SANTA ANITA : Stalcreek Wins, Eclipses ’93 Star in the La Canada

Saturday was a bad day for Eclipse Award winners.

Several hours after 2-year-old champion Dehere was upset in Florida in his first start of the year, Hollywood Wildcat, the 3-year-old filly champion, was soundly beaten in her 1994 debut, the $205,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita.

Losing for the first time in six California starts and seemingly uncomfortable on a dull main track, Hollywood Wildcat finished third at 1-2 odds, beating only Golden Klair.

On or near the lead throughout, Stalcreek picked up the biggest victory of her career, defeating Alyshena by three-quarters of a length in 1:48 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

In a race devoid of pace after Sensational Eyes was scratched, Stalcreek and Hollywood Wildcat raced together for the first half-mile, but the former asserted her superiority from there and went on to her fifth victory in 11 starts.

“We’re really proud of her,� said David Bernstein, who trains the Stalwart filly for owners Gaylord Ailshie and Sena and the late Joe Shields. “She’s very consistent and tries hard all the time. Gary (Stevens) rode her just super.

“He decided to go for the lead and run alongside (Hollywood Wildcat), and we thought if ever there was a day to beat her, today would be the day. When you beat the champ, it really makes you feel good. It was an emotional win, too. Mr. Shields passed away (of cancer on Jan 24), but we know he was watching today.�

Stevens has two victories in three rides on Stalcreek, who was the 5-2 second choice, and he liked the way things went from the start.

“(Hollywood Wildcat) never did look comfortable to me,� he said. “She was lugging out around the first turn, and I wasn’t really concerned with her after I turned into the backstretch.

“(Stalcreek) is a very consistent filly and she ran a huge race today. She worked awfully well the other day (Jan. 29). They wanted me to go (the first six furlongs) in 1:14 and change, and she went in 1:12 1/5--and that was as slow as I could possibly go.�

Hollywood Wildcat’s trainer, Neil Drysdale, didn’t seem especially concerned after his filly was beaten by more than five lengths in her initial outing since edging Paseana by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. He admittedly hadn’t trained her too hard for the La Canada, reasoning that there are more important races later this year.

“She was a little fresh and she got tired,� Drysdale said. “Eddie (Delahoussaye) said some birds flew up in front of her and scared her (in the first turn) and she bore out, and the track was still drying out and a little loose.

“Eddie didn’t abuse her, and she probably needed the race, anyway. She appeared to come back well. She’ll be fine. We’ll wait and see (about entering the Santa Margarita on March 6). It’s a long year.�

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Pleasant Tango, a troubled third in the San Fernando Stakes last month, is the 5-2 favorite in the $500,000 Strub Stakes today.

Making his first start since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pleasant Tango lacked room early in the stretch of the San Fernando, then finished well to be third behind Zignew and Nonproductiveasset, both of whom are also back for the 1 1/4-mile Strub.

Kissin Kris, who has the biggest bankroll in the field with nearly $1.4 million, is the 9-2 second choice. He was fifth in his 1994 debut on Gulfstream Park’s turf and has worked out three times since returning to California. He finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Zignew, 21-1 in the San Fernando, and Nonproductiveasset, a $40,000 claim by trainer Wally Dollase last year, are both 5-1, as is the Allen Paulson-owned entry of Diazo and Stuka.

The rest of the Strub field, the largest since 1986: Dinand, Justtofit, Goldigger’s Dream, Tinners Way, Fight For Love and Bat Eclat.

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Although it didn’t come as easily as expected, Trishyde did what she was supposed to do in the $77,025 Las Potrancas Handicap.

A 1-5 favorite against three outclassed opponents, the 5-year-old Nureyev mare had to work hard to beat 8-1 shot Afaladja by a half-length in 2:03 for the 1 1/4 miles on turf.

The two horses battled for the lead throughout, and after Trishyde opened up a one-length margin an eighth of a mile from the finish, Afaladja, who had been soundly beaten in three previous U.S. starts, came back to make it close.

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Dehere was beaten as the 1-10 favorite in an allowance event at Gulfstream Park.

Running against three other 3-year-olds, the Deputy Minister colt was in front through slow fractions most of the way, then was overtaken by Ride The Rails and lost by three-quarters of a length in 1:43 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

This was the first start for Dehere since he finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6.

“I think he got a lot out of it as I expected,� said trainer Reynaldo Nobles, who had scratched Dehere from the Hutcheson Stakes a week ago when the horse came down with a mild case of colic. “I knew he would need a race. That’s why I decided to do this. This race got him dead fit, and from here I expect him to go forward.�

Dehere, who finished 12 1/2 lengths behind third-place Senor Conquistador, was booed loudly when he returned to be unsaddled.