MORGANA TURNS IN SHARP DRILL FOR SUNDAY'S GRADE I GAMELY
Robert E. Sangster's Morgana worked five furlongs in :59 4/5, handily, on a fast
main track Wednesday in preparation for Sunday's $150,000-added Gamely Handicap
for fillies and mares on turf. Morgana's work was the fastest of 27 at the distance.
A 4-year-old El Gran Senor filly, Morgana goes into the Grade I Gamely off a
sharp second-place finish to Possibly Perfect in the Grade II Wilshire Handicap May 14.
In that one, Morgana showed uncharacteristic speed while dueling with Possibly Perfect
to mid-stretch, at which point Possibly Perfect drew off to win handily in 1:40 1/5 for
1 1/16 miles.
Trainer Gary Jones, who has had Morgana in razor-sharp form since getting the
filly from English conditioner Peter Chapple-Hyam last winter, said he feared another
paceless scenario in the Gamely.
"In the (Wilshire) we had to go out with Possibly Perfect, there was absolutely no
other speed in the race," he said. "It looks to me like Sunday's race might be a replay. I
was hoping Charlie (Whittingham's) other filly (Lady Affirmed) had some speed, but it
looks like she's a closer, too.
"Someone needs to soften up Possibly Perfect, or otherwise we're all running for
second money."
In other works Wednesday:
Don't Read My Lips worked four furlongs in :51 2/5, handily.
Whittingham said Aube Indienne is scheduled to blowout Thursday on the turf.
Probables for the 29th running of the Gamely Handicap, to be decided at 1 1/8
miles on the turf course: Possibly Perfect, Kent Desormeaux, 123; Aube Indienne,
Chris McCarron, 118; Morgana, Eddie Delahoussaye, 116; Lady Affirmed, Gary
Stevens, 114, and Don't Read My Lips, Fernando Valenzuela, 111.
Possible: Fondly Remembered, no rider, 114; Wende, no rider, 113, and Cabo
Queen, no rider, 110.
RIDERS SET FOR CINEMA HANDICAP
The Corey Question has been resolved.
Leading trainer Bobby Frankel, who said he would ride Corey Nakatani and Corey
Black on either of his two horses in Saturday's $100,000-added Cinema Handicap,
made his decision Wednesday morning.
Nakatani will ride John Chandler's French invader, Bryntirion, while Corey Black
will handle Juddmonte Farms' Hidden Source.
Bryntirion worked five furlongs on Hollywood Park's fast main track in 1:01 3/5,
Wednesday morning, while another Cinema candidate, California Derby winner Fine N'
Majestic, went a half-mile in :49 2/5.
The probable field for the Grade III event at nine furlongs on the turf: Bee El
Tee, Kent Desormeaux, 116; Bryntirion, Nakatani, 113; Fine N' Majestic, Gary Stevens,
119; Hidden Source, Black, 113; In Character, Chris Antley, 117; Longliner, Chris
McCarron, 116; On Target, Alex Solis, 119; Oncefortheroad, Danny Sorenson, 114, and
Via Lombardia, Eddie Delahoussaye, 119
.
BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR GONCALINO ALMEIDA
Win a half-million dollar race Monday, and two days later, it's back to the drawing
board.
That was the scenario for 39-year-old jockey Goncalino Almeida, who won the
biggest race of his North American career at Hollywood Park on Monday, the $500,000
Hollywood Turf Handicap aboard Earl of Barking.
Almeida and his agent, Vince DeGregory, were back at their daily routines
Wednesday morning, Almeida working horses and DeGregory hustling mounts.
Almeida's work ethic is one of the reasons for his success. That, and a little bit of
well-placed luck, is how he wound up on Earl of Barking in the first place.
"We actually got him (to ride Earl of Barking) by mistake," trainer Richard Cross
explained. "We used him because he was available to work a horse, then we put him on
one in the afternoon, and it won. The next time we had an open horse, we put him on,
and he won again.
"We wanted Chris McCarron for his race in New Orleans (Explosive Bid Handicap
at Fair Grounds March 26), but Chris couldn't make it, so Goncalino went and won the
race."
Next time out, Almeida had a world of trouble in the first furlong of the Early Times
Classic at Churchill Downs, in which Earl of Barking finished seventh on May 6.
Monday, it was a different story, but Cross is as aware as the next guy how sudden
changes can occur in Thoroughbred racing.
"That's how this business works," Cross said. "If he (Almeida) makes some
mistakes and gets beat a few times, he'll probably go, too."
But it won't be because Almeida missed an assignment.
"He's extremely dedicated and loyal," DeGregory said. "You know, he only had
one mount last Sunday (May 21) in the 10th and last race, yet he came in to ride the
horse, which was beaten 42 lengths."
That was the exception, however. Since May 20, Almeida had accepted 28
mounts, won with six, had two seconds, one third, rode Lucky Forever to a world-record
6 1/2-furlong victory and Earl of Barking to a 24-1 upset in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf
Handicap.
UNFINISHED SYMPH PREPS FOR SHOEMAKER HANDICAP
Trainer Wesley Ward sent San Francisco Mile winner Unfinished Symph six
furlongs on Hollywood Park's fast main track Wednesday morning in preparation for the
$150,000-added Shoemaker Handicap on June 10.
"I got him in 1:10 1/5," Ward said, "but he did it like it was 1:14. It was a
tremendous breeze."
Unfinished Symph was ridden by exercise rider Jesse Velasquez and worked in
company with Marfa Smeralda, who had Chris Antley up. "I usually work him
(Unfinished Symph) in company because he's so lazy," Ward explained. "The week
before he went five furlongs on the turf (dogs up) in :59 1/5."
DRYSDALE HOPES TO STRIKE GOLD WITH GOLD LAND
His Royal Highness Prince Fahd Salman's Gold Land, impressive winner of his
last two races in allowance company, could make his first United States' stakes start in
the Triple Bend Handicap on June 24.
"We're looking at that race," trainer Neil Drysdale said after the 4-year-old gelded
son of Gone West won a $55,000 allowance test at seven furlongs Monday in 1:20 4/5,
just two-fifths off Hollywood Park's track record.
"He relaxed well the first part," Drysdale said. "Then he wanted to go a little bit
and he came up suddenly, then relaxed again when he was upsides of the Brazilian
horse (Siphon). This was very encouraging. He was sort of going the wrong way (in
England) the year before he came here.
"The first race (in the U.S.), we ran him too long (1 1 /8 miles on the turf. Gold
Land broke in the air and finished fifth in a field of six). The second race, (Eddie)
Delahoussaye made a mistake because he sent him from the gate, and once he sent
him, he couldn't get him back."
But the Kentucky-bred colt has adapted well under Drysdale's tutelage, and the
trainer has his sights set on the $100,000-added Triple Bend, a Grade III event at the
same distance as Monday's race.
SERVICES FRIDAY FOR TRAINER LARRY ROSE
Funeral services for Larry Rose have been set for Friday. The former trainer and
jockeys' agent died Sunday at age 85.
Rose was born in Flanagan, Ill., on Nov. 9, 1909 and was introduced to the horse
world by his father, who campaigned a string of standardbreds on the Illinois and
Indiana fair circuit. He took out his first trainer's license in Texas in 1934 but was
stranded at Santa Anita when World War II began.
Rose finished fifth in the Hollywood Park standings in 1970 with 21 wins. He
trained Relativity Stable's Beau's Eagle, who won the 1979 Cinema Handicap and the
1980 Los Angeles Handicap. He also conditioned and owned 1974 Will Rogers
Handicap winner Stardust Mel, who went on to win the 1975 Santa Anita Handicap
under the ownership of Marjorie L. Everett. Charlie Whittingham was the trainer.
Rose credited Harry Trotsek and Buster Millerick for his success with
Thoroughbreds.
"During the Depression, I went with Harry and I learned plenty from him, he's a
great horseman," Rose said in a 1970 Hollywood Park press release. "But it was during
my years with Millerick that I learned the most."
Rose is survived by his wife, June. Friday's services will be at Fort Rosecrans
Military Cemetery in San Diego at 10:30 a.m.
FINISH LINES: Trainer Walter Greenman reports Savinio came
out of his third-place
finish in Monday's Hollywood Turf Handicap "better than any horse
I've ever run going that far. He just got stopped in the race," said Greenman, who added
he had no specific plans for the gelding's next race . . . Vaudeville, who tired late to
finish fifth in the Turf Handicap, returned to his Northern California headquarters and
reportedly will be pointed by Fordell Fierce to the $500,000-guaranteed Caesars
International at Atlantic City on June 25 . . . Bruce Jackson said there was only a
"very slight" chance of In Character running in the Belmont Stakes on June 10. The
Louisiana Derby runner-up is most likely to start in the Cinema Handicap on Saturday . .
. Sandy Shulman passed Friday's Bo Derek Stakes with Jahafil. "He worked
great, but he got a touch tired," Shulman said. "I don't want to take a chance with him." .
. . Paco Gonzalez said Del Mar Dennis came out of his fourth-place finish in the
Turf Handicap in good shape and could make his next start back on the dirt in the
$750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 2. "The fractions were slow and there was too
much hold taken on him," Gonzalez said. "He's a free-running horse."
Bobby Frankel is pointing Tinners Way to The Californian on June
11 . . . Agent Ray
Kravagna
reports Fernando Valenzuela will be at Golden
Gate Saturday to ride Ballerina Gal for Jerry Fanning in the $100,000-guaranteed
Camilla Urso Handicap . . . Lookalikes: Kent Desormeaux and Eric
Lindros . . .Hollywood Park stable notes can be found on the Internet of the World Wide Web. Just
point your web browser to The Running Horse at http://www.isd1.com/alauck../../index.html . . . Wednesday's program included a two-day Pick Six carryover of $441,825 . . . Eddie
Delahoussaye, who began Wednesday in second place in the jockeys' standings, posted nine of his 26 wins on two
cards. He won five races on May 13 and had four wins on Memorial Day, May 28 . . .
Houston Sunrise worked six furlongs in 1:14 2/5 in preparation for the $100,000-added
Harry Henson Stakes June 10 . . . Wednesday's prominent works: (low clouds & fast)
Artica (:37 2/5, American Day (:48 3/5), Journalism (1:28 4/5), Phone Chatter (1:29 1/5).