HOLLYWOOD PARK : Coast-to-Coast Victory Streak for Delahoussaye

What worked Saturday in New York worked again for Eddie Delahoussaye Sunday at Hollywood Park.

After storming from far back aboard Festin to win the $500,000 Nassau County Handicap going away, Delahoussaye came flying on 12-1 shot Roanoke to win the $310,600 Californian.

Eighth of 10 after six furlongs, the 4-year-old Pleasant Colony colt rallied in the middle of the track and won by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:48 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Anshan, the 5-2 favorite, wore down Marquetry and pacesetter Timebank to finish second. In his first try on dirt, Marquetry was third, three-quarters of a length better than Timebank, who was making his initial start around two turns.

Highly regarded as a 2-year-old in the East, Roanoke had fallen on hard times. He had won only one of his previous 13 races before Sunday’s Grade I event.

Owned by Nedlaw Stable, which has about 40 partners, Roanoke was sent to trainer Neil Drysdale after finishing fifth in Aqueduct’s Stymie Handicap Feb. 18.

He was fourth in an overnight handicap May 27 in his California debut but had come back with a solid 1:13 4/5 workout last Tuesday.

“I just thought the horse needed a change of environment,� said Ted Sprinkle, a former veterinarian who manages Nedlaw.

“He needed some different handling and a new racetrack, a different surface. He just needed a change of his state of mind, and it looks like he’s got a new state of mind.

“He won the Young American as a 2-year-old, but he got very ill the day of the Florida Derby. We brought him back in September, and in retrospect, he wasn’t really ready to come back. It’s taken up to now to get back to where he once was. I’ve had a lot of confidence in the horse right along and there’s been a lot of second-guessing. So, I got a reprieve today.�

In winning for the fifth time in 20 starts, Roanoke earned $175,600 and pushed Delahoussaye closer to the $100 million mark in earnings. He is less than $329,000 away.

“He ran super,� Delahoussaye said. “I found a little thing about him when I rode him a couple of weeks ago. He’s a sulky horse. He doesn’t want to be messed with and that’s why I didn’t hit him at all. You’ve got to kind of finesse your way with him. It worked out today.

“The race helped him last time and Neil’s done a great job with him. He just came on running without me hitting him and we were fortunate the pace was fast (23, 46 1/5 and 1:09 4/5 for six furlongs). He really ran the last eighth.�

Rather than run in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Gate Handicap, Itsallgreektome will start in the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup June 29.

Trainer Wallace Dollase wasn’t happy with the 4-year-old gelding’s weight assignment (122 pounds) for the race up north, so Itsallgreektome will run on the main track for the first time since March 4, 1990. The Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top male turf performer last year has only one lifetime victory on dirt.

“He’s worked very well over this track,� Dollase said. “I usually give him one turf work before a race, but he’s worked 80% of the time on the dirt. As long as the track is fast and not cuppy, he’s all right. He can’t handle a deep and cuppy track.�

Mister Frisky, who nearly died last year after competing in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, worked three furlongs in 36 3/5 Sunday morning.

It was the first serious work for Mister Frisky, who won his first 16 starts before failing in the Derby and Preakness. After finishing third in the latter race, veterinarians discovered a large abscess in his throat.

“Gary (Stevens) said he (Mister Frisky) felt like his old self, nice and easy,� said trainer Joe Garcia, who has taken over the colt for the late Laz Barrera. “He’s coming along fine. I’d like to run him once before the end of the meeting (July 22), but, at the same time, I’m not going to rush him.�

Horse Racing Notes

There wasn’t a second performance of Mickey Rooney’s ode to Hollywood Park Sunday. The song, which was written and sung by Rooney, was played during the post parade of Saturday’s ninth race. It was followed by a chorus of boos, so there was no encore Sunday. Rooney reportedly was compensated by the track for the song. Previously, Kate Smith’s version of “My Old Kentucky Home� greeted the runners of the day’s final race, but it wasn’t played Sunday, either. . . . Super May was sixth in the Californian, then came Music Prospector, Nuits St. Georges, Ultrasonido and My Boy Adam.