There’s No Stopping Wandesta This Time

In trainer Bobby Frankel’s mind, justice was served in the $700,000 Matriarch Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Frankel’s five-year-old mare Wandesta was blocked along the rail in the stretch run of the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita last month but she had nothing but clear sailing Sunday in what was probably the final race of her career.

As a result, she almost certainly earned herself an Eclipse Award as the nation’s top female grass performer with a half-length victory over Windsharp and 10 others in the Grade I, the climax to Hollywood Park’s three-day Turf Festival.

Able to reverse two decisions against Windsharp at Santa Anita earlier in the year, the co-third choice at 5-1 was in a good position throughout after breaking from post 12 and went on to win in a Matriarch record 2:00 for the 1 1/4 miles.

It was also the right time for Wandesta to pick up her first win on the Hollywood Park turf course. In four previous tries, the best she could do was three thirds, one coming in the 1995 Matriarch.

Less than happy in the minutes immediately after the fifth-place finish in the Yellow Ribbon, Frankel was delighted after his first Matriarch victory.

“This is real sweet,” he said. “She’s been in so much trouble this year. If anybody deserved to win this race, it was her.

“She’s a very, very good mare and she proved today she’s the best in the country. She’s the best and I feel she deserves the Eclipse. Like everybody said, the [filly or mare] who wins this race deserves the Eclipse.”

There was also vindication for jockey Corey Nakatani. Frankel admitted there was some consideration of replacing him because of his ride in the Yellow Ribbon, but he stayed and there were no mistakes Sunday.

“I was thankful to have a chance to ride her back,” he said. “It was one of those things [in the Yellow Ribbon] when you have to make a split-second decision. You make a decision to go inside like that and you live or die by it.

“This mare has been so good to me and she means a lot to me. There’s no reason she doesn’t deserve [the Eclipse].”

Windsharp, who had beaten Wandesta in the San Luis Obispo and San Luis Rey at Santa Anita, finished nearly two lengths ahead of Memories Of Silver, the lone 3-year-old in the race.

Timarida, who wasn’t given the best of trips by jockey John Murtagh, was fourth as the 3-2 favorite.

“I thought she was too rank early on and she just couldn’t finish because of that,” said John Oxx, Timarida’s trainer. “She didn’t finish with her usual burst.”

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey John Velasquez made his first visit to Hollywood Park a memorable one with a 1 1/4-length win aboard Marlin in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby. Rebounding from a dismal effort when 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Marlin, the 4-1 third choice in the field of 14, sat just off the early pace, then took over in the final furlong. In winning for the fourth time in 11 turf starts for owner Michael Tabor and trainer Wayne Lukas, the Sword Dance colt ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46. Rainbow Blues, the 3-1 second choice, was second, a head in front of Devil’s Cup. The entry of Trail City and Le Triton, the 2-1 favorite, finished fourth and 13th, respectively.

Jens S. List, a top quarter horse and throughbredowner and breeder in California, died Friday after a lengthy bout with cancer. He was 57.