HOLLYWOOD PARK : Whittingham Horse Takes the Shoemaker

In a race named to honor Bill Shoemaker, who else would you expect to saddle the winner?

Charlie Whittingham, who captured a large purse or two in tandem with the world’s winningest jockey, made off with another when Shining Steel rallied to take the $110,000 Shoemaker Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.

At his best when he comes from off the pace, Shining Steel, the 3-1 third choice in a field reduced to five by the scratches of high-weight Steinlen and Saudi Desert, outkicked favored Super May to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:34 for the mile on turf.

A 4-year-old son of Kris owned by Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky, Shining Steel is quite a handful to ride and Sunday was no different.

Under instructions from Whittingham to take a strong hold of the colt early, Chris McCarron had some anxious moments as soon as the starting gate opened.

“I gave him no slack at all,” he said. “He came out of there and he was going to be in front, but I grabbed him and he pitched his head. I thought, ‘Oh, no, he’s going to take off with me.’

“But, I kept a snug hold and didn’t give up on him, and finally he came back to me.”

This was the second victory in seven United States appearances for Shining Steel, and both came in similar fashion. In his last start, the El Rincon three weeks earlier at Santa Anita, he saw daylight early, led briefly and wound up last, beaten 15 lengths.

“You’ve got to grab him that first jump,” said Whittingham, who also won this race last year when it was called the Premiere. The rider that day was Shoemaker, who won his 1,000th stakes atop Peace.

“The other day, he ran off with the rider (Robbie Davis). As soon as you get him to relax, he’ll go.

“This horse was relaxed today in the paddock. He was calm and nice and he’s definitely got some ability.”

Seeking his fifth consecutive victory, Super May beat pacesetter Brave Capade three-quarters of a length for the place. Nediym was fourth, a half-length ahead of Preston.

Steinlen, second in this race in 1989, and who would have been favored Sunday, was a surprise scratch.

“There will be bigger races down the road,” said assistant trainer Jeff Lukas. “We don’t need to run the horse every time. When we start him, we want all conditions to be perfect.”

Jose Santos, Steinlen’s regular rider, decided he wasn’t going to come West Sunday after being involved in a spill Friday at Aqueduct. Lukas said that was also a factor in the decision not to run the horse.

Kent Desormeaux was fined $500 by stewards Pete Pedersen, Tom Ward and Hubert Jones Sunday for misjudging the finish line in Saturday’s third race.

Riding Morlando in the mile allowance, Desormeaux stood up at the first finish line and cost the 7-1 shot a victory. Kennedy’s Knockout, who was about two lengths behind when the incident happened, won by a head.

Quick to pat Desormeaux on the back when he returned afterward, trainer Mel Stute said the 20-year-old jockey will continue to ride Morlando.

“I told him not to worry because if he wouldn’t have done that, that sonofagun (Morlando) would have jumped the fence or something,” said Stute. “He’ll be back on him again because the owner (Annetta Freeman) was very happy to be second after running ninth the time before.”

Honor Medal, a 9-year-old gelding who earned close to $1.35 million, had to be destroyed when he broke down Saturday in the $239,550 National Jockey Club Handicap at Sportsman’s Park.

Going down the backstretch for the second time, Honor Medal fractured the cannon bone in his right hind leg, then, apparently, broke his right knee when falling and was put down on the track by veterinarian Mary Scollay.

The news was upsetting to Neil Drysdale, Honor Medal’s longtime trainer.

“I asked (the owners) to retire the horse and they wouldn’t,” he said. “I didn’t want the horse to go on racing, so they fired me. It’s sick. He was a lovely old horse and we had a home for him.

“Louie Roussel was going to buy him and retire him at the Fairgrounds. It’s just disgusting.”

Honor Medal, whose last victory came in a $62,500 claimer at Hollywood Park Dec. 20, finished with 19 wins, 13 seconds and 19 thirds from 86 starts. Luis Ortega, who rode him Saturday, was knocked out in the accident, but is expected to return to action Wednesday at Golden Gate.

Vicky Frontiere, stepdaughter of Rams’ owner Georgia Frontiere, earned the first victory of her riding career with a $40 upset aboard Feeling Tipsy in Sunday’s third race.

Even though she lost her whip in the final sixteenth, Frontiere was able to succeed on her seventh career mount, beating Shayne A Dam and Desormeaux a half-length in the $32,000 claimer.

“When we hit the quarter-pole, I thought we were going pretty slow, but when I looked over and saw Gary Stevens sitting still (on Lou’s Fast), I thought I should wait,” said Frontiere. “But, the last time I did that, I got beat, so I decided to ask my filly this time and I’m glad I did.”

The victory was also the first of the meeting for trainer Mike Mitchell, who gave Frontiere her initial mount Feb. 22 when she finished eighth on 46-1 shot Televised.

Horse Racing Notes

Shining Steel paid $8.40 to win and earned $63,000 for owners Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky, neither of whom was present in the winner’s circle. . . . For the second consecutive day, there were no perfect tickets in the Pick Six, so there will be a carryover of $320,494.40 on Wednesday. . . . Chris McCarron had two other victories Sunday--Dead Heat in the fourth race and Smoke Jumper in the sixth. Alex Solis also won twice, taking the opener with Going Easy and the finale with 17-1 shot Jolie Memoire.