HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Saturday, June 24, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

DEL MAR DENNIS WORKS FIVE FURLONGS,
SEEKS FIRST GRADE I VICTORY IN GOLD CUP

Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan's Del Mar Dennis worked five furlongs in

1:00 2/5, handily, on the main track Saturday in preparation for the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup on Sunday, July 2.

Sal Gonzalez Sr. was up for the workout, which included splits of :24 4/5,

:36 1/5 and :48. Trainer Paco Gonzalez said Del Mar Dennis galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 and said the Dixieland Band gelding remains extremely sharp.

"I'm really happy with the way he's training for this race," Gonzalez

said. "He's very good right now. He's as good as he's ever been."

If there's a knock on Del Mar Dennis -- if indeed it's possible to knock a horse who

has won eight of 16 starts and $836,825 -- it's that he's never won a Grade I event. Gonzalez, however, points out that the horse has been successful against Grade I winners, beating Best Pal and Slew of Damascus in the San Pasqual Handicap, and Tinners Way in the 1994 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap.

"And in the Santa Anita Handicap, he was only beaten a length, and he

missed some training for that one because of a bleeding problem," said Gonzalez.

"The only thing that worries me is the weight. He's not really a mile-and-a-quarter

horse. A mile-and-an-eighth is more his distance, and if he gets stuck with too much weight, I'm not sure what we'll do."

Del Mar Dennis carried 118 pounds while finishing fourth in the Grade I Hollywood

Turf Handicap on May 29.

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

nationally by ESPN and presented as the sixth live race at 3:40 p.m.: Best Pal, Chris McCarron; Blumin Affair, G. F. 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.

IN CHARACTER TO WORK SUNDAY

In Character, tenth in the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to work on the main track

Sunday and has a good chance of running in the $125,000-added Affirmed Handicap on Sunday, July 2.

The English-bred colt has been slowed by a foot ailment. He lost a shoe and tore

off a portion of his left front hoof while galloping the day prior to the June 3 Cinema Handicap.

"He's doing well, his foot is fine," trainer Bruce Jackson said.

"We'll see how he works (Sunday), wait a couple of days, and make a decision."

In other developments, trainer David Bernstein said Houston Sunrise has tender

feet and is questionable for the Affirmed, and Verne Winchell's On Target worked six furlongs in 1:13, handily, in preparation for the Grade III event.

The probable field for the Grade III Affirmed Handicap 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.

APPRENTICE MAWING TO BE SIDELINED FOUR-TO-SIX WEEKS

Apprentice jockey Leslie Mawing suffered a broken left collarbone and a facial

laceration when Towiel broke down in Friday night's second race. Agent Richie Silverstein said Mawing was resting comfortably at his Arcadia residence and will miss four-to-six weeks of action.

A native of South Africa, Mawing has had 25 mounts at the meet with no wins,

two seconds and two thirds.

FOR WHITTINGHAM, WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

Truth is stranger than fiction, and in the case of 82-year-old horse trainer Charlie

Whittingham, it may be even stranger than an episode on "The Twilight

Zone."

When trainer Richard Small shipped Robert Meyerhoff's Breeders' Cup Classic

winner Concern from the East Coast to Hollywood Park for The Californian on June 11, the well-traveled colt bedded down in stall 53 at Whittingham's barn.

Whittingham cared for Concern like he was a member of his family, which, in a

sense, he is.

"I trained his grandfather," Whittingham said, speaking of 1971 Horse

of the Year Ack Ack, who sired Broad Brush, Concern's sire.

"Ack Ack was one of the best horses I ever trained," Whittingham said.

"Not only was he Horse of the Year, he was best older horse and best sprinter that same year, too. And he could carry weight. He won the Hollywood Gold Cup (in 1971) under 134 pounds."

Ack Ack was trained by Woody Stephens for the Cain Hoy Stable of Capt. Harry

Guggenheim before coming west under Whittingham's care. Ack Ack finished his career with 19 victories and earnings of $636,641. He was prolific at stud, too, siring 55 stakes winners.

"Concern is a little horse," Whittingham said, "but he's a running

sonofagun. And I know about his father, too, because he beat me a nose in the Santa Anita Handicap."

Broad Brush, carrying 122 pounds, won the 1987 Big 'Cap in the last jump over

the Whittingham-trained Ferdinand, who carried 125.

Small also trained Broad Brush, who was owned by Meyerhoff.

Concern is expected back at Hollywood Park for the rich Hollywood Gold Cup on

July 2.

Whittingham has stall 53 reserved for him.

BENGAL BAY FLASHES SPEED, ROMPS IN FRIDAY'S SEVENTH

Saturday's card included a Pick Six carryover of $103,057, and Bengal Bay was

as responsible as any winner Friday night.

Bengal Bay, normally an out-of-left field closer, confounded handicappers by

going virtually wire-to-wire to score by four lengths in the seventh race. The 6-year-old son of Woodman returned $23.60 straight after winning the $62,500 claimer at 7 1/2 furlongs.

"It wasn't so much that we decided to send him," said trainer and part

owner Barry Abrams. "It's just the way the race shaped up. He's used to those :22 2/5 quarters, but when they went :23 4/5, he couldn't help but be right there. Patrick (Valenzuela) did a good job of seeing the shape of the race and he just let the horse roll with it. I've got to admit, even I was a little bit surprised by how strongly he finished."

Claimed for $12,500 at the 1993 Oak Tree meeting, Bengal Bay has earned over

$200,000 for his new connections and was the claimer of the meeting at the 1993-94 Santa Anita winter stand.

STEVENS TO SHOWCASE GOLF SWING MONDAY

Gary Stevens, who will miss Sunday's program to ride Vaudeville in the $500,000 Caesars

International Handicap at Atlantic City, will also be absent Monday. Stevens will be in his native Pacific Northwest to participate in NBA star Detlef Schrempf's Celebrity Golf Tournament. The charity event will benefit the Boyer Children's Clinic of Seattle.

FINISH LINES: Trainer John Sadler is optimistic that Track Gal, impressive winner

of Thursday's $51,000 allowance feature, can continue her progress after overcoming several "minor injuries" which have limited her to seven career starts. "She's got lots of natural speed," Sadler said of the 4-year-old daughter of Track Barron, "and I think she'll go on (beyond sprinting). I think a lot of her and there could be some stakes in her future." . . . Houseafire, a 2-year-old son of two-time Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Housebuster, is being pointed to the $100,000-added Hollywood Juvenile Championship at Hollywood Park on July 24 after winning the Norgor Futurity by 8 1/4 lengths at Ruidoso Downs on June 18. Houseafire, owned by Margaret Bloss and Margaret duPont of El Paso, Texas, is trained by Doyal Roberts. Said 39-year-old jockey Gilbert Villescas, who rode Houseafire in the Norgor: "I've never been in a Bentley, but I think this is what it's like." Houseafire covered 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:05 2/5, under 120 pounds.

Friday marked the 17th anniversary of Danny Sorenson's maiden victory abaord

Had A Notion, June 23, 1978, at Hollywood Park . . . Sal Gonzalez Jr. will be at Golden Gate Fields Sunday to ride Ready to Order for Jude Feld in the $50,000-added Ladbroke Stakes for 2-year-olds. Caesar Dominguez sends up Double Brass for the 5 1/2-furlong dash . . . Unfinished Symph has been nominated to the $500,000 Presidente Da Republica at Gavea Racecourse in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, on Aug. 5. Trainer Wesley Ward, however, said Unfinished Symph is scheduled to leave for New York Tuesday and plans to run in the Grade III Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 28 . . . Slew of Damascus, second in Friday's Bedside Promise Handicap, emerged from the race in good order and was due to return to trainer Craig Roberts' Bay Meadows base on Sunday . . . Trainer Neil Drysdale plans to run both Exalto and Beneficial in next Saturday's $100,000-added Jim Murray Handicap on the turf. Corey Black will ride Beneficial while Eddie Delahoussaye has the call on Exalto. Trainer Sandy Shulman said Jahafil also is probable for the 1 1/2-mile turf event, with Chris McCarron to ride.

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