HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Sunday, May 21, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

NAKATANI ON BORODISLEW IN HAWTHORNE HANDICAP

Agent Bob Meldahl reported Sunday morning leading rider Corey Nakatani has the mount on 505 Farms' Borodislew in next Sunday's $100,000-added Hawthorne Handicap for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up.

The probable field for the Grade II event at 1 1/16 miles: Angi Go, Gary Stevens;Borodislew, Nakatani; Paseana, Chris McCarron; Pirate's Revenge, Chris Antley, and Top Rung, Eddie Delahoussaye.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Fit to Lead is still in Kentucky and will not make the race.

Weights for the Hawthorne Handicap are due Tuesday.

FERNANDO VALENZUELA RIDES PREDICTED GLORY IN RAILBIRD

Agent Ray Kravagna said Sunday morning Fernando Valenzuela will ride Predicted Glory in Saturday's $100,000-added Railbird Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Confirmed starters for the seven-furlong race: Comstock Queen, no rider; Embroidered, no rider; Made to Perfection, Alex Solis; Predicted Glory, Fernando Valenzuela; Sleep Easy, Corey Nakatani, and Texinadress, no rider.

Trainer Brian Mayberry said both Denim Yenim and Valid Symmetry are possible starters.

SAVINIO, BLAZE O'BRIEN WORK SIX FURLONGS

Graded stakes winners Savinio and Blaze O'Brien both had six-furlong works on a fast main track Sunday, but neither gelding is likely to run in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap May 29, according to their connections.

Savinio worked six furlongs in 1:11 4/5, handily, and trainer Walter Greenman said the Inglewood Handicap winner is likely to pass the Grade I Turf Handicap in favor of the $150,000-added Shoemaker Handicap (Gr. II) on June 10.

"I don't think we're running, it's just too tough a race," Greenman said. "We'll probably just wait for the Shoemaker."

Blaze O'Brien worked six furlongs in 1:12 3/5, handily, with apprentice Brice Blanc up.

"We're still thinking about running in the race," said co-owner Susan Isaacs, "but the likelihood is the Shoemaker."

As of Sunday morning, a field of nine appeared likely for the Turf Handicap. Weights were due Sunday afternoon.

Probables for the 27th running of the Hollywood Turf Handicap, to be decided at 1 1/4 miles: Best Pal, Chris McCarron; Celtic Arms, Eddie Delahoussaye; Cocooning, no rider; Del Mar Dennis, Chris Antley; Saltgrass, no rider; Sandpit, Corey Nakatani; Talloires, Kent Desormeaux; Vaudeville, Gary Stevens, and Wandesta, Pat Day.

Possible: Blaze O'Brien, Corey Black; Earl Of Barking, no rider; Liyoun, G. F. Almeida, and Savinio, no rider.

SEVERAL LOCALS NOMINATED TO RICH BRAZILIAN RACE

Twelve local runners, including Dare And Go and Romarin, have been nominated to the inaugural running of the $2.5-million Grande Premio Brasil, a Group 1 race scheduled Sunday, Aug. 6, at Gavea Racecourse in Rio de Janeiro.

Three North American-based horses will be selected by committee for the 1 1/2-mile event. Nominations close June 6. Locals nominated as of Sunday: Talloires, Dare And Go, Romarin, River Rhythm, Special Price, Beneficial, Fine N' Majestic, Alex The Great, Celtic Arms, Bataillon, Judgement Maker and In Character.

APPRENTICE SET TO TRY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CIRCUIT

Leslie Mawing, an apprentice jockey who most recently rode at Portland Meadows, was making the rounds Sunday with agent Richie Silverstein and plans to begin riding here Friday. A 21-year-old native of South Africa, Mawing tacks 109 pounds and his apprenticeship runs through October. He's ridden 80 winners in his career.

Silverstein, who also serves as agent for Martin Pedroza, will book mounts.

RIVER FLYER, DRAMATIC GOLD ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL

Trainer David Hofmans reported Grade I winners River Flyer and Dramatic Gold are both making progress at the Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona.

River Flyer, who burst into prominence after switching surfaces from dirt to turf, is recovering nicely from a minor foot injury and is scheduled to return to training before the end of the current meeting.

Dramatic Gold, one of the nation's top handicap horses before fracturing his left front cannon bone, could return to training during the Del Mar meeting. The 4-year-old Slew o' Gold gelding had three screws placed in the bone but is expected to make a full recovery.

"They took X-rays last week and everything looked good," Hofmans said. "His recovery is right on schedule."

RACING RARITY: TRAINER TAKES BLAME FOR LOSS

The most common excuses for a horse's defeat -- "bad ride" and "didn't like the track" -- were refreshingly absent from Bobby Frankel's morning-after evaluation of Top Shape's defeat in Saturday's $107,100 Honeymoon Handicap.

"I analyzed the race wrong and I gave him (Corey Nakatani) bad instructions," the trainer said. "The horse was rank and I should have told him to let her run."

Other than that, and a subsequent third-place finish as the 11-10 favorite in the field of six 3-year-old fillies, Top Shape came out of the race in good order.

Frankel was recently elected to Thoroughbred racing's Hall of Fame for his accomplishments on the track. If it had a section for candor, he'd deserve a spot there as well.

JUSTICE' WAS DONE, BUT SAHADI IS USED TO IT

Lit De Justice is the Dennis the Menace of Thoroughbreds. The 5-year-old gray son of El Gran Senor has a mind of his own at all times, and when he steps onto the track, he's odds-on to throw a tantrum before he gets to the gate.

In Saturday's 74,425 Rich Cream Stakes, the Kentucky-bred horse was 11-10 to beat three rivals in the 6 1/2-furlong race.

But after performing his emotional juggling act in the post parade and balking big-time before he was pushed into the starting gate, Lit De Justice trailed throughout, finishing 13 lengths behind Lucky Forever, who set a world record of 1:13 1/5 under Goncalino Almeida.

"As usual, he didn't want to go into the gate," Sahadi said calmly Sunday morning. "He only does what he wants to do and I can't change him. You're not going to make him any different than he is.

"About five guys pushed him (into the starting gate), and then Corey (Nakatani) got off and then back on. He broke all right but then he just had no action until about the half-mile pole. He tried to make his run, but he was so far back and the track was very fast.

"But he's fine this morning. I had been using (trainer and problem-horse specialist) Karl Webster to handle the horse, but Karl's been real busy so I used my regular exercise rider, Vicente Parra on him. He does all right, but I think Lit has more respect for Karl.

"So I'm going to try to get Karl back and do some more gate work with (starter) Gary Brinson and just start over and regroup. This horse has been a nightmare and he's hard for me to deal with, but I also know he's a good (quality) horse and I have a lot of faith in him."

FINISH LINES: Saturday's handle of $15,266,019 is a Hollywood Park Preakness Day record and is third highest in track history. The record of 21,287,723 was set on 1995 Kentucky Derby Day . . . In Character worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5, handily, on the turf Thursday, but trainer Bruce Jackson said it was too early to pencil the horse into the lineup for the $100,000-added Cinema Handicap (Gr. III) June 3. "We're not pointing to any race yet," he said. "We'll see how things go before making any decisions." . . . Trainer Craig Lewis said Santa Anita Derby winner Larry The Legend, on the comenack trail from knee surgey, is walking twice daily at Santa Anita. "We're going to take all the time he needs for a full recovery," he said. Lewis said his "other" 3-year-old, Will Rogers Breeders' Cup Handicap third-place finisher Bee El Tee, is being pointed to the $100,000-added Cinema Handicap (Gr. III) on June 3 . . . Trainer Ron Stevens celebrates his 56th birthday Tuesday . . . Congratulations to trainer Kathy Walsh, who sent out her second winner in as many days Saturday, saddling first-time starter Boundless Moment ($4.40) to an impressive victory in the sixth race . . . Boundless Moment was fast, running six furlongs in 1:08 2/5, but the prized performance was the world record performace -- 1:13 1/5 for 6 1/2 furlongs -- turned in by the Gary Lewis-trained Lucky Forever ($6) in the $75,000-added Rich Cream Stakes.

Trainer Brian Mayberry reports Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel's Ashland Stakes winner Urbane is making progress in Kentucky from an injury to her right hind leg suffered in the roughly run Kentucky Oaks on May 5. "She's doing much better," Mayberry said. "We should know more next week." . . . Neil Drysdale said Irving and Marge Cowan's retired Eclipse Award winner Hollywood Wildcat is in foal to Danzig. Drysdale said the Cowans' undefeated 3-year-old, French Deputy, is trotting as he recovers from a bruised foot, "but he won't run before the end of the summer." . . . David Bernstein said Savario Farm's Houston Sunrise is pointing to the $100,000-added Harry Henson Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs on June 10 . . . Jockey Jimi Okamura, who rode Sinceriffic in Friday night's seventh race, is suspended five days (May 24 through 28) for "failure to maintain a straight course and causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount from first to fifth." . . . Mike Pegram's Straight to Bed, who won his fourth straight race on Saturday, is the opposite in personality from another of trainer Bob Baffert's win machines, Gundaghia. "This horse is real mellow, you can do anything with him," said Baffert assistant Eoin Harty of Straight to Bed, whom Harty calls "Straight to the Window." The 6-year-old Spend A Buck gelding has won 12 of 33 career starts. Gundaghia, a 7-year-old gelding who has won 17 races, has been dubbed "1,100 pounds of heart and teeth," by Baffert's Jake Vinci. "I wasn't a bit surprised he won," Harty said of Straight to Bed, who rallied in deep stretch to outfinish Lucky Lit. "I wasn't concerned that he'd get beat at any time. I knew they'd get up to him, but I knew they wouldn't get by him."