HOLLYWOOD PARK : His Own Race, Own Pace Gives Marquetry a Victory in Bel Air

Even though Marquetry was the 7-5 favorite in the $160,300 Bel Air Handicap, Bobby Frankel said he was pleasantly surprised after the 6-year-old outfinished Memo to win the Grade II race by half a length.

The nation’s leading money-winning trainer was afraid Marquetry was coming back too soon after finishing fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup 14 days earlier.

He had been taken back early while stablemate Bertrando showed the way in the Gold Cup. But Marquetry was in his customary position Saturday, and he is much more effective when he makes the lead.

Asked for speed out of the gate by Kent Desormeaux, the Conquistador Cielo horse repelled Memo throughout and won for the ninth time in 32 starts in 1:40 4/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Desert Sun, Frankel’s other entrant and recently purchased by the trainer and Buzz Engleson from Juddmonte Farms, was third, three-quarters of a length behind Memo. Making his first start since March 14, Siberian Summer was fourth. Then came Latin American and Lottery Winner.

“He was a little bit like Missionary Ridge (another Frankel horse) today, but it works for him,” said Desormeaux. “I hustled him away from there. He always tends to break a little slow.

“Once he gets in front, he settles down a little bit. Every time somebody comes to him he just spurts away, and that makes that rider--whoever’s behind him--take a hold again because they know that their chances are gone as far as running with him.

“They have to just try to catch him, and as you saw today, he’s pretty game and they’ll have to run awful quick home to get by him.”

Frankel has no plans of trying to hold Marquetry back in the immediate future.

“It was a shame we had to sacrifice his style of running last time, taking back for Bertrando,” said Frankel. “I’m not going to do it anymore. He’s going to go to the lead, whether the owners of Bertrando like it or not. I’m going to try to keep those two horses apart, but I’m going to let them run their best races.

“I should be more fond of him than I am. He’s been really great for me. He’s earned a lot of money. He’s not spectacular, but he’s always getting the job done. He should be one of my favorites, which he’s probably going to end up being. He ran a wild race today.”

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Looking for her second consecutive victory in the Vanity Handicap and trying to give trainer Ron McAnally his fourth victory in the last five years in the Grade I race, Paseana is the 4-5 favorite against nine opponents today at Hollywood Park.

After losing her first two starts of 1993, Paseana has won her last two, including the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 12.

The 6-year-old mare will carry 126 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile Vanity, which is one more pound than she carried in the Milady and one less than she carried when she won this race by two lengths in 1992.

Bold Windy, who was beaten by a half-length by Paseana in the Milady, is the 5-1 second choice. First or second in 10 of 13 starts for trainer Gary Jones, the 4-year-old Bold Tropic filly worked a half-mile in 46 1/5 seconds on Wednesday and will be ridden for the first time by Corey Black.

Desormeaux, who rode her last time, has the call on 8-1 shot Guiza.

Others in the field are Re Toss (Eddie Delahoussaye, 6-1), Southern Truce (Corey Nakatani, 20-1), Pleasant Baby (Sal Gonzalez, 30-1), Saros On The Town (David Flores, 15-1), Vieille Vigne (Joe Steiner, 30-1), Party Cited (Pat Valenzuela, 15-1) and Miss High Blade (Gary Stevens, 12-1).

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Tri Chrome, the thoroughbred with the markings of a paint horse, broke his maiden in his second start in the sixth race Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Jack Van Berg, the 2-year-old Arizona-bred set or forced the pace throughout under Gary Stevens, won in 1:04 2/5 for the 5 1/2 furlongs and paid $15.40. In his first start, Tri Chrome finished third in the Futurity Trial on May 12 at Turf Paradise.

Horse Racing Notes

Marquetry’s victory was worth $92,800 to trainer Bobby Frankel and owner Buzz Engleson and boosted his earnings to $2,233,811. . . . Longshot Dignitas ran down favored Root Boy to win the $200,000 Michigan Mile at Detroit. The race was simulcast at Hollywood Park, where the 4-year-old son of In Reality paid $30. He paid $47.60 at Detroit. . . . Mike Mitchell, who is on his way to the training title at Hollywood Park, has won with 91 of 257 starters since the start of the Del Mar meeting last year. This figures out to 36% victories and he also has 41 seconds and 27 thirds during that span.

Gary Stevens is $31,584 short of $100 million in earnings going into today’s program. . . . Hollywood Park will simulcast the $100,000 Laurance Armour Handicap from Arlington between the second and third races today. . . . Jolypha, who will probably make her next start in the Eddie Read Handicap on Aug. 15 at Del Mar, worked five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 Saturday morning at Santa Anita. . . . Hollywood Gold Cup winner Best Pal went three furlongs in 36 2/5 seconds at Hollywood Park. . . .