(Chart, Equibase)
Somethinaboutlaura earned her first graded stakes win by a whisker following a terrific battle with the favored Maryfield in the $150,000 A Gleam Invitational Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Hollywood Park Saturday.Maryfield, ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, took command from Lady Bertrando as they reached the turn in the seven-furlong event and was soon joined by Somethinaboutlaura and Victor Espinoza on the outside after a :44 1/5 half-mile. Very little separated the two the rest of the way. Somethinaboutlaura gained a head advantage in mid-stretch but Maryfield, the slight favorite in a six-horse field, battled back. The two exchanged head bobs the rest of the way before Somethinaboutlaura prevailed while stopping the clock in a solid time of 1:20 4/5.Allswellthatnswell looked like a threat to the first two with Isaias Enriquez aboard as she closed in briefly in upper stretch but settled for a distant third. Gn. Group Meeting finished fourth, followed by Cotorra and Lady Betrando.Owned by Miller, Sikura, Todaro, et al, and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Somethinaboutlaura won for the seventh time in 15 lifetime starts while upping her earnings to $357,735. The California-bred 4-year-old daughter of Dance Floor-Crystals of Ice (It's Freezing) served notice that she was ready for a big effort with a third-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Hollywood one month ago. She finished three-quarters of a length behind Proposed and Star Parade that day after leading in the stretch. Prior to that try, she ran second in three consecutive stakes restricted to Cal-breds.The narrow second choice, Somethinabout Laura paid $5.20, $3 and $2.60. Maryfield returned $2.60 and $2.60. Allswellthatnswell was $4.40 to show.Lilley Ranch bred Somethinaboutlaura.