HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES
Sunday, June 4, 1995
By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden
BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC WINNER
CONCERN SET FOR THE CALIFORNIAN
Robert E. Meyerhoff's Concern, winner of the 1994 Breeders'
Cup Classic, is expected to leave New York Saturday for California
to run in The Californian at Hollywood Park the following day,
Sunday, June 11.
Trainer Richard Small, contacted via telephone at his Pimlico headquarters early Sunday morning, said there was a "good chance" the 4-year-old Maryland-bred son of Broad Brush would be in for the Grade I classic to be decided at 1 1/8 miles.
"If all goes well, we'll ship him to Monmouth Park (Oceanport, N.J.) and do his final training there, go from Monmouth to New York and fly Saturday non-stop to LAX," Small said.
Concern won the Grade III New Orleans Handicap on March 12 in his first start since the Breeders' Cup Classic last Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, in which he defeated Tabasco Cat by a neck.
He was third in two subsequent races, the Oaklawn Handicap and the Pimlico Special. Both of those races were won by Cigar, reigning handicap king who added the Massachusetts Handicap to his winning streak of eight at Suffolk Downs on Saturday.
Small last raced at Hollywood Park in 1977 when he saddled Festive Mood to a ninth-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup, said he was "virtually certain" Eclipse Award-winning jockey Mike Smith would be available for The Californian. Smith has ridden Concern in all three of the colt's races this year.
Small, who last raced in California in 1993 when he sent out Valley Crossing to a fifth-place finish in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar behind Bertrando, Missionary Ridge, Best Pal and Marquetry. He would consider running Concern back in the Hollywood Gold Cup if the colt performs admirably in The Californian.
"If he runs real well and shows he can handle the track, we would consider the Hollywood Gold Cup," Small said. "If not, there's the Suburban. Spacing-wise, either race would be fine after The Californian."
The $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles will be run on July 2, while the $350,000-guaranteed Suburban at the same distance will be run at Belmont Park on July 4. Both are Grade I races.
In 24 career starts, Concern has won five races, finished second seven times, third 10 times and has earned $2,828,450.
The probable field for The Californian: Best Pal, Chris McCarron, 120; Blumin Affair, no rider, 116; Concern, Mike Smith, 122; Let's Be Curious, Kent Desormeaux, 118; Stoller, Gary Stevens, 116; Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye, 116, and Tossofthecoin, Corey Nakatani, 118.
BEST PAL READY AND PRIMED FOR CALIFORNIAN
Golden Eagle Farm's Best Pal, who worked seven furlongs in 1:26
2/5 on the main track Saturday, is on edge for Saturday's $250,000-added
Californian, reported Chris Baker, assistant to trainer Richard
Mandella.
"He's training very well, but he always trains well," Baker said. "He knows the routine. He's very businesslike."
Baker said he didn't know if Best Pal would work again prior to the Californian, but said the 7-year-old Habitony gelding is fit and ready for the 1 1/8-mile event.
CLIFF 'SISES' UP SHOEMAKER WITH FRENCH INVADER
There could be a new shooter in the $150,000-added Shoemaker
Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday.
Trainer Cliff Sise Jr. said Sunday morning he is considering the Grade II race for Gary and Timothy Burke's Rue de Fraise, a 5-year-old son of Strawberry Road who won five of 19 starts in Europe with earnings of $79,398.
"We bought him in France and he just got in last night," Sise said. "He's due to get out of quarantine tomorrow (Monday) afternoon and if all goes well, we could run him. He won from seven-eighths to a mile-and-a-half in Europe, and he's a nice horse."
The probable field for the Shoemaker Handicap, at one mile on the turf: Blaze O'Brien, Corey Black; Bon Point, Eddie Delahoussaye; Eagle Eyed, Corey Nakatani; Johann Quatz, no rider; Journalism, Alex Solis; Rapan Boy, Kent Desormeaux, and Unfinished Symph, Chris Antley.
San Francisco Mile winner Unfinished Symph was scheduled to work seven furlongs on Hollywood Park's turf course between races Sunday afternoon, with Antley aboard.
Inglewood Handicap winner Blaze O'Brien worked six furlongs on Hollywood Park's fast main track Sunday morning in 1:12 4/5.
Trainer Wally Dollase said he would wait for the weights due Sunday before making a decision on Journalism, while reports from Jack Van Berg's barn had Hill Pass a possibility.
Paul Assinesi, contacted at Santa Anita, said Polar Route probably would pass both the Shoemaker and The Californian and wait for the $100,000-added Triple Bend Handicap on June 24.
"He worked pretty well on the turf," Assinesi said of Polar Route, who was third in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 21. "But at this point, he can't match up with the top ones on either (nomination) list."
SCORE QUICK LIKELY TO WHEEL RIGHT BACK IN HENSON
Bill Thomas' Score Quick, winner of a $45,000 allowance
race Saturday, could make a quick turnaround and run in the $100,000-added
Harry Henson Stakes on
June 10, trainer Mel Stute said.
"There's a very good chance he'll run," said Stute, who won the 1983 Henson with Grenoble. "We'll see who's in the race, size it up and make a decision."
A Kentucky-bred by Northern Score, Score Quick hasn't suffered from a lack of activity. The 3-year-old colt has already raced nine times in 1995, collecting two wins, three seconds, one third and $113,150. He's also kept extremely good company, facing the likes of Via Lombardia, Afternoon Deelites, French Deputy and Jumron.
Probables for 44th running of the Henson, to be decided at 7 1/2 furlongs on the main track: Capote's Promise, Kent Desormeaux; Houston Sunrise, no rider; Mr Purple, Corey Nakatani, and Score Quick, no rider.
Possible: Cold N Calculating, no rider.
CAT'S CRADLE SUFFERS SETBACK, WILL MISS MOTHER GOOSE
Ridder Thoroughbred Stable's multiple stakes winning filly
Cat's Cradle suffered a minor foot injury and will not run in
Friday's $200,000-guaranteed Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park,
trainer David Hofmans said.
"She wrenched an ankle and she's coming home," the trainer said. "We'll see how she's doing, and she'll probably be back in training in no time.
"But it's enough to make her miss (the Mother Goose)."
Hofmans said Cat's Cradle might still be able to run in the $200,000 Hollywood Oaks (Gr. I) on July 8.
BELMONT STAKES TOPS SIMULCAST SLATE
Hollywood Park will present the 127th edition of the Belmont
Stakes via simulcast next Saturday, in addition to three other
stakes races on the Belmont Park program.
Scheduled post time for the final leg of the Triple Crown is 2:30 p.m., between Hollywood Park's second and third live races.
The other simulcasts: the $100,000-added Hill Prince Stakes (Gr. III) for
3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf (12:27 p.m.), the $100,000-added Riva Ridge Stakes (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs (1:05 p.m.) and the $200,000-guaranteed Early Times Manhattan (Gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles on the turf (1:42 p.m.).
Hollywood Park will also simulcast the $200,000-guaranteed Mother Goose Stakes (Gr. I), featuring Serena's Song, from Belmont Park on Friday, along with the $75,000-added Jaipur Stakes (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on the turf.
The Jaipur runs at 1 p.m. and the Mother Goose at 1:30 p.m.
THE LONGEST YARD
Trainer Bob Baffert had to wait an hour to get his shoes
shined at Hollywood Park the other day.
"The guy in front of me was Hakeem Olajuwon," Baffert said, "and he wears a size 16 1/2 shoe."
FINISH LINES: Jeanne Mayberry reports Ashland Stakes winner Urbane is progressing well in Kentucky from a hind leg injury suffered in the Kentucky Oaks on May 5. "She could be back with us in six weeks," Mayberry said . . . Scratch River Flyer from Saturday's Hollywood Park work tab. "Actually, that was a horse of Bruce Jackson's, Super Flyer," said David Hofmans, trainer of River Flyer who is still at the Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona . . . Neil Drysdale said Cinema Handicap winner Via Lombardia came out of the race well, and could make his next start on the grass at Arlington International Race Course . . . Kent Desormeaux will leave for his native Louisiana after Sunday's races to attend his sister's wedding. He's expected to miss Wednesday's program.
Trainer Bob Marshall reports Holy Bull's half-sister, Ed's Holy Cow, is due to work a half-mile Monday morning as she prepares for her debut . . . Chris Baker, assistant to Richard Mandella, said Afternoon Deelites continues on the road to recovery from an arthroscopic procedure on his tendon. "He's still plenty active," Baker said of Burt Bacharach's multiple stakes winner. "You need a lip chain just to walk him around." . . . Laffit Pincay Jr. had two seconds and a fourth in three stakes at Calder Race Course Saturday. Pincay finished second on 3-5 favorite Chaposa Springs in the $100,000 Azalea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, finished second on 5-1 shot Leave'm Inthedark in the $100,000 Carry Back Stakes for 3-year-olds, and fourth on
4-1 Mr. Angel in the $100,000 Lago Mar Handicap for older horses. In the latter event, Glen Hill Farm's Linear set a course record of :55 2/5 for five furlongs on the turf, winning the event at 5-1 odds under Rene Douglas.
Fit To Lead was a 2 1/2-length winner of Saturday's $164,700 Fleur De Lis Hanidicap at Churchill Downs. Trained by Mandella and owned by professional golfer Jim Colbert, Hollywood Park Chairman and Chief Operating Officer R. D. Hubbard and Connie Sczesny, Fit To Lead ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51 2/5 on fast track and paid $4.80. Shane Sellers was the winning rider . . . Lloyd DeBruycker's Wende, scratched from Sunday's Gamely Handicap, will be pointed to upcoming races at Hollywood Park, according to trainer John Sadler. "The race just came up tough," Sadler said of the Gamely. "We basically entered with the hope that maybe some horses would come out." . . . Sans Ecocide, upset winner of Friday's Bo Derek Stakes, is a possible starter in the $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship (Gr. II) on July 22, co-owner Bob Rondeau said. Rondeau, who purchased the 4-year-old Great Britain-bred in partnership with Mike Pegram through bloodstock agent Murray Friedlander, is the play-by-play radio announcer for the University of Washington football and basketball teams . . . Former Southern California jockey Aaron Gryder celebrates his 25th birthday Monday . . . Jockey Matt Garcia celebrated his 24th birthday Sunday.