HENNESSY TO INVADE SUNDAY'S HOLLYWOOD PREVUE
Beverly J. and Robert B. Lewis' Hennessy, runner-up to Unbridled's Song in the $1-
million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will ship to Hollywood Park for Sunday's
$100,000-added Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup Stakes (Gr. III) at seven furlongs.
Hennessy is scheduled to arrive from Kentucky Thursday morning along with trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Hennessy, a 2-year-old colt by Storm Cat, ran well over Hollywood's main oval last summer, breaking his maiden by 8 1/2 lengths in :57 for five furlongs, and romping by 5 1/2 lengths in the Grade II Hollywood Juvenile Championship in 1:09 4/5 for six furlongs.
Gary Stevens will have the call on Hennessy, who is being pointed for the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) on Dec. 17.
Cobra King, meanwhile, drilled a half-mile in a bullet :46 2/5 at Santa Anita Tuesday, and trainer Mike Puype is leaning toward running the multiple stakes winner in the Prevue.
And trainer Ron McAnally was at Santa Anita Wednesday, where he sent Verne H. Winchell's Exetera five furlongs from the starting gate in a bullet :58 3/5, and Double J Farms' Matty G five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 in preps for the Prevue.
Probables for the Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup Stakes to be run at seven furlongs: Cobra King, Chris McCarron; Exetera, Chris Antley; Hennessy, Gary Stevens; Jazzmanian Devil, G. F. Almeida; Matty G, Alex Solis, and Zipped The Message, Kent Desormeaux.
HIDDEN LAKE TO TACKLE ADVANCING STAR
Hidden Lake, who overcame a troubled trip to finish second to Canta's Crusade in
the $78,000 Anoakia Stakes, is a go for Saturday's $100,000-added Maker's Mark for 2-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.
A daughter of Quiet American, Hidden Lake has been handed some tough assignments by trainer Walter Greenman and has responded with a first, a second and a third in four starts. The only race the late-running filly failed to fire was in the Grade II Del Mar Debutante, in which she finished a non-threatening eighth.
In the Anoakia, she broke awkwardly, rallied four-wide into the stretch and came up a half-length short of Canta's Crusade. The effort earned Hidden Lake a respectable 88 Beyer Figure for the six-furlong race.
Advancing Star, the probable Maker's Mark favorite based on her spectacular 1:08 4/5 debut on Oct. 21, breezed five furlongs at Santa Anita Tuesday in 1:01 2/5 for trainer Richard Mandella.
And trainer Ian Jory said Hear The Music, a 3-year-old Common Threads filly, was expected to arrive from England Wednesday, quarantine at Hollywood Park until Friday afternoon, and then, if all goes well, run in the Maker's Mark Sunday. Steve Purner heads up the syndicate that recently purchased the filly at the Tattersalls sale.
Probables for the Maker's Mark: Advancing Star, Gary Stevens; Hawaiian Cowgirl, G. F. Almeida; Hear The Music, Chris Antley; Hidden Lake, Chris McCarron, and Thankyourluckystar, Eddie Delahoussaye.
FLYING CHEVRON TO MAKE WEST COAST DEBUT IN BARRERA
Caesar P. Kimmel's and Ronald Nicholson's Flying Chevron is expected to ship
West for the $100,000-added Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap (Gr. III) on Thursday, Nov. 23, trainer James J. Toner said.
Flying Chevron, a winner of four of six starts and $183,117, figures to be the lone graded stakes winner in the Barrera. A Kentucky-bred by Carson City, Flying Chevron defeated the highly-regarded Da Hoss by 5 1/2 lengths in the Grade II Pegasus Handicap at The Meadowlands on Sept. 22 -- earning a Beyer Figure of 117. In his most recent start, the Grade II Discovery at Aqueduct on Nov. 4, Flying Chevron was fifth to Michael's Star, but reportedly didn't care for a racing surface that was listed as wet/fast.
Probables for the Barrera, to be decided at 1 1/16 miles on the main track: Adams Trail, Alex Solis; Beau Jingles, Chris McCarron; Farofino, no rider; Flying Chevron, Gary Stevens; Score Quick, G. F. Almeida, and Spingold, Corey Black.
FRANKEL TO RUN PAIR IN MATRIARCH
Possibly Perfect's career-ending injury -- caused by a torn ligament in her right
foreleg -- leaves a gaping hole in the Bobby Frankel stable. After all, how often do you get
to campaign a multiple Grade I-winning mare who won 11 of 18 starts and $1,377,273.
Still, the Hall of Fame trainer won't show up for the $700,000 Matriarch on Nov. 26 without a runner. In fact, Frankel still plans to run a pair of accomplished distaffers in the 1 1/4-mile grass event.
"As of now, Angel In My Heart and Wandesta will run (in the Yellow Ribbon)," Frankel said Wednesday morning.
Angel In My Heart, a 3-year-old Rainbow Quest filly, was transferred to the Frankel barn immediately following her second place finish in Sunday's $600,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Oak Tree. She's owned by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos and was trained by John Hammond in France.
Juddmonte Farms Wandesta is a multiple Grade I winner of $432,203. As for Possibly Perfect, Frankel said the Kentucky-bred daughter of Northern Baby deserves the 1995 Eclipse Award as champion filly or mare on turf. Possibly Perfect, owned by Robert and Geri Witt of Encino, has raced six times in 1995 with five wins -- including three Grade I's -- one second and $743,100 in purses.
"Without a doubt (she should win the Eclipse)," Frankel said. "The only time she got beat was when she had a bruised foot, and she was giving the other horse (Alpride) nine pounds."
DESERT STORMER MIGHT RESURFACE IN UNDERWOOD
Joanne Nor's Desert Stormer, who stunned the racing world with a front-running
victory in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Sprint, might make her next start in the
$100,000-added Vernon O. Underwood Breeders' Cup Stakes on Dec. 9, trainer Frank
Lyons said.
"She came out of the (Breeders' Cup) so well that we might bring her back a little earlier than we had planned," Lyons said. "The Underwood is a possibility, but the only race I'd say is definite is the Santa Monica Handicap."
The $150,000-added Santa Monica Handicap is a Grade I race at seven furlongs on Jan. 27 at Santa Anita.
"It would be nice to go out on top," Lyons said of Desert Stormer. "But one of the main goals is to get her over $1-million in earnings."
A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Storm Cat, Desert Stormer has won seven of 17 starts and $862,950.
Meafara was the last filly to win the Underwood, romping by seven lengths in the 1993 running. Meafara was coming off a close second to Cardmania in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
AFTER WEDNESDAY, IT'S SAYONARA FOR NAKATANI
The Autumn Meeting is Corey Nakatani's fly in the ointment.
In the last seven major Southern California meets dating back to Del Mar 1994,
Nakatani has won four riding titles and finished second twice. His only out-of-the-money
finish was a sixth at the 1994 Autumn session.
The 1995 Autumn Meeting hadn't even started and Nakatani appeared to be a longshot to win the title. He was to begin a five-day suspension on Thursday, Nov. 16, and then, on the day he was to resume riding, Thursday, Nov. 23, he leaves for Tokyo where he rides Sandpit in the $4.4-million Japan Cup on Nov. 26. That means Nakatani will miss at least eight of the first nine days of the meeting.
Agent Bob Meldahl said Nakatani should be able to return from Tokyo on Sunday, Nov. 26, in time to ride Da Hoss in the $400,000 Hollywood Derby (Gr. I) and possibly Wandesta in the $700,000 Matriarch (Gr. I).
OUR GATSBY TO SHIP IN FOR HOLLYWOOD DERBY
Charles Heider's Our Gatsby, runner-up to Dazzling Falls in the Remington Park
Derby, will make his next start Nov. 26 in the $400,000 Crown Royal Hollywood Derby
(Gr. I), trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said.
Our Gatsby, a Kentucky-bred by Strike Gold, suffered a chipped ankle in the Preakness Stakes May 20, but has returned from the injury to win two straight allowance races at Turfway Park.
"He had the chip in the Preakness and other than that he's been very consistent," Von Hemel said. "He's won two of three races on turf and if he makes a big showing in the Hollywood Derby, his future options really expand."
Von Hemel will be making his first trip to Southern California since 1983, when he helped his father, Don, saddle Shamtastic in the Swaps Stakes.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/alauck)