Hollywood: Madame Pietra prevails

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Madame Pietra stretched her winning streak to four with a hard-fought victory in the $106,800 Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, Madame Pietra ($14.20) rallied from fourth on the final turn to overtake Bear Fan by three-quarters of a length.

Madame Pietra was well behind the quick early pace of 21.79 and 43.75 seconds, shared by Cee's Elegance, Jetinto Houston, and Bear Fan, who were within a length of each other for the first half-mile.

Valenzuela brought Madame Pietra wide entering the stretch and was within striking range at the eighth pole. Cee's Elegance was the first to fade from contention. Madame Pietra caught Jetinto Houston near the sixteenth pole and Bear Fan in the final 75 yards.

Madame Pietra finished six furlongs in 1:09.71.

The victory in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer was Madame Pietra's first start since the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park in January. It marked her first win in a graded stakes.

Owned by Carl Grether and trained by Howard Zucker, the 6-year-old Madame Pietra has won 7 of 16 starts and $437,715.