‘Blended Has a Splendid Day

Running almost as fast as Declan’s Moon, who won the Hollywood Futurity the day before, Splendid Blended won Sunday’s $380,000 Hollywood Starlet in record time.

Splendid Blended, bred and owned by Peter Vegso of Boca Raton, Fla., and named after one of Vegso’s favorite restaurants there, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.82 to break the Starlet record of 1:41.96, set by Serena’s Song in 1994. Declan’s Moon’s Futurity time was 1:41.63.

Trainer Neil Drysdale doesn’t know what he’ll do next with his ballyhooed 2-year-old colt, Fusaichi Samurai, except run him at Santa Anita, but he already has made the Kentucky Oaks the long-range goal for Splendid Blended. The Oaks will be run May 6 at Churchill Downs, the day before the Kentucky Derby.

“Nine furlongs [the Oaks distance] shouldn’t be a problem for this filly,” Drysdale said.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Splendid Blended paid $4.60 as the favorite, winning for the third time in four starts.

Drysdale didn’t consider the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for Splendid Blended after she ran second, four lengths behind Sweet Catomine, in the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita on Oct. 2. Sweet Catomine won the Breeders’ Cup race, clinching the division title, and didn’t run in the Starlet.

“Mentally, my filly wasn’t ready for the Breeders’ Cup,” said Drysdale, who brought Splendid Blended back after the Oak Leaf for an allowance win at Hollywood on Nov. 14.

Desormeaux, who has had a subpar meet, welcomed the Starlet win.

“Boy, something like that can pick you up,” he said. “I thought it was an awesome performance. Although she was head and head [with No Bull Baby] early, she was actually quite comfortable. I think she is a marvelous talent, and I thank Neil for the Christmas present.”

*

For the second consecutive day, the grass races were switched to the dirt, and there will be no grass racing today, the final day of the meet.

“Jockeys continue to express concern about a couple of spots on the turf course,” said Rick Baedeker, president of Hollywood Park. “Once they express concern, we would rather err on the side of caution and the discussion is over.”

Today’s Dahlia Handicap, first run in 1982, will be run on dirt for the first time. Penny’s Fortune, winner of two minor stakes on grass, already has been scratched, and more scratches can be expected. Four of the entrants -- Katdogawn, Irgunette, Hoh Buzzard and Navaja -- have never run on dirt. Katdogawn, winner of last year’s Dahlia, is winless in nine starts since then.

*

Trainer Ron Ellis has no plans for Declan’s Moon, who remained undefeated with his win in the Hollywood Futurity.

“We’ll just walk him for seven to 10 days before we think about a plan,” said Ellis, who’ll keep Declan’s Moon at Hollywood Park rather than move him to Santa Anita, where the winter meet begins Sunday. “I’m thinking about two or three races [before the Kentucky Derby]. Santa Anita has a good program for 3-year-olds, so that will give us a lot of chances. Right now, I’m leaning toward three races.”

Wilko, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner who finished third, behind Declan’s Moon and Giacomo, will get some time off to allow a cracked hoof to heal. Wilko injured his left front hoof during a gallop Friday and it was patched before the Futurity.