today at Hollywood Park, has belonged to Bobby Frankel in recent years.

The hall of fame trainer has won the Grade I for older fillies and mares four times since 1999, including the last two renewals with Heat Haze in 2003 and Intercontinental in 2004. The Matriarch, like all other turf races, was canceled last fall because of problems with the grass course.

Only the late Charlie Whittingham has won the Matriarch more than Frankel. He finished his career with seven wins in the race, and Frankel can tie him today if successful with Price Tag or Mirabilis.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms, Price Tag and Mirabilis will be coupled in the wagering in the one-mile race. The entry is the lukewarm 7-2 favorite on Russ Hudak’s morning line.

Other contenders in the Matriarch, which concludes the three-day Autumn Turf Festival and will come two races after Showing Up takes on 10 other 3-year-olds in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby, include Beautyandthebeast, Clinet, Mea Domina and Pommes Frites.

The Matriarch and Hollywood Derby are part of a pick six with a guaranteed pool of $1 million and there is a carry-over of $155,297.

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Longshots won both turf stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

After Jungle Prince, a 10-1 outsider, held off In Summation to win the $150,000 Hollywood Turf Express Handicap, Valbenny, a 9-1 longshot making her first start in the U.S., won the $100,000 Miesque.

Agapito Delgadillo rode Jungle Prince, a 5-year-old Sir Cat gelding, to his third win in four starts on the Inglewood grass for owners Bob Zamarripa, Joseph Sciarra and Jack Burk and trainer Juan Garcia.

A winner once in three starts in England, Valbenny finished powerfully to collar Mystic Soul near the wire. Alex Solis rode the 2-year-old Val Royal filly for trainer Paddy Gallagher.

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Discreet Cat remained unbeaten with another impressive performance in the $294,000 Cigar Mile, but he was not the only star on the card at Aqueduct.

About 30 minutes before Discreet Cat’s sixth win in a row and his first Grade I score, Nobiz Like Shobiz stamped himself one of the early favorites for the 2007 Kentucky Derby with a 6 1/2 -length victory in the $200,000 Remsen.

Kicking away from his opponents with a startling burst of speed at the top of the stretch under jockey Cornelio Velasquez, the 2-year-old son of Albert The Great and 2-5 favorite in the Grade II won for the second time in three starts for owner-breeder Elizabeth Valando and trainer Barclay Tagg.

“I thought it was a great race,” Tagg said. “This is the truth. I went to look at him at Ocala Stud [in Florida]. They brought him out to the track and he jogged off. Before he jogged three steps, I called [Valando] and said, ‘This is the most gorgeous horse I’ve ever seen.’ I’ve never done that before.”

Discreet Cat ($2.50) won by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:32.46, narrowly missing the track record of 1:32.40 set by Easy Goer when he won the 1989 Gotham.

Earlier in the card, Boca Grande, at 9-2, won the $200,000 Demoiselle for her second win in a row.

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Thor’s Echo followed his upset win in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 with a victory as the 11-1 favorite in the $300,000 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel, strengthening his case for an Eclipse Award as top sprinter. Corey Nakatani rode the 4-year-old Swiss Echo gelding for Pablo Suarez and Royce S. Jaime Racing Stable Inc. and trainer Doug O’Neill.

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Lady Joanne, the 5-2 second choice, won the $224,600 Golden Rod and favored Tiz Wonderful remained unbeaten in three starts with a victory in the $223,800 Kentucky Jockey Club on closing day at Churchill Downs.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com