Columnist Ralph Siraco: Fantastic foursome racks up riches

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Nov. 26, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selec Tuesday-Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 300,.

The long Thanksgiving weekend has finally come to an end. Along with a feast of sports that included a multitude of racing across the country, a foursome of stars in the sport of kings got more than its share of the holiday servings.

Jockeys Craig Perret, Chris McCarron and John Velazquez, along with trainer Bobby Frankel, hauled away enough cash over the four-day weekend with multiple stakes victories to spread holiday cheer until they serve up the turkey dinner of 2002.

Perret covered the Midwest with a pair of upset wins at Churchill Downs, McCarron took a pair of West Coast biggies at Hollywood Park and Velazquez swept four stakes over two days at Aqueduct in New York before jetting to the Left Coast for a little fifth-course desert in the Turf Festival at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

Frankel, meanwhile, racked up serious frequent flier miles with a turnaround trip from Japan in time to sweep the pair of Grade I features at Hollywood Park on Sunday after his handicap star Lido Palace finished up the track in the Japan Cup Dirt on Saturday.

Velazquez warmed up with a third-place finish on Voodoo in Thursday's featured Fall Highweight Handicap to Yonaguska before starting his five-bagger of stakes victories in the Grade II $150,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct on Friday. Riding Cat Cay, Velazquez coaxed a victory in the 1-mile feature at $8.40. The rider returned to the Big A on Friday with high anticipation of a three-course encore. Scheduled to ride the morning line favorites in a triple-header of Graded stakes races, he figured to have a solid day.

* The Grade II $200,000 Demoiselle stakes was the first in the trio. Velazquez guided Smok'n Frolic to victory in the 1 1/8-mile event at $5.30 to win.

* The Grade II $200,000 Remsen stakes saw Velazquez charge from off the pace in the 1 1/8-mile race aboard Saarland to score at $5.70 to win.

* The Grade I $350,000 Cigar Mile looked as if it would be the toughest assignment of the day. But when Left Bank repelled challenges early and late in the main event to win, it gave Velazquez the stakes hat trick at $6.90 for the victory.

The newest sensation of the Big Apple riding colony headed for California in time to scale Starine in the Grade I $500,000 Matriarch on the Hollywood Park lawn on Sunday. The 1 1/8-mile race was part of a stakes doubleheader on the final day of the three-day Turf Festival at the Inglewood, Calif., race track.

Stalking the pace, then holding off late challengers, Starine prevailed for the victory at $8.60. The winner is owned and trained by Frankel, and although Velazquez did not threaten in the second feature of the day, Frankel did.

Frankel saddled four participants for the Grade I $500,000 Hollywood Derby later on the card. Denon proved too strong in the home stretch of the 1 1/8- mile turf event for runner up Sligo Bay, and entry mate Alderbaran, under McCarron. The victory gave Frankel a sweep of the Sunday features and returned $4.20 for the win.

McCarron also returned to the winners circle during the Turf Festival with a victory in the Grade II $500,000 Citation Handicap on Saturday. Over a soggy course, McCarron got Good Journey home just in time to beat the Frankel-trained Decarchy in the 1 1/16-mile feature at $5.40 for the win.

Perret was not the favorite of backers for his pair of victories at Churchill Downs.

On Thursday, fans were treated to a vintage renewal of the Grade III Falls City Handicap in Louisville. The $250,000 event featured three Breeders' Cup winners in the field of seven at 1 1/8 miles.

Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caressing joined both last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Spain and this year's victor Unbridled Elaine. While that trio of accomplished gals gained most of the pari-mutuel attention, Perret sat the Acorn winner Forest Secrets. In an exciting finish, Forest Secrets held off safe runner-up Printemps and a non-threatening Unbridled Elaine for a $47.40 return.

Lightning struck again on Friday. The Grade II $400,000 Clarke Handicap saw Perret astride long shot Ubiquity in the field of 10. In another memorable stretch run, Ubiquity held off race favorite Include in the 1 1/8-mile feature and returned $40.40 to win.

All in all, this Thanksgiving weekend will not be one that the foursome will soon forget.