HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Thursday, June 22, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

URGENT REQUEST, BLUMIN AFFAIR
DRILL FOR HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

Santa Anita Handicap winner Urgent Request and 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

runner-up Blumin Affair both worked on Hollywood Park's fast main track Thursday morning in preparation for the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 2.

Urgent Request went a mile-and-one-eighth in 1:51 under apprentice Brice Blanc,

and trainer Rodney Rash proclaimed the horse "all set" before departing for New Jersey where he will saddle Celtic Arms in the $500,000-guaranteed Caesars International Handicap (Gr. I) at Atlantic City Race Course on Sunday.

Clockers caught Urgent Request's fractions in :12 3/5, :24 3/5, :37 1/5, :49 3/5,

1:02 2/5, 1:15 and 1:27, with the final quarter in :24 1/5.

Blumin Affair went one mile in 1:37 under jockey Goncalino Almeida for Jack Van

Berg. "The work was good. He got what he needed," the Hall of Fame trainer said.

In other Gold Cup news:

Best Pal was ponied on Hollywood Park's training track following his half-mile drill

in :49 on Wednesday.

Cigar walked at Belmont Park.

Tossofthecoin and Del Mar Dennis galloped at Hollywood Park, while Tinners

Way walked following his six-furlong workout in 1:13 2/5 on Wednesday.

Bob Baffert said Let's Be Curious was on course for the 1 1/4-mile event following

a five-furlong move in 1:00 at Santa Anita on Wednesday. "I'll know more after his workout next week," Baffert said of the San Jacinto Handicap winner who was fifth in The Californian behind Concern.

Bobby Frankel, gunning for his 10th Hollywood Park training title, was asked what

the addition of Cigar to the Gold Cup meant to him.

"Another $250,000," he said with a straight face.

The Grade I Gold Cup carries a purse of $750,000, but if both Cigar and Concern

run, Hollywood Park will increase the pot to $1 million.

Nominations for the Gold Cup closed Wednesday with 10 and it appears at least

nine will run.The Gold Cup will be presented as Hollywood Park's fourth live race on July 2, with post time scheduled for 3:40 p.m. Weights are due Sunday.

The probable field: Best Pal, Chris McCarron; Blumin Affair, Goncalino

Almeida; Cigar, Jerry Bailey; Concern, Mike Smith; Del Mar Dennis, Alex Solis; Let's Be Curious, Kent Desormeaux; Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye; Tossofthecoin, Corey Nakatani, and Urgent Request, Gary Stevens.

Meadow Flight, owned by Aliyuee Ben J. Stables and trained by James Ryerson,

also has been nominated.

PASEANA READY FOR MILADY HANDICAP

Sidney Craig's champion mare Paseana continues her pursuit of the North

American filly/mare money title Sunday in the $150,000-added Milady Handicap.

Paseana has earned $3,133,703 and needs $130,133 to equal Dance Smartly's

record of $3,263,836.

Of the 10 horses nominated to the Grade I event, five were likely to run. The

probable field for the 1 1/16-mile race: Paseana, Chris McCarron, 123; Pirate's Revenge, Chris Antley, 116; Private Persuasion, Eddie Delahoussaye, 114; Melrose Wine, Alex Solis, 112, and Emerald Express, Brice Blanc, 108.

Ron Ellis sent Pirate's Revenge a half-mile on Hollywood Park's firm turf course

(dogs up) Thursday morning in :50 4/5.

LOCALS SET FOR CAESARS AT ATLANTIC CITY

The California contingent was at the ready for the $500,000-guaranteed Caesars

International Handicap on Sunday. The 1 3/16-mile turf classic will be simulcast by Hollywood Park from Atlantic City Race Course between the second and third live races, with post time set for 1:48 p.m.

California will be represented in the Grade I race by Sandpit, Earl of Barking,

Vaudeville, Celtic Arms, Torch Rouge and Opera Score.

The probable field for the Caesars, run as the United Nations Handicap from 1953

to 1989: Alice Springs, Rene Douglas, 115; Celtic Arms, Patrick Valenzuela, 118; Earl of Barking, Goncalino Almeida, 117; Fourstars Allstar, Jose Santos, 118; King's Theatre, Jerry Bailey, 118; Lassigny, Mike Smith, 114; Opera Score, David Flores, 113; Sandpit, Corey Nakatani, 122; The Vid, Pat Day, 120; Torch Rouge, Robbie Davis, 113, and Vaudeville, Gary Stevens, 118.

Future book favorites for the race through Wednesday, according to Caesars

Palace, were Vaudeville (5-2), The Vid (7-2) and Sandpit (4-1).

DAZZLING FALLS, DA HOSS AMONG SUPPLEMENTS TO SWAPS STAKES

Dazzling Falls, Da Hoss, On Target, Mr Purple, Shinnecock Hills and To Be

Khaled were late nominations to the $500,000 Swaps Stakes on July 23. The nominations were made at a cost of $2,000 each.

Leading candidates already pointed to the Swaps Stakes are Kentucky Derby

Derby/Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch and Ohio Derby winner Petionville. Other possibles include recent allowance winners Geri and T. J.'s Gold, as well as In Character.

As for the supplements, trainer Ron McAnally plans to run both Mr Purple and On

Target in the Affirmed Stakes on July 2 before making a decision on the Swaps, while owner Donald Kroeger and trainer Chuck Turco are seriously considering shipping Dazzling Falls to California for the Grade II event.

"I think we've got a pretty good shot of getting Dazzling Falls," said

Racing Secretary Martin Panza. "I think the owner is weighing his options, and I know the trainer would like to get another shot at Petionville."

In last Saturdays' Ohio Derby at Thistledown, Dazzling Falls rallied from eight

lengths off the pace but couldn't get by Petionville in the drive, and fell a head short at the wire.

Trainer Randy Bradshaw said Petionville arrived back at Hollywood Park

Tuesday.

"He just came back from Ohio and he's doing really well," Bradshaw

said. "His next start will be in the Swaps and we might run Oncefortheroad in there, too. It looks like it might be a small field in the Swaps, and (Oncefortheroad) is a closer, so his style wouldn't really hurt Petionville.

"But we'll probably run Oncefortheroad in the Affirmed before we make a

decision."

TAKE SOME ADVICE FROM DAN LANDERS, McANALLY IS TOPS

He's been on the job less than a week, but Ron McAnally's new chief assistant

already likes what he sees.

"This barn is very professional, very smooth," said 45-year-old Dan

Landers. "The people here are veterans, they know their jobs and they do them well. What does it tell you when a guy like Eduardo Inda works (as McAnally's chief assistant) for 23 years? I know it tells me that Ron is a good person to work for."

Inda left last week to begin a new job as head trainer for Marshall Naify's 505

Farms. McAnally hired Landers, who had been working as Jay Robbins' assistant, to replace Inda.

On a typical day at the McAnally barn, like Thursday, McAnally is at Santa Anita

overseeing his horses in training at the Arcadia track, while Landers, in constant phone communication with the boss, is overseeing the training at Hollywood Park. On other days, McAnally and Landers might both be found at Hollywood Park.

"It's pretty impressive to be around horses like Paseana and

Tossofthecoin," Landers said. "But Jay had some good horses, too. The difference here, though, is the numbers. Ron McAnally has so many horses . . . and so many good horses."

Through June 18, McAnally ranked fourth nationally in purse earnings with

$2,326,575.

"Naturally, there's pressure in a top barn to win races," Landers said.

"That's to be expected, though. The key is everyone doing their jobs. If everyone does their job, the races will be won."

FINISH LINES: Corey Nakatani will be out of town Saturday and Sunday.

Hollywood Park's leading jockey rides Raintrap for Bobby Frankel in the Golden Gate Handicap Saturday, and Sandpit for Dick Mandella in the Caesars International at Atlantic City on Sunday . . . Wesley Ward watched with interest as Shoemaker Handicap winner Unfinished Symph galloped on the turf Thursday morning. The son of Aloha Prospector is being pointed to the $100,000-added Daryl's Joy Handicap (Gr. III) at Saratoga on July 24. Asked if Chris Antley retained the mount, Ward said: "He already bought his plane ticket." . . . Chris McCarron has the mount on Twin Bet in Sunday's $75,000-added Queen to Conquer Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. Fernando Valenzuela rides Don't Read My Lips for Casey Maslonka in the grass marathon . . . Prominent workouts at Hollywood Park Thursday morning: Journalism (:47 3/5, breezing), Borodislew (1:13 4/5), and Semillon (1:05, firm turf, dogs up). Oncefortheroad, prepping for the Affirmed Handicap on July 2 for Randy Bradshaw, was clocked in 1:14 2/5.

Trainer Ian Jory nominated Marvin's Faith to the American Handicap but said

the 4-year-old Irish-bred will probably make his next start in the $300,000 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 6 . . . Congratulations to Palmdale, owner Robert G. Anderson and trainer Vladimir Cerin. Wednesday's victory in an $80,000 claiming event on turf was worth $29,150 and pushed the 7-year-old gelding's career earnings to $404,323. Overall, Palmdale has started 70 times with 15 wins, 13 seconds and 11 thirds. Not bad for the one-time $10,000 claimer. "That horse is my bread-and-butter," jockey Fernando Valenzuela said. "I've won six races on him. He's such a hard-trying son-of-a-gun . . . I just love a horse like that." Palmdale was dismissed at 6-1 Wednesday. "I told Mr. Anderson in the paddock that he could draw a line right through his last race," Valenzuela said. "He was boxed in and never had a chance to run. But yesterday (Wednesday), at about the eighth-pole, he got a good look at Duplicity and I knew we were going to win. All I had to do was point him in the right direction."

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