High Tide and Green Grass Suit Que Belle

DEL MAR —  The short grass at Hollywood Park wasn’t to her liking, but the high grass at Del Mar probably reminds her of her European beginnings.

Que Belle, making her third start in the United States, took the longest way home to win by a nose Saturday in the $111,300 Osunitas Handicap.

With Fiji, last year’s female grass champion, back at the barn because of a fever, the 44th edition of the Osunitas became a more difficult handicapping exercise. Of the eight starters, any of half a dozen had a legitimate shot, and with a sixteenth of a mile left, the winner appeared to be Bella Chiarra. But from the middle of the track came Que Belle and Eddie Delahoussaye, and the 5-year-old daughter of Seattle Slew put her nose on the line just in time.

Bella Chiarra winning would have been a nice touch because she was saddled by Michael Whittingham, whose father, the Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham, died earlier this year. Charlie Whittingham, who saddled more stakes winners (74) than anyone at this seaside track, had trained Bella Chiarra until his son stepped in this spring.

Que Belle defeated Borgia, one of Germany’s best, in 1997. But last year she was winless, running only two races in France. She joined Ron Ellis’ barn at Santa Anita this year, running third there in April before a fifth-place finish in the Wilshire Handicap at Hollywood Park, a race in which Bella Chiarra was second. The Osunitas was Que Belle’s first win since June 1997.

Que Belle finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 3/5 and paid $10.20 to win. Cyrillic and Happyanunoit followed Bella Chiarra under the wire. Que Belle, one of the starting high weights, carried 118 pounds, six fewer than the ailing Fiji was assigned.

“We sat out the rest of Hollywood Park [after the Wilshire], waiting for the races down here,” Ellis said. “I think the Del Mar course will be more to her liking.”

Sicy D’alsace, winner of two stakes here last year, went off the 2-1 favorite and finished last after never threatening.

Que Belle was last and behind a wall of horses after three-quarters of a mile when Delahoussaye swung her to the outside.

“If I get through at the head of the stretch, I think she wins it easy,” Delahoussaye said. “But I didn’t. They closed it off on me and I had to back off and ease out. I was so far outside, I really couldn’t judge where the wire was. This mare will probably get better when they go longer.”

Delahoussaye won his 81st stakes race at Del Mar, fourth on a list that’s topped by Chris McCarron at 122.

Said David Flores, who rode Bella Chiarra: “He [Delahoussaye] gets you like that all the time. I thought I was going to win it, and then here he comes.”

Que Belle was still six lengths behind Bella Chiarra with an eighth of a mile left.

“I gave up on her,” Ellis said. “But the next thing I know, there’s this big explosion.”

Horse Racing Notes

Dreams Gallore went off at 50 cents on the dollar Saturday at Belmont Park, but she was 4 1/2 lengths short at the wire as On A Soapbox, at 9-2, won the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks. Jerry Bailey rode the winner in the stake for the third time in the last four years. . . . Stellar Brush beat favored Ecton Park to win the $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown, with Valhol finishing third and Red Sky’s fourth. Broad Brush, who sired Stellar Brush, won the Ohio Derby in 1986. . . . Last in the $250,000 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park was 1-5 shot Golden Temper, trained by Elliott Walden, who also trains Ecton Park. Brushed Halory--a daughter of Broad Brush--won the race. . . . At Ascot Race Course in suburban London, Daylami was a five-length winner in the $960,000 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. Nedawi, who was ridden by transplanted Californian Gary Stevens, was second, while Epsom Derby winner and 5-2 favorite Oath finished next to last in the eight-horse field. . . . Big Jag, away from the races since April, is the 7-5 morning-line favorite for today’s Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Del Mar. But trainer Bruce Headley has a formidable entry of Son Of A Pistol, who won the six-furlong race last year, and Lakota Brave, the 10-year-old gelding whose career record at Del Mar is six wins and two seconds in eight starts. . . . Morocco, a 2-year-old Brocco colt who was bought for $2 million in March by a group that includes the Thoroughbred Corp. and R.D. Hubbard, ran third in a four-horse field at Del Mar in his debut for trainer Richard Mandella. Magical Dragon, trained by Bob Baffert, won the five-furlong race. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye’s victory aboard Que Belle was his first in the Osunitas Handicap since 1984, when he won aboard Ready For Luck. Delahoussaye won two other races Saturday.