Racing at Hollywood Park : Claire Marine, Fitzwilliam Place Retain 1-2 Punch for Whittingham

In their three races before Sunday, Claire Marine and Fitzwilliam Place were either first or second, and the outcome of the $160,600 Beverly Hills Handicap was no exception.

Claire Marine, trained by Charlie Whittingham, took the lead in mid-stretch and had little trouble holding on for a 1 1/4-length victory, preventing stablemate Fitzwilliam Place from winning the stake for the second consecutive year.

No Review, trained by Chris Speckert, a former Whittingham assistant, finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner and three-fourths of a length ahead of Galunpe, who almost gave Whittingham the 11th 1-2-3 stakes finish of his career.

The leading trainer at Hollywood Park in wins, Whittingham had already won two races Sunday before he saddled half of the field in the Beverly Hills. He won the fourth race with Pasquinade, a 21-1 shot who had run ninth in her only career start, and he won the eighth with another filly, Rosadora, who broke out of a second-place rut.

Whittingham now has 21 wins for the meeting, seven more than second-place Ron McAnally. Although Whittingham has won more than 700 races at Hollywood Park, more than anyone, he hasn’t led the summer standings in 20 years.

Claire Marine, a 4-year-old filly, gave Whittingham his eighth Beverly Hills victory and seventh stakes win of the season, which ends on July 24. This was Claire Marine’s third win in four races against Fitzwilliam Place, and both Whittingham and Claire Marine’s jockey, Chris McCarron, thought she deserved a sweep.

Claire Marine beat Fitzwilliam Place by 1 3/4 lengths in the Budweiser-Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita in April, won the Wilshire Handicap by a head at Hollywood Park in May and then was nosed out by Fitzwilliam Place in the Gamely Handicap last month. In that race, McCarron lagged behind a slow early pace and then angled his mount out in the stretch before barely missing at the wire.

On Sunday, Fitzwilliam Place carried 121 pounds, a pound more than Claire Marine, but the crowd of 24,970 bet the opposite way, sending the winner off at even-money and making Fitzwilliam Place 9-2.

Claire Marine, running separately in the betting because of a decree by track management, paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20. The other mutuels were $3.40 and $2.80 on Fitzwilliam Place and $3.60 for No Review.

Claire Marine, who began her career in France, was bought by Whittingham and Sidney Port and has won four of seven starts after making her American debut at Santa Anita in January. On Sunday, she ran 1 1/8 miles on grass in 1:47 1/5 and earned $93,100, pushing her career total over the $360,000 mark.

McCarron, now 18 wins away from the 5,000 mark, had Claire Marine in second place, behind Invited Guest, down the backstretch in a slow pace.

“I didn’t think I’d be as far back as I was the other day,� McCarron said. “I made a mistake the other day.�

McCarron told how Fernando Toro, riding Ravinella, contributed to Claire Marine’s defeat in the Gamely.

“Before the gates opened that day, I had a little hold of my filly,� McCarron said. “I was in the No. 1 hole and Fernando, who’s as sharp as they come, noticed what I did and he went ahead and pointed his filly right in front of me. That made me take back more than I wanted to, and it cost me the race.�

In the Beverly Hills, Invited Guest ran out of gas in the stretch and finished fifth, beating only Maria Jesse, who was running after of a layoff of 2 1/2 months.

Whittingham thought that Fitzwilliam Place, a 5-year-old mare, would be on the lead.

“My horse just kind of stuck her head in the air, and for the first eighth of a mile she was a little reluctant,� said Corey Black, who rode Fitzwilliam Place. “But she wasn’t going to beat Claire Marine, no matter what.�

Horse Racing Notes

Steinlen, who lost by a length to Skip Out Front in last year’s American Handicap, is the high-weighted favorite at 121 pounds for the $300,000 stake on Tuesday. Skip Out Front is also running again, along with Mister Wonderful, Pasakos, Pranke, Loyal Double, Desert Crest, Splendor Catch and New Colony. . . . Today’s Silver Screen Handicap has drawn 13 3-year-olds and is headed by California Derby winner Endow at 120 pounds. Notorious Pleasure, who has won four straight, including three at Hollywood Park, will also carry 120 pounds. . . . On the Line, who couldn’t beat Sam Who at six furlongs on the grass last time, will try a mile on dirt Tuesday in the $55,000 Ack Ack at Hollywood.

Lea Lucinda, who ran third, two lengths behind the victorious Open Mind, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November, made her first start as a 3-year-old and ran fourth behind Rosadora in Sunday’s sub-feature. . . . Sunday Silence worked five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 Sunday. . . . Music Merci, third in the St. Paul Derby at Canterbury Downs on June 25, is back at Hollywood Park. Among the options for trainer Craig Lewis are facing Sunday Silence in the Swaps on July 23 or running against older horses in the Bel Air Handicap on July 16.