Valenzuela Puts 30-1 Shot Elloluv In Driver’s Seat In Starlet

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2002) — Elloluv, a 30-1 shot ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, was sent to the lead at the break and cruised to a four-length victory over 1-5 favorite Composure in Saturday’s $356,500 Hollywood Starlet at Hollywood Park.

Elloluv, starting for only the third time and for the first time in a two-turn race, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5 to bank the winner’s check of $213,900 for owner J. Paul Reddam of Laguna Beach.

Composure, made a prohibitive favorite in the Grade I Starlet following a victory in the Oak Leaf Stakes and a second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, made a mild rally from fifth on the backstretch under jockey Mike Smith, but was never a threat to the winner. She finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of Summer Wind Dancer and jockey Alex Solis in third.

Elloluv, trained by Craig Dollase, paid a Starlet record $63.60 to win, $8 to place and $2.10 to show. There was a minus show pool of $130,960 with $752,482 of the $801,660 show pool wagered on Composure, who paid $2.20 and $2.10. Summer Wind Dancer also paid $2.10.

“When I asked her to run at the quarter-pole, she absolutely cut,” said Valenzuela said, who also rode 1986 Starlet champ Very Sutble. “She was getting a little bit tired, but she still had enough left to hold off Composure.”

Elloluv, a $120,000 yearling purchase who has now earned $242,700, finished second in her career bow Oct. 20 at Bay Meadows, then broke her maiden in a six- furlong race here Nov. 10. By that time, the more seasoned Composure had a pair of wins and two seconds in five starts for earnings of $360,000. Despite the experience edge, she seemed to be in trouble from the start Saturday as she broke from the outside post in the field of seven and was wide into the first turn.

“Your guess is as good as mine as to what happened to her,” Smith said. “I don’t know. The winner was out there on an easy lead, 23-and-change. The only time I had any trouble was around the turns. She was forging real bad, which means she was hitting toe-to-toe, the front leg with the back leg. They cut themselves a lot when they do that. They tend to get a lot of speed cuts. She’s got ‘em all over. That’s the only excuse I’ve got.”

In the day’s second feature, Laffit Pincay Jr. made his last mount of the meet a winner, urging Piensa Sonando to the front in the final stride as the 4-year-old came from off the pace to beat Fleetstreet Dancer by a head in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap.

Pincay, who will miss the final six days of the meet, made no mistakes in registering his fourth Native Diver victory aboard the Ron McAnally trainee, who covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 2/5 under 117 pounds.

“That was a phenomenal ride Laffit gave him,” McAnally said. “He’s unbelievable, 55 years old, soon to be 56. Every time I see him ride I tell a few guys, ‘he rides anything anytime, 50-1 shots, 20-1 shots, maiden claimers.’ Laffit is the greatest.”

Piensa Sonando, owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt, paid $7, $4.60 and $3.80. Fleetstreet Dancer, ridden by Tyler Baze, returned $13.20 and $8, while the show payoff on Nose The Trade was $8.60. Favorite Euchre, the 118-pound high weight, never was as factor while finishing seventh in the field of eight.

Pincay, racing’s all-time win lead with 9,478 victories, is second in the Hollywood Park standings with 31 wins.

“That was a nice way to finish my year here,” he said. “This horse is improving all the time. He’s very sound and tries hard, but he’s got some bad habits. He likes to get in, and I have to be careful about that. Like today I thought I had the race won pretty easy the way he was moving, but he switched leads at the wrong time. It was close to the wire and he kind of lost his punch. But he kept trying, which was good, and he still won.”

Piensa Sonando banked $60,000 while winning for the fifth time in 15 starts, boosting his earnings to $145,500.

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