HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Sunday, December 10, 1995

By Vince Bruun

SCHOLARSHIP WILL ATTEMPT TO EARN DIPLOMA IN FUTURITY
Charles W. Dunn's Scholarship, a Pennsylvania-bred maiden trained by Walter Greenman, will run in the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) on Sunday Dec. 17.

Scholarship has raced three times, twice at Oak Tree and once at Hollywood Park, and has been consistent if nothing else. The Fred Astaire colt has no speed whatsoever, but has rallied belatedly to finish third, second and second in his three races. In his most recent start, a maiden special weight race on Nov. 24, Scholarship came from the clouds to finish second to Coastal Time at 1 1/16 miles.

Scholarship was purchased earlier this year for $92,000 and he's out of the same dam, Illiterate, who produced Grade II stakes winner Alphabet Soup.

In other Futurity developments Sunday:

*Ayrton S drilled six furlongs in a bullet 1:12 3/5 at Santa Anita Park (clear/fast) for trainer Ron Ellis.

*Exetera worked seven furlongs in 1:29 at Santa Anita for Ron McAnally.

Early probables for the 15th Hollywood Futurity: Odyle, Corey Nakatani; Tropicool, no rider; Hennessy, Gary Stevens; Exetera, Eddie Delahousasye; Ayrton S, Chris McCarron; Matty G, Alex Solis, and Scholarship, no rider.

ADVANCING STAR TO BE TESTED FOR STAMINA IN STARLET
Trainer Richard Mandella figures to be asked the same question over and over this week: Can Golden Eagle Farm's Advancing Star -- brilliant in two sprint victories -- negotiate a distance of ground in Saturday's $250,000 Hollywood Starlet (Gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies

"I don't see any reason why she wouldn't (get a distance)," Mandella said. "We breezed her a mile (in 1:40 4/5), and she breezed nicely. And she's finished her races like she'll get a distance.

"But we can all speculate. Until she does it, you can't say for sure."

We know for sure that Advancing Star is fast. It's taken just two races to drive home that point. The homebred by Soviet Star out of Fair Advantage won her debut in 1:08 4/5 at Oak Tree on Oct. 21, then came back to win the seven-furlong Maker's Mark in 1:21 4/5 at Hollywood Park on Nov. 18. Her Beyer figures -- 104 and 102 -- are the two highest by any 2-year-old filly this year.

In other Starlet developments:

Wheatly Special, who finished second in the Miesque Stakes (Gr. III), worked six furlongs on the turf course in 1:16 1/5 (firm/dogs up) for trainer Jack Van Berg.

Early probables for the 15th Hollywood Starlet, to be decided at 1 1/16 miles on the main track: Cara Rafaela, Corey Nakatani; Chile Chatte, Alex Solis; Advancing Star, Gary Stevens, and Wheatly Special, Chris McCarron.

LUTHIER FEVER TRAINING FORWARDLY FOR NATIVE DIVER
It's been exactly one month since Luthier Fever upset Best Pal in the $250,000 California Cup Classic at Oak Tree.

So by now, Luthier Fever has settled nicely into a winter vacation and before long will begin training for a 1996 campaign that includes the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap.

Only one problem. Luthier Fever refused to go on holiday.

"We wanted to give him a little time off before Santa Anita," trainer Gary Jones said. "But he simply wouldn't have any of it. He was tearing the place down."

Jones, figuring it would be unwise to force the horse into a respite, decided to give Luthier Fever another chance to beat Best Pal. This time Hollywood Park will be the venue, the race the $100,000-added Native Diver Handicap (Gr. III) on Dec. 23.

Luthier Fever, a 4-year-old Mt. Livermore colt owned by Cuadra T Y T Inc., has made steady progress this year. The Cal Cup Classic victory was his third in 11 starts in 1995, and by far the biggest win of his career.

"You don't want to get too carried away, but this horse is inching his way forward," Jones said. "He's always had speed and a bit of talent, and now he's starting to put it all together."

QUOTE OF THE DAY . . .
Trainer Richard Mandella, commenting on Sunday morning's implosion which turned the Park Plaza Hotel into a heap of rubble. "I sent a couple of my dearest friends invitations to a cocktail party," he said. "Told 'em to be at the third floor of the Park Plaza Hotel at about 8:25 a.m."

FINISH LINES: David Flores, who missed the entire week with tonsilitis, will return to action on Wednesday, according to agent Don Pierce . . . Alex Solis rode three winners Saturday, has eight wins in the last three days and has moved to within three victories of Gary Stevens in the standings. Stevens rode his 23rd and 24th winners Saturday, including his meet-high seventh stakes win on Berry Gordy's Powis Castle in the Grade III Vernon O. Underwood Breeders' Cup Stakes . . . Bill Spawr celebrates his 56th birthday Wednesday. Spawr began Sunday tied with Bobby Frankel atop the trainers standings with nine wins . . . Dan Hendricks said the Park Plaza Hotel implosion caused no problems at his barn. "I don't think they even knew it happened." . . . Richard Mandella, meanwhile, said his stable took as many precautions as possible. Grooms were stationed near their horses, and radios were turned up full-blast. Mandella said the blast shook the backstretch, but reported no problems with horses in his barn . . . Hollywood Derby winner Labeeb worked six furlongs on the turf course (firm/dogs up) in 1:17 for trainer Neil Drysdale . . . Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap winner Score Quick worked six furlongs on the main track (foggy/fast) for trainer Mel Stute . . . On Trust Handicap winner Argolid drilled three furlongs in a bullet :34 3/5 at Santa Anita Park . . . Gastronomical will skip the Hollywood Starlet. "She's been asked to do a lot of different things," trainer Gary Jones said. "At this point, we think the smart thing to do is just back off and give her a little bit of time."