HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Friday, June 23, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

TRAINER PONDERS RICH GOLD CUP
FOR LONGSHOT MEADOW FLIGHT

Meadow Flight will be one of the longest shots in the race if he runs in the

Hollywood Gold Cup on Sunday, July 2.

But upon scrutiny of his past performances, one line jumps out that might induce

an investment at enticing odds. He finished in front of Concern while finishing second to 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull in the Grade I Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park last July 31.

That's one reason trainer Jim Ryerson is considering bringing the 4-year-old

Florida-bred son of Meadowlake to Hollywood Park for the Grade I Gold Cup.

"He had a good 3-year-old year," the 42-year-old trainer said Friday

morning from Monmouth Park. "He won the Flamingo, then had a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby. He was second to Holy Bull in the Haskell and he finished ahead of Concern in that race, although the race didn't set up that well for Concern."

Meadow Flight finished eighth in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs

in his most recent start (June 17). Ryerson attributes that dull effort to the racing surface.

"Right now I'd say I'm 50-50 for running in the Gold Cup," said

Ryerson, who was born and raised in Oceanport, N.J., a scenic seaside resort that is home of Monmouth Park. "For a million-dollar pot, we might have to take a shot at it."

Meanwhile, Concern's trainer, Richard Small, was undecided on whether The

Californian winner would ship back for the Gold Cup.

"The weights are very important," Small said via telephone from

Pimlico Race Course in Maryland. "It's just not a simple decision. I also want to see what (Belmont Park racing secretary) Mike (Lakow) gives us for the Suburban."

Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza will assign Gold Cup weights on

Sunday. Weights for the Suburban are due four days later on June 29.

Hollywood Park will increase the purse of the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup from $750,000

to $1 million if both Cigar and Concern run. Owner Allen Paulson and trainer Bill Mott announced their intention to run Cigar, a winner of eight straight races -- five of them Grade Is -- and the leading candidate for Horse of the Year.

The $350,000-guaranteed Suburban Handicap (Gr. I) will be decided at 1 1/4

miles on July 4.

Small said Concern is "doing great." The son of Broad Brush galloped

Friday morning after working a half-mile on Wednesday.

The probable field for the 56th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be

presented as the fourth live race at 3:40 p.m.: 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; Meadow Flight, no rider; Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye; Tossofthecoin, Corey Nakatani, and Urgent Request, Gary Stevens.

Combined earnings of the 10 horses are $15,255,869, an average of $1,525,586.

PERFECT' VS. CROWD' IN GRADE I BEVERLY HILLS HANDICAP

Possibly Perfect and Work The Crowd, who between them have won 22 of 36

career starts, are scheduled to meet in the $300,000-added Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 2, one of three important added-money events to be decided here next Sunday.

Possibly Perfect, winner of five straight races including three Grade I events, is

one of two representatives from trainer Bobby Frankel's barn in the Grade I Beverly Hills. Frankel also plans to run Wandesta, winner of the Grade I Santa Barbara and Santa Ana Handicaps at Santa Anita earlier this year.

Possibly Perfect is owned by Blue Vista, Inc. and Wandesta by Juddmonte Farms,

so they will not race as an entry.

Confirmed starters for the Beverly Hills, to be decided at nine furlongs on the turf:

Aube Indienne, no rider; Lady Affirmed, Gary Stevens; Possibly Perfect, Kent Desormeaux; Wandesta, Corey Nakatani, and Work The Crowd, Chris McCarron.

Ron McAnally said Alpride will not participate, while John Sadler said Wende will

pass the race. Morgana and Fondly Remembered are possibilities.

CAESARS DRAWS 10 AT ATLANTIC CITY

Multiple Grade I stakes winner Sandpit and four other California-based horses

head a field of 10 entered Friday for Sunday's $500,000-guaranteed Caesars International Handicap (Gr. I) at Atlantic City Race Course.

The 1 3/16-mile classic will be simulcast to Hollywood Park between the second

and third live races. Post time is at 1:48 p.m.

The field, in post position order with riders and weights: Sandpit, Corey Nakatani,

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

The Caesars International is the first event in a two-race East-West package that

offers a prize of $750,000 for a horse sweeping Sunday's race and the $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship at Hollywood Park on July 22.

McANALLY DUO SET FOR AFFIRMED HANDICAP

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally said Friday morning both Alex G. Campbell

Jr.'s Harry Henson Stakes winner Mr Purple and Del Mar Futurity winner On Target are on course for the $125,000-added Affirmed Handicap on July 2.

The probable field for the Grade III event for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles:

Hidden Source, Kent Desormeaux; In Character, no rider; Mr Purple, Corey Nakatani; On Target, Alex Solis; Oncefortheroad, Danny Sorenson, and Pumpkin House, Gary Stevens.

TALLOIRES COULD COME BACK IN JIM MURRAY HANDICAP

Talloires, an enigmatic but talented son of Trampolino who won Thursday's third

race by 6 1/2 lengths after trailing by 10 at one stage, could come back in the $100,000-added Jim Murray Handicap next Saturday (July 1).

"We're thinking about it," trainer Richard Mandella said of the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred

chestnut. "If he's strong enough, he could run."

Kent Desormeaux, who rode Talloires to victory Thursday, has the call for the Jim

Murray, to be decided at 1 1/2 miles on the grass.

Trainer Neil French said he plans to run Ken Porter's French-bred Yakout in the

Jim Murray, while Bobby Frankel reported Newton's Law is a possibility.

COMPETITIVE AMERICAN HANDICAP LOOMS JULY 4

The $150,000-added American Handicap on July 4 could be one of the most

competitive added-money races of the meet.

As of Friday morning, the Grade II event for 3-year-olds and up was expected to

attract several stakes winners, including Romarin, Eagle Eyed, Savinio and Blaze O'Brien.

Probables for the nine-furlong turf event: Blaze O'Brien, Corey Black; Eagle

Eyed, no rider; Johann Quatz, no rider; Lord Shirldor, no rider; Red Earth, Kent Desormeaux; Romarin, no rider, and Savinio, Chris McCarron.

Ron McAnally said Cleante will pass the race and be pointed to the $125,000-added Bel Air

Handicap (Gr. II) on July 16.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Derek Meredith reports 1993 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner

Cardmania, who will miss Saturday's Triple Bend Handicap due to an abscess in his left front foot, "jogged perfectly" Friday morning and should be all right for Del Mar. "We X-rayed him Thursday and they were clean," Meredith said . . . Bobby Frankel, Hollywood Park's leading trainer, said he plans to send out eight horses on July 2, a personal one-day high for him . . . Craig Roberts, who was scheduled to saddle 1994 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Slew of Damascus in Friday night's Bedside Promise Handicap, said the 5 1/2-furlong distance on the turf is the shortest the Tennessee-bred gelding has run during his care. "I got him when he was five," Roberts said of the 7-year-old son of Slewacide. "The shortest I ever ran him was seven furlongs in the 1993 Triple Bend Handicap." . . . Five of the six scheduled starters in Saturday's Golden Gate Handicap are based in Southern California: Raintrap (Frankel), Bluegrass Prince (Rodney Rash), Liyoun (Dan Hendricks), Special Price (Neil Drysdale) and Sans Ecocide (Mike Puhich).

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