HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Tuesday, July 4, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

Any pet owner knows its animal is like a member of the family. The love and care
rendered by Susan Isaacs, who treats her stakes-winning Thoroughbred, Blaze O'Brien, like he's part of the family, apparently helped save the 8-year-old gelding's life.: The California-bred bay suffered a fractured right front sesamoid bone Saturday
morning at Hollywood Park following a half-mile workout for Tuesday's American Handicap. He was taken to Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Clinic in Los Olivos, for surgery.: The operation usually is not life-threatening. But when Blaze O'Brien began to
traumatize following the procedure, Dr. Greg Ferraro, who performed the two-hour surgery with Dr. Doug Herthel, had to call on Isaacs to help save her pet's life.: "The horse was under great stress," explained Hector Palma, who trains Blaze
O'Brien for Susan and her husband, Barry, of Sherman Oaks. "Finally, the doctors called Susan to go into Blaze's room, and she started talking to him and the horse started to get better and better and better.: "Last night he was eating and jumping and everything. At least that's what I heard," said
Palma, who celebrated his 58th birthday on the Fourth of July. "And I believe it, because I know how close Susan and the horse are. The doctors were really worried the horse wouldn't make it, until Susan was called in.": "We inserted a titanium rod," Dr. Ferraro explained at Hollywood Park Tuesday
morning. "As of last (Monday) night about 8:30 when I left, the horse was doing great. We operated on him about 10 in the morning.: "He's a funny little horse. The surgery went fine, and he recovered and sat
up and everything. But he had an anxiety attack and kind of panicked out, hyperventilated, got a little upset. His blood pressure went up and his temperature reached 105 degrees (normal is 100).: "So we bedded him down and had Susan go in and sit with him. She and
that horse are like that," Ferraro said, crossing his middle finger over his index finger. "She basically calmed him down, and then he was fine. The prognosis for his recovery is good, if he handles it mentally, now that he's gotten over his little upset.: "We've done quite a few of those procedures with that technique, probably
two or three dozen, and within a short period of time, they're sound and walking around. I did his mother (Irish O'Brien), same thing, right front fetlock, 10 years ago. We used a technique with plates and screws and wires. That was really traumatic and those horses would take six weeks to get comfortable.: "But now, with this new titanium rod, it takes only about a week, and they're
really comfortable. The rod goes all the way down to the center of the cannon bone and into the short pastern bone . . . we make an incision in the knee and go into the top of the theracarpal bone and down the medulary cavity. That way, we don't traumatize the area that's been damaged. So the horses do pretty good. Within a short time they can get the cast off.: "If this horse doesn't have any more of this mental upset, he should be fine,
because the surgery went perfectly.": After that, it was up to Susan Isaacs and her love for her horse.
CARSONA, TRIO PREP FOR SUNDAY'S HOLLYWOOD OAKS: Pebble Beach Racing Stable's Carsona worked five furlongs in a quick :59 flat Tuesday
morning in preparation for Sunday's $200,000 Hollywood Oaks (Gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies.: Although Carsona has just one victory from four starts - a wire-to-wire triumph in a
maiden special weight on June 24 -- trainer Jack Saip said the Illinois-bred by Carson City could be a factor in the Oaks.: "If she'll handle a mile and an eighth, she'll win," Saip said. "I
know she's just a maiden-breaker, but she's very talented. And she's always trained like she'll go a route. I like this filly a lot.": The probable Oaks favorite, Juddmonte Farms' Sleep Easy, was also on the track
Tuesday. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Seattle Slew worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 for trainer Bobby Frankel.: A winner of two of four starts and $102,950, Sleep Easy rallied to defeat
Texinadress in the Grade III Railbird Stakes on May 27, and then finished third as the 17-10 favorite in the Grade II Princess Stakes on June 18.: At Santa Anita, meanwhile, Mike Pegram's Favored One -- upset winner of the
Grade II Princess Stakes -- went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 on a fast main track for trainer Mike Puhich. And Brown and Brown Brothers' Predicted Glory -- fourth in the Princess Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00 flat for trainer Vladimir Cerin.: Probables for the 50th running of the Hollywood Oaks: Bello Cielo, Eddie
Delahoussaye; Carsona, Kent Desormeaux; Favored One, Alex Solis; Predicted Glory, Fernando Valenzuela; Sleep Easy, Corey Nakatani, and Our Summer Bid, Jose Silva.
FERNANDO VALENZUELA ON MAIDEN IN LANDALUCE: Fernando Valenzuela, tied for eighth with 24 wins in the Hollywood Park jockey
standings through Monday, will ride Woodyoubelieveit for trainer John Pappalardo in Saturday's $100,000-added Landaluce Stakes, agent Ray Kravagna reported.: Woodyoubelieveit, a bay Kentucky-bred daughter of Woodman, finished third in her only
two starts.: Trainer Linda Rice indicated Tremont Breeders' Cup Stakes winner Rosie O'Greta
could ship in from the east for the race.: The probable field for the Grade II Landaluce, for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs:
Cara Rafaela, Corey Nakatani; Distinguish Forum, Eddie Delahoussaye; Ecstasy, Kent Desormeaux; Liberty Nite, Laffit Pincay Jr.; Little Gumpher, Goncalino Almeida; Raw Gold, Alex Solis, and Woodyoubelieveit, Fernando Valenzuela.
EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR $500,000 SWAPS STAKES: Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch is the marquee name for the
$500,000 Swaps Stakes on July 23, but the D. Wayne Lukas-trainee is not expected to have an easy time of it, based on the potential starters for the Grade II event.: Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza expects Dazzling Falls, Mr Purple
and Petionville, among other top 3-year-olds, to join Thunder Gulch for the 1 1/8-mile Swaps Stakes.
WEKIVA SPRINGS TO GO TO BILL MOTT FOR NEW YORK CAMPAIGN: San Fernando Stakes winner Wekiva Springs, who has been jogging at Donald Dizney's
Double Diamond Farm in Florida, will be sent to trainer Bill Mott shortly for a fall campaign in New York, with the Breeders' Cup on Oct. 28 the ultimate goal, trainer Bob Hess Jr. reported at Hollywood Park Tuesday morning.: "Mr. Dizney (who owns the 4-year-old gray son of Runaway Groom along with Jim
English) and I talked it over and decided it was best to go that route," Hess said.: "He's a bad shipper and we felt it was best to keep him in New York to prepare for the
Breeders' Cup (at Belmont Park on Oct. 28). After the Breeders' Cup, the plan is to have him come back to the West Coast.": Wekiva Springs has been sidelined with a minor ailment to his right front foot since
early May, Hess said.: Mott's owners consist of international clientele, including Allen Paulson, whose Cigar
won the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup on Sunday.
: FINISH LINES: Hollywood Park will offer simulcast wagering on Pleasanton races
starting at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5. There will be no live racing, but fans wishing to enjoy Pleasanton races can do so at the Hollywood Park Casino's Finish Line Bar, where admission and programs will be free . . . Lauren Cohen's Royal Vale, winner of Monday's $66,500 Hidden Light Handicap, will make her next start in the $100,000-added San Clemente Handicap (Gr. III) at Del Mar on July 29, trainer Wally Dollase said . . . Trainer Bobby Frankel said Possibly Perfect, second to Alpride in Sunday's Beverly Hills Handicap, will be pointed to the $300,000-added Ramona Handicap (Gr. I) at Del Mar on Aug. 5. "They all get beat some time," Frankel said of Possibly Perfect. "And we were giving (Alpride) nine pounds." Frankel said Beverly Hills third-place finisher Wandesta's next start will be against Paseana in the $300,000-added Vanity Handicap on July 23. Edmund Gann's Metropolitan Handicap and Brooklyn Handicap winner You And I will go in either the Bel Air Handicap (July 16) or the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

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