Feverish battle in Bayakoa
Wygods' homebred mare turns back Gourmet Girl to record her first graded stakes victory
Trainer Dan Hendricks's body temperature tends to rise when discussing the mettle of Pam and Marty Wygod's homebred Feverish. The five-year-old California-bred mare's stock also headed upward on December 23 when she scored her first graded stakes victory by a head over Gourmet Girl after a spirited stretch duel in the $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (G2) for fillies and mares.
Bayakoa H. (G2)
Hollywood Park, December 23, $150,000, 1 1/16 miles, fast, 1:42.26
1—
FEVERISH, m. 5, Pirate's Bounty—Blonde Fever, by Flying Paster.
2—Gourmet Girl, m. 5, Cee's Tizzy—Rhondaling (GB), by =Welsh Pageant (Fr).
3—Lazy Slusan, m. 5, Slewvescent—Three Flights Up, by Topsider.
"Whether she is on the lead, like today, or comes from behind, she just goes out and tries," Hendricks said after the Pirate's Bounty mare out of Blonde Fever, by Flying Paster, ran the Bayakoa's 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.26 under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye.
"She is a working-class horse, the epitome of a Pirate's Bounty," Hendricks said. "She will win a race like today when it takes a hard fighter."
Feverish has recorded 11 firsts, nine seconds, and five thirds in 32 starts and earned $699,322. "She has never missed a check in 32 starts," her trainer said. "She is the soundest horse I have ever trained for as long as I have had her. She and her groom, Rafael Martinez, are like a couple."
Hendricks received a congratulatory call on his cellular phone from Wygod, who watched the race at an intertrack-wagering site near his Del Mar home. He will decide soon whether to keep Feverish and Smooth Player, a multiple stakes-winning California-bred mare also trained by Hendricks, in training for another year or retire one or both for breeding.
"To make Feverish a Grade 2 winner is substantial," said Hendricks. "The plan all year was to get her graded-placed. We even thought about sending her to Canada for a Grade 3. I told Eddie before the race, 'Third would be worth a lot to her as a broodmare, but I think we can win it.' And Eddie said, 'Yeah, we're going for a win.' "
Hendricks had similar ambitions for Feverish last year, but she finished fourth in the Bayakoa. "I was really upset about getting beat out of third by some longshot named Riboletta (Brz)," chuckled Hendricks in reference to the mare who vaulted to the top of the distaff handicap division this year.
The photogenic Feverish was involved in two stretch duels in the last two runnings of the California Cup Matron Handicap, winning by a neck over Supercilious in 1999 and losing by a nose to Queenie Belle this year. "It was nice to be on the right end of the photo again," said Hendricks.
Luck frowned for the second straight week on trainer Pico Perdomo, whose Gourmet Girl was sent off as the tepid 3.30-to-1 favorite over Feverish, the 3.50-to-1 second choice. Gourmet Girl took the lead on the inside on the final turn and fought back courageously after Feverish reassumed the lead.
"I want to forget the month of December 2000," Perdomo said six days after his Jetin Excess lost a neck decision to I Believe in You in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1). "Ten years from now, nobody will remember who ran second in the Starlet and the Bayakoa. You have to win these big races."
Trainer and co-owner John Dolan was elated with the first graded stakes placing earned by Lazy Slusan, who finished third, a length farther back. "She gave me a scare at the top of the stretch; I thought she might win," Dolan said with a grin of the candidate for claim of the year. Since being claimed at Del Mar for $62,500 in July, the five-year-old mare has won three stakes and earned more than $200,000.
Argentine import Critikola (Arg) rallied strongly from eighth to finish fourth, another half-length back, in her United States debut for trainer Bill Spawr.
Gryder glitters
Southern California native Aaron Gryder returned home from his New York base December 22 to guide Texas Glitter to a head victory over favored Full Moon Madness in stakes-record time of 1:01.24 for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in the $75,750 Dayjur Handicap.
"I came out twice this year to ride David and finished second in a photo finish in the San Bernardino Handicap (G2), and I came out last month to finish second on Texas Glitter in a photo in the Hollywood Turf Express (Handicap [G3]); so it was nice to see a photo go my way," Gryder said. "The plan after the last race was to go to the Hong Kong Sprint, but he was overlooked, which I think was a mistake."
On Trust's Memo
Grey Memo stormed down the lane to record a one-length victory over 1999 winner Cliquot in the $78,250 On Trust Handicap for California-breds on December 24. Bagshot also closed well to finish third, another half-length back, in Hollywood's closing-day feature.
Trained by Warren Stute, 79, Grey Memo covered 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.32 at 7.60-to-1, the fifth-longest odds in the field of seven. A three-year-old Memo (Chi) colt owned by Pat Thompson's Ridgeley Farm, Ron Manzani, and Russ Sarno, Grey Memo recorded his fifth victory in 18 starts and raised his earnings to $392,945.
The On Trust was Grey Memo's third stakes victory, all on Hollywood's main track. He previously had won the Snow Chief Stakes in early April and the 1999 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3).
FINISH LINES—Chilean Triple Crown winners Lido Palace (Chi) and Printemps (Chi) have arrived in Southern California for owners John and Jerry Amerman. Lido Palace, a three-year-old colt by Forty Niner's son Rich Man's Gold, went to Bobby Frankel's barn, ond three-year-old filly Printemps, by the Mr. Prospector stallion Hussonet, joined the Ron McAnally stable. The Amermans also announced that the multiple stakes-winning mare Happyanunoit (NZ) will remain in training next year at age six with Frankel. ... Jetin Excess will be freshened until the spring at Old English Rancho near Fresno, California, while Cindy's Hero, the Starlet favorite who finished fourth, will receive a month of rest at Rancho Paseana in Rancho Santa Fe, California. ... English import Royal Highlander (Ire), a three-year-old colt purchased by Team Valor and partners, scored an impressive victory in his United States debut on December 23 in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance race on turf for trainer Jenine Sahadi. ... Tiznow, winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), has been slowed in training by a foot abscess and is questionable for the $250,000 San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2) on January 13. ... Trainer Mel Stute, 73, has made brief morning appearances at Santa Anita Park since undergoing quadruple bypass surgery on December 7 and is expected back at his barn full-time early in the Santa Anita meet. ... Retired Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone and Eclipse Award-winning Daily Racing Form columnist Jay Hovdey are engaged to be married next spring.
Steve Schuelein is a Southern California correspondent for Thoroughbred Times.