HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Monday, June 29, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

CIGAR, CONCERN HEAD FIELD OF EIGHT
IN $1-MILLION HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

The stage is set for the Race of the Year, the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup at

Hollywood Park on Sunday.

Allen Paulson's Cigar, winner of eight straight races and the leading candidate for

Horse of the Year, and Robert Meyerhoff's Concern, 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic champion and smashing winner of The Californian on June 11, were made 9-5 morning line favorite and 5-2 second choice, respectively, by Hollywood Park morning line oddsmaker Russ Hudak.

A field of eight of the nation's top handicap horses were entered Thursday morning at a

special media breakfast at the Horsemen's Lounge on Hollywood Park's backstretch. Cigar, trained by Bill Mott, drew the No. 1 post position in the field of eight, while Concern, conditioned by Richard Small, got No. 3.

The 56th Gold Cup field in post position order with riders, weights and morning

line odds: Cigar, Jerry Bailey, 126, 9-5; Del Mar Dennis, Alex Solis, 118, 10-1; Concern, Mike Smith, 123, 5-2; Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye, 118, 9-2; Urgent Request, Gary Stevens, 118, 12-1; Best Pal, Chris McCarron, 120, 5-1; Blumin Affair, Goncalino Almeida, 115, 30-1, and Tossofthecoin, Corey Nakatani, 118, 10-1.

Hollywood Park President Donald M. Robbins welcomed the guests, on behalf of

Chairman of the Board and CEO R.D. Hubbard, after which trainers and jockeys on the dais fielded questions from the media.

Following are excerpts:

GARY STEVENS (rider of Santa Anita Handicap winner Urgent Request): "It's a great

race. We have the top two-rated handicap horses in the country. I'm looking forward to riding in it. It looks like one of the best Gold Cups we've had for years, as far as overall quality goes."

As for his chances with Urgent Request: "He's always a question mark. You never

really know how he's going to perform. But as far as strategy goes, there's no secrets about what we've got to do with him. He goes to the front and when he runs his race, he's pretty much uncontrollable. He just goes to the front and I do a lot of praying and hope that he sticks around."

BOBBY FRANKEL (trainer of Tinners Way, third to Concern in The Californian after a

nine-month layoff): "I thought he ran very well for the first time (back) last time out. If he improves the way I think he will, he'll have a little bit of a chance."

On his opinion of Cigar: "I think Cigar is a very good horse, but the way circumstances

are right now . . . the trainer didn't want to run in this race. He's a very good trainer, but trainers usually train by instinct. He might have felt his horse reached his peak and was maybe going over the top and needed a little rest. Changing your plans usually doesn't work for trainers. His (Cigar's) last race wasn't as good as some of his others.

"I sort of think the trainer doesn't think he's at his best right now. But I think

he's the best horse in the country, without a doubt. He's got to give away a lot of weight this time, and if he's not at his best, we'll have a little chance."

Asked why certain horses respond well to shipping (as Concern has, and as Frankel's

Metropolitan and Brooklyn Handicap winner, You And I, has): "It's very easy now. They have non-stop flights. It's probably just as easy to ship east coast to west coast as it is to take a van up to San Francisco. I don't think it takes that much out of them. You And I proved that. He went back and forth three times in six weeks, and he won two out of the three."

On drawing post position No. 4 for Tinners Way: "It's a very good post for me, and I

don't think it's a very good post for Cigar, because he doesn't want to up there and run head and head with Del Mar Dennis and Urgent Request. If he takes back off them, he's going to be in a position he's never been in before, behind horses on the rail . . . every race I've seen him in, he's been swinging outside . . . he can get stuck on the rail a little bit with these smart California jockeys we've got here . . . it's going to be a very, very interesting race. I don't know how it's going to turn out, but it'll be an interesting race to watch."

CHRIS McCARRON (rider of Best Pal): "I've worked him twice since his fourth-place

finish in The Californian . . . I like to see a horse work like he did a few days ago. He went three-quarters of a mile in 1:12 and change. He just went very, very smoothly. He got into a nice, fluid rhythm and he kicked big-time. He finished real strong from the eighth pole to the mile pole . . . I was really pleased with it. He did it the right way . . . the way he trained the other day, I'm looking for him to run an improved race."

On what it will take to beat Concern, based on his victory in The Californian:

"It's going to take the kind of race we saw Cigar run in Florida (Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap) and the kind of race he ran at Oaklawn Park. That Cigar is going to have to show up on Sunday. Best Pal's going to have to run the race he ran in the Santa Anita Handicap a couple of years ago. It's going to take a tough horse to beat him. The way he ran the other day indicates to me that he loved this racing surface. I wasn't surprised at all to hear that Dick (Small) decided to bring him back out. When he (Concern) showed speed in The Californian, it shows that he got the best foothold of this surface of any track he's run on yet. He was just so happy out there. He kicked again at the eighth pole . . . it's going to take an awful tough horse to beat him if he runs that race back."

BILL MOTT (trainer of Cigar, on a conference call from his home in New York,

on drawing the rail): "It probably wouldn't be what we would have hoped for, but I guess it should be fair for everyone. From there, they've got a long way run to the turn. I'm sure everybody will be looking for us on the inside."

RODNEY RASH (trainer of Urgent Request, asked if owner Stewart Aitken

intended to make a large wager on his horse. Aitken bet $90,000 to win and $30,000 to show on Urgent Request in the Santa Anita Handicap): "Well, he's flying in today. But with all the security at the airport, I don't know if they'll let him through with that much cash . . . he hasn't announced his plans as of this stage. I think you have to remember, it was his first time betting here in the Santa Anita Handicap, and he didn't understand. He was thinking he was going to get 8-1 when he put his money down."

Aitken, who resides in Falkirk, Scotland, made his bet with the odds 8-1, but they

plummeted to 5-2 afterwards.

RICHARD MANDELLA (trainer of Best Pal, on whether the inside post will

help or hinder Cigar): "I don't think it will make any difference. I saw him run in the Oaklawn Handicap and he sat just off the pace. He's a horse who can make the pace or take back a little bit. It probably won't make any difference.

"I wouldn't ever recommend writing him (Best Pal) off at any time. He's a great horse

and he's seven years old and maybe some days are a little bit better than others. But I'm 44, and I have a lot of bad days and a few good ones. So he's doing very well."

COREY NAKATANI (rider of Tossofthecoin): "His last race was impressive

to me. He never gave it up (second to Concern in The Californian). He's very consistent and he's always right there. I'm just looking forward to riding in the race and having a chance to win it."

RICHARD SMALL (trainer of Concern, on a conference call from his home in

Baltimore, asked if he can beat Cigar, who has defeated Concern twice so far this year): "The race at Oaklawn was only Concern's second of the year. He was third, and I was a little disappointed, but in retrospect, I thought maybe he wasn't quite where he needed to be. At Pimlico, I was particularly anxious to do well at home.

"But the race (Pimlico Special) was kind of a paceless race, and Cigar had

kind of a dream trip . . . I think the situation is a little different this trip. Concern ran real well in The Californian. It was real strong. So my feeling is that perhaps Concern moved forward a little bit."

WORK THE CROWD MISSES BEVERLY HILLS HANDICAP

Work The Crowd, who was expected to take on Possibly Perfect in the $300,000-added

Beverly Hills Handicap on Sunday, did not ship in from her Northern California headquarters due to a temperature detected at the last minute.

"We took her temperature as a precaution just before we were to load her

on the van at 6:30 last (Wednesday) night," trainer Greg Gilchrist said Thursday. "It was up somewhat, not a lot, so we decided not to send her. She seems fine today."

The Grade I Beverly Hills drew eight entrants. The field for the nine-furlong turf

test, in post position order with riders and weights:

Wandesta, Corey Nakatani, 119; Morgana, Eddie Delahoussaye, 115; Fondly

Remembered, Patrick Valenzuela, 112; Aube Indienne, Alex Solis, 116; Lady Affirmed, Gary Stevens, 114; Possibly Perfect, Kent Desormeaux, 124; Alpride, Chris McCarron, 115, and Wende, Corey Black, 112.

HAT', PAT JOIN FORCES

Harry "The Hat" is back in business. The veteran agent said he has

been hired as agent for jockey Pat valenzuela, effective immediately.

"Patrick called me (Thursday) morning and offered me the job," said

Hacek. "He's a great rider and that's always been my opinion. It wasn't a tough decision for me to make."

Valenzuela, who missed several days earlier this meeting because of personal

problems, ranked 13th in the standings with 15 wins in 123 mounts prior to Thursday.

Jim Pegram, who will continue to book mounts for apprentice Jose Valdivia Jr.,

had served as Valenzuela's agent since August.

Hacek, 46, had been out of business since March 1, when diabetes and an

enlarged prostate forced him to take a leave of absence. Most recently he had enjoyed a successful run with jockey Alex Solis, who won the 1994 Hollywood Park spring/summer title with 78 wins.

Hacek has also worked as agent for Eddie Delahoussaye, Chris McCarron, Sandy

Hawley, Darrell McHargue, Eddie Maple, Robbie Davis, Steve Cauthen and Larry Snyder.

Valenzuela, 32, has ridden 2,890 winners in a 16-year career.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Paco Gonzalez said Del Mar Dennis was scheduled to

school in the paddock prior to the sixth race . . . Via Lombardia and Bryntirion, one/two finishers in the Grade III Cinema Handicap, will both run in Monday's $200,000-guaranteed Arlington Classic in Chicago. Eddie Delahoussaye will ride Via Lombardia for Neil Drysdale and Corey Nakatani will be aboard Bryntirion for Bobby Frankel . . . Del Mar Dennis had his final blowout for the Hollywood Gold Cup Thursday morning, breezing a half-mile in :49 under Sal Gonzalez Sr. Clockers commented: "breezing well off the rail, with fractions of :12 4/5, :25 1/5 and :37 1/5." . . . Blumin Affair had his final prep, breezing five furlongs in 1:01 under jockey Goncalino Almeida . . . Casey Maslonka said Queen to Conquer winner Don't Read My Lips will be "freshened up a bit" before a Del Mar campaign. "We'll see what's down there for her," Maslonka said of his $16,000 claim. "She sure has been a dream come true." . . .Gary Stevens has the mount on Shirley Robins' Silver Wizard in the $150,000-added American Handicap on July 4. The probable field for the Grade II event at nine furlongs on the turf: Blaze O'Brien, Corey Black, 117; Cocooning, no rider, 111; Eagle Eyed, Eddie Delahoussaye, 117; Johann Quatz, Alex Solis, 116; Lord Shirldor, Chris Antley, 115; Red Earth, Kent Desormeaux, 114; Romarin, Corey Nakatani, 120; Savinio, Chris McCarron, 118, and Silver Wizard, Stevens, 118.