HOLLYWOOD PARK : Goldigger’s Dream Wins the Barrera

Goldigger’s Dream is no longer content to run second.

The runner-up in eight of his first nine starts, the 3-year-old Native Prospector gelding followed up his elusive maiden victory by beating favored D’Hallevant by a neck in the $107,200 Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.

After running second last Christmas Eve, the California-bred was gelded early this year, but it didn’t keep him from finishing second in his first two starts after returning to action in late August.

Running against Best Pal in the California Cup Classic, Goldigger’s Dream responded with a solid third-place finish, then came back to break his maiden the day after the Breeders’ Cup as the 9-10 favorite.

With Kent Desormeaux aboard for the first time Sunday, the 6-1 shot was closest to D’Hallevant throughout, and surged in the final strides despite being carried out by the 7-5 favorite through the stretch. Goldigger’s Dream covered the 1 1/16 miles in a stakes-record 1:40 4/5 and paid $15.80.

“He’s a very good sound, healthy horse and he’s just learning what it’s all about,” trainer Dan Hendricks said. “He’s a true (distance) horse and he’s into a good schedule right now.

“Early in his career, he’d just take in everything. We gelded him and with age and maturity, he’s come around. I’ll tell you, it’s great to win race named for (Barrera), one of the great trainers of all time.”

Said Ed Friendly, who bred Goldigger’s Dream and owns him with his wife, Natalie: “I loved Laz Barrera and I can’t think of a nicer race to win. I darn near broke (Hendricks’) arm to run in (Saturday’s Hollywood) Derby, but he’s younger and stronger, so we ran today. It was (Hendricks’) call to run today.”

D’Hallevant, unbeaten in his previous two starts on the Hollywood Park main track, finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Dinand. El Atroz was fourth, then came 9-5 second choice Art Of Living and Royal Frolic.

Even if D’Hallevant had won, he might have been disqualified for carrying the winner wide through the stretch. D’Hallevant was lugging out the entire trip.

“He ran great,” Corey Nakatani said. “No excuses. He just got outrun by a better horse today. We did bump a little bit in the lane, and my horse got intimidated a little bit, but he just got outrun at the finish.”

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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Brocco might run one more time this year, after all.

Originally, trainer Randy Winick said the 2-year-old son of Kris S. would skip the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 19, but now he said there is a “50-50” chance he will run.

“He’s just too fresh and doing too good not to consider it,” Winick said. “But we’ll work him a couple of times before we decide.”

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Broccoli, Brocco is scheduled to work four furlongs at Santa Anita this morning. It would be his first recorded work since he beat Blumin Affair by five lengths in the Juvenile on Nov. 6.

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River Special, who won the 1992 Hollywood Futurity, worked five furlongs in 57 flat under Kent Desormeaux Sunday morning. The 3-year-old might work out once before the opening-day Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

“He went fast early and slow late,” Hess said. “But the work was what he needed. It was a good conditioning work. Obviously, I would have liked for him to have gone slow early and fast late, but the bottom line is it’s another work toward his comeback.”

Horse Racing Notes

Eddie Delahoussaye, suffering from flu, hopes to return to riding on Friday. . . . Corey Nakatani rode three winners Sunday and Alex Solis had two. . . . Argolid, a 2-year-old half-brother to the late Flying Paster, won his career debut Sunday. The Saros gelding beat six maiden rivals in 1:09 flat for six furlongs. Owned by Georgia Ridder and trained by David Hofmans, Argolid was ridden by Aaron Gryder.

Galaxy won the $100,000 Hawthorne Juvenile when stewards at Hawthorne Race Course in Chicago ruled that Come On Flip interfered in the stretch. Galaxy, owned by the Cobb Stable, earned $60,000 and paid $5.80, $4.40 and $2.80. Come On Flip returned $6.00 and $5.80. Seminole Wind, who tired after a mile, paid $8.40. . . . Our Shopping Spree scored a 1 1/4-length victory over Figi Bidders in the $60,000-added Montauk Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct. Our Shopping Spree covered the mile in 1:39 1/5 over a fast track. Our Shopping Spree returned $10.40, $6.40 and $6.80. Figi Bidders paid $6.80 and $5.20 and Lottsa Talc paid $4.40. . . . Bubba Menkus closed from third with an eighth of a mile to run and then withstood a late charge by favored Anjiz for a half-length victory in the Happy Go Lucky Purse at Churchill Downs. Bubba Menkus covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17 4/5 and paid $15.20, $4.40 and $3.20. Anjiz paid $2.60 and $2.40. Hidden Prize faded after leading into the stretch and returned $5.20.