OAK TREE : Autumn Days to Bel Starlet’s Liking as She Wins Race Again

Bel’s Starlet and Kent Desormeaux opened the 27-day Oak Tree thoroughbred meeting at Santa Anita on Wednesday with a near duplicate performance of the 1991 opener.

Bel’s Starlet, a 5-year-old mare, and her rider won the $83,325 Autumn Days Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita’s turf course.

The winning time of 1:11 3/5 bettered the course record of 1:11 4/5 set by Baffle 21 years ago and equaled by several others including Bel’s Starlet last year.

The opener drew an on-track crowd of 32,742-- the largest on-track crowd in Southern California since 38,346 watched the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

Bel’s Starlet needed her record-setting effort with a stretch drive to win by a neck over the pace setting Irish-bred Glen Kate, who was ridden by Gary Stevens.

The first two finishers went off at odds of 9-5 with Glen Kate the slight favorite.

Brisa De Mar, with Patrick Valenzuela aboard, finished third another 1 1/2 lengths back.

Bel’s Starlet, carrying co-high weight of 120 pounds, paid $5.60, $3 and $2.60. Glen Kate, who carried 117 pounds, returned $3.40 and $2.80 while Brisa De Mar, who also carried 117 pounds, paid $3.40 to show.

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Mabee of San Diego, Bel’s Starlet, a California-bred daughter of Bel Bolide and Vigor’s Star, earned $49,575.

Glen Kate built a lead of about three lengths, but Bel’s Starlet rallied and the two battled head-and-head down the stretch.

Following the first three across the finish line were the Regal Peace, Freedom Cry, Sheltered View, Only Yours, Gumpher and Zonda.

Palatial Taste, Forest HAven and Lotta Glory Beau’s were scratched.

When 100-to-1 shot Avoid Penalty, Mohawk Chief and Oh Dat Fox finished 1-2-3 in the ninth race of the day, the the $2 exacta paid $4,358 and the $2 trifecta returned $58,084, both Santa Anita records.

Including satellite attendance, the total attendance for the day was 52,387