HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Sunday, June 25, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

CIGAR ASSIGNED 126, CONCERN 123
FOR RICH HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

Allen Paulson's Cigar, winner of eight straight races including five Grade I stakes,

was assigned highweight of 126 pounds for the Hollywood Gold Cup next Sunday, while Breeders' Cup Classic winner Concern was given 123 by Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza.

Cigar, leading candidate for Horse of the Year, is trained by Bill Mott who was at

Atlantic City Race Course in McKee City, N.J. Sunday to saddle King's Theatre in the $500,000-guaranteed Caesars International Handicap.

Robert Meyerhoff's Concern, impressive winner of The Californian at Hollywood

Park under 122 pounds, is trained by Richard Small, who was unavailable for comment Sunday morning.

Small had said he would evaluate the weights for both the Hollywood Gold Cup

and the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 4 before deciding in which race to run Concern. Weights for the Suburban are due next Thursday.

"We've tried to give everyone an equal opportunity to win," said Panza

from Atlantic City where he was attending the Caesars International race.

"The weights are out and they are what they are. They're not going to

change. But a lot of thought and discussion went into them. I think the weights give everyone an equal chance to win, and that's the important thing."

Cigar carried 124 pounds in winning the Massachussetts Handicap by four lengths

on June 3. The 5-year-old son of Palace Music has won his last eight starts by margins of 8, 7, 2, 5 1/2, 7 1/2, 2 1/2, 2 1/4 and 4 lengths, respectively.

Concern won The Californian by 2 3/4 lengths under 122 pounds on June 11. The

4-year-old son of Broad Brush took command at the half-mile point and extended it to the wire. The Maryland-bred colt never before had the lead at that stage of any of his 25 starts, and had never before led into the stretch.

Concern finished third to Cigar, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, in the Oaklawn Handicap on

April 15. Concern gave Cigar two pounds in that race, 122 to 120. Concern was also third to Cigar in the Pimlico Special on May 13, beaten five lengths while in receipt of one pound, 122 to 121.

Hollywood Park will increase the Gold Cup purse from $750,000 to $1 million if

both Cigar and Concern run in the 1 1/4-mile classic.

The complete list of Gold Cup weights: Cigar, 126; Concern, 123; Best Pal,

120; Del Mar Dennis, Tinners Way, Tossofthecoin and Urgent Request, 118; Blumin Affair, 115; Meadow Flight, 114, and Let's Be Curious, 113.

The Gold Cup will be nationally televised by ESPN and presented as the sixth live

race, with post time scheduled for 3:40 p.m.

TOSSOFTHECOIN DRILLS SIX FURLONGS FOR GOLD CUP

Sidney H. Craig's Tossofthecoin worked six furlongs in 1:13, handily, Sunday

morning in preparation for next Sunday's Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup. Luis Ortega was up for trainer Ron McAnally. "It was a good work, about what we were looking for," McAnally said.

One of the most improved horses on the circuit, Tossofthecoin has started seven

times this year with two wins, two seconds, three thirds and $240,775 in purses. All but one of his races have been in graded company, including a runner-up effort to Concern in the Grade I Californian on June 11.

Trainer Bob Baffert, meanwhile, said Let's Be Curious -- the 113-pound feather for

the Gold Cup -- is scheduled to work seven furlongs either Tuesday or Wednesday at Santa Anita.

"We re on the fence right now," Baffert said when asked if Let's Be Curious will run in

the Gold Cup. "With Cigar and Concern in the race, it might be too tough. But we'll work him before we make any decision."

POSSIBLY PERFECT GIVEN 124 POUNDS FOR BEVERLY HILLS

Blue Vista, Inc.'s Possibly Perfect has been assigned high weight of 124 pounds

by racing secretary Martin Panza for next Sunday's $300,000-added Beverly Hills Handicap.

The Beverly Hills, a Grade I event at 1 1/8 miles on turf, will be part of a stakes

triple-header that also includes the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup and the Grade III Affirmed Handicap for 3-year-olds.

A nearly invincible 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Northern Baby, Possibly Perfect

has reeled off five straight victories -- including recent triumphs in the Grade I Gamely Handicap and the Grade II Wilshire Handicap -- and is one of two Bobby Frankel-trained distaffers nominated to the race.

Harris Farm and Norma Foster-Maddy's Work the Crowd, a dominant force in

Northern California, is second on the weights at 121 pounds. Trained by Greg Gilchrist, Work the Crowd has three straight victories including a pair of Grade III's at Golden Gate Fields -- the Miss America and Yerba Buena -- and has invaded Southern California successfully in the past, including an 8-length romp in last year's Grade III Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Between them, Possibly Perfect (nine wins in 15 starts) and Work The Crowd (13

of 21) have combined to win 22 of 36 starts and nearly $1.5 million.

Other top imposts went to Juddmonte Farms Wandesta, 119, winner of the Grade

I Santa Ana and Santa Barbara Handicaps this spring at Santa Anita; and Aube Indienne, 116, winner of last year's Grade I Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Oak Tree.

Weights for the 30th running of the Beverly Hills Handicap: Possibly Perfect, 124;

Work The Crowd, 121; Wandesta, 119; Aube Indienne, 116; Morgana, 115; Alpride, 115; Lady Affirmed, 114; Wende, 112; Fondly Remembered, 112, and Emerald Express, 107.

Confirmed starters: Possibly Perfect, Kent Desormeaux, 124; Work The

Crowd, Chris McCarron, 121; Wandesta, Corey Nakatani, 119; Aube Indienne, no rider, 116, and Lady Affirmed, Gary Stevens, 114.

Possible: Alpride, 115, no rider; Morgana, 115, no rider, and Fondly Remembered,

112, no rider.

ALPRIDE MIGHT SURFACE IN BEVERLY HILLS

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally would prefer not to throw Jenny Craig's latest

European import -- the 4-year-old Irish-bred filly Alpride -- to the wolves in next Sunday's Beverly Hills Handicap.

McAnally might be forced to do exactly that, however. "Every (allowance)

race we've entered her in hasn't filled," he said. "So we might end up running her in the Beverly Hills."

Racing exclusively in Italy, Alpride won nine of 13 starts and $254,214. It was the

filly's final race in Italy -- a 3/4-length victory in the Group 2 Premia Lydia Tesio at Capannelle -- that persuaded McAnally to buy the horse on behalf of the Craigs.

"Bulaxie, who she beat in that race, was the favorite for the English

Oaks," McAnally said. "After she beat her, we knew (Alpride) had some quality."

McAnally said the fact that Alpride has raced in Italy, where racing is generally

considered a cut below racing in England and France, isn't necessarily a negative.

"More and more, the racing in Italy is getting better," he said.

"One reason is the purses have continued to go up there, while they've stayed basically the same in England and France."

FINISH LINES: Trainer Willard Proctor, on using Lasix for the first time on Triple Bend

Handicap winner Concept Win Saturday: "He bled a little (last time). Everybody else uses it, why shouldn't I? I stayed away from it long enough." Proctor, who began training in 1938, was asked if Glen Hill Farm owner Leonard Lavin had watched the race via simulcast: "If he didn't, he's on the phone to Hollywood Park right now." . . . Kent Desormeaux was on a promising unraced Golden Eagle Farm 3-year-old Sunday morning named Sleepless Morn, who went six furlongs from the gate in 1:13 2/5, handily. "He has some talent," Richard Mandella's assistant, Chris Baker, said of the chestnut son of Nijinsky II. "We hope to run him here this meet." Romarin, prepping for the American Handicap on July 4, worked one mile in 1:39 3/5 under Francisco Alvarado. "It was a good mile," Baker said. "He went the last three-eighths in :36 and change."

Trainer Neil Drysdale is considering Silver Wizard for the Grade II American Handicap

at nine furlongs on the turf. The son of Silver Hawk was sixth in last year's race, but is a winner of three of four starts on Hollywood Park's grass course . . . Drysdale added that Special Price emerged from his win in Saturday's Golden Gate Handicap in good order and will be pointed to the $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship on July 22 . . . Chris Antley took off his mounts Saturday after coming down with hives . . . Monday marks the first anniversary of Chris McCarron's 6,000th career victory, accomplished aboard Andestine in the 1994 Milady Handicap . . . Serena's Song broke her maiden a year ago Sunday at Hollywood Park by 10 lengths over Valid Attraction in :57 2/5 . . . Apprentice jockey Leslie Mawing, who suffered a broken left collarbone in a second-race spill Friday night, might have missed out on his first winner Saturday. Petite Penny, a mare he had been named to ride in the fifth race, won under replacement rider Corey Black. "I feel bad for him," Black said. "Maybe I should give him $500."

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