Super Freaky’s win caps O’Neill’s weekend

An already great weekend got a little bit better for Doug O’Neill late Sunday afternoon.

On the heels of four wins Saturday, including victories in the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap and the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, O’Neill added another stakes to his resume, winning the $100,000 La Habra by 1 1/4 lengths with 6-1 shot Super Freaky.

In scoring for the second time in four starts on turf, the 3-year-old Smart Strike filly, owned by Pablo Suarez and Alex Venneri, ran the about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.66 under Jon Court.

Pay Wright, the 5-2 favorite, finished third but was moved up to second after the stewards disqualified original runner-up Macadamia and placed her sixth after the 52-1 outsider caused trouble for four others in the final eighth of a mile.

The ungraded La Habra was marred by the fatal breakdown of Voulez Vous.

The runaway leader for the first half a mile, Voulez Vous, an Elusive Quality filly who had been purchased as a 2-year-old for $775,000 by owners Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and John Magnier, suffered a compound fracture to the cannon bone in her right front leg early in the stretch.

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Lava Man and Great Hunter exited their big wins Saturday in good shape, and plans are being made about their futures.

A winner of his last nine starts in California, including consecutive victories in the Big ‘Cap, Lava Man is being aimed toward the $5-million Dubai Duty Free, a 1 1/8 -mile turf race, on March 31 in the United Arab Emirates.

“So far, so good,” O’Neill said. “His legs were cold and his feet are good. We’re happy campers.”

Great Hunter, who made a successful 3-year-old debut with a come-from-behind win in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, will be pointed toward the Blue Grass on April 14 at Keeneland.

A son of Aptitude, Great Hunter is one of four Kentucky Derby possibilities for O’Neill. Notional is scheduled to make his next start in the Florida Derby on March 31 at Gulfstream Park, Liquidity will run in Saturday’s Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and Cobalt Blue probably will surface in the San Felipe Stakes on March 17 at Santa Anita. Liquidity, Notional and Great Hunter are all owned by Paul Reddam, and Merv Griffin owns Cobalt Blue.

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Wait a While, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2006, was a winner in her first start of the year, leading throughout in the $100,000 Honey Fox Handicap on Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by John Velazquez for Arindel Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher, the gray daughter of Maria’s Mon won by 1 1/4 lengths as the 2-5 choice. In winning for the eighth time in 14 starts, Wait a While ran the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:39.37.

Two races later, Silver Tree, the 5-2 choice who was making his first start since Sept. 2, finished powerfully under jockey Edgar Prado to edge 5-1 shot Steel Light by a neck in the $125,000 Appleton Handicap.

The final time in the Grade III was 1:32.12 for the mile on grass.

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For the first time in the four-year history of the wager, no one was perfect in the Magna Five on Saturday, so there will be a carry-over of $377,190 this Saturday.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com

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Triple crown ratings

Tribune Co. ratings for 3-year-olds before Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes:

N. Horse; Trainer; Jockey; St; W; P; S; Last Race; Next Race

1. Nobiz Like Showbiz; Barclay Tagg; Cornelio Velasquez; 5; 3; 1; 1; Fountain of Youth (3rd); Florida Derby

2. Scat Daddy; Todd Pletcher; John Velazquez; 7; 4; 1; 1; Fountain of Youth (1st); Florida Derby

3. Great Hunter; Doug O’Neill; Corey Nakatani; 8; 3; 4; 1; Robert Lewis (3rd); Bluegrass

4. Stormello; William Currin; Kent Desormeaux; 8; 3; 1; 2; Fountain of Youth (2nd); Undecided

5. Street Sense; Carl Nafzger; Calvin Borel; 5; 2; 1; 2; BC Juvenile (1st); TB Derby or Rushaway

6. Any Given Saturday; Todd Pletcher; John Velazquez; 4; 3; 1; 0; Sam Davis (1st); Tampa Bay Derby (3

7. Ravel; Todd Pletcher; Garrett Gomez; 3; 2; 1; 0; Sham (1st); Santa Anita Derby

8. Circular Quay; Todd Pletcher; John Velazquez; 6; 3; 2; 0; Risen Star (5th); Louisiana Derby

9. Notional; Doug O’Neill; Corey Nakatani; 5; 3; 0; 1; Risen Star (1st); Fla. Derby or Wood

10. Summer Doldrums; Rick Violette; Undecided; 6; 3; 1; 1; Whirlaway (1st); Gotham

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Triple Crown panel: John Cherwa, Orlando Sentinel; Dave Joseph, South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Sandra McKee, Baltimore Sun; Bob Mieszerski, Los Angeles Times; Paul Moran, Newsday.