HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Wednesday, July 12, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

SANDPIT, SPECIAL PRICE SHOWDOWN
IN CAESARS PALACE TURF CHAMPIONSHIP

Richard Mandella and Neil Drysdale confirmed Wednesday morning that Sandpit and Special

Price, thelikely first and second choices, remain on course for the $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship on Saturday, July 22.

Sandpit, owned by Sierra Thoroughbreds, won the $500,000-guaranteed Caesars

International Handicap(Gr. I) at Atlantic City Race Course on June 25. The Brazilian sensation can earn $750,000 if he successfully completes the East-to-West sweep in the Caesars Palace Turf Championship.

The prize includes a $312,500 bonus, which Caesars Place and Caesars World have offered

the owner of a horse completing the coast-to-coast double.

Special Price, owned by the Namour Stable, was second to Godolphin Stable's Red Bishop

in the Grade I San Juan Capistrano Handicap in his U.S. debut at Santa Anita on April 23. The Kentucky-bred son of Bering has shown a devastating stretch kick and his late-running style, coupled with Sandpit's contrasting front-running style, lends itself to an appealing Caesars Palace Turf Championship. Special Price won the Grade II Golden Gate Handicap on June 24.

Trainer Randy Bradshaw said the filly Twin Bet is a possibility for the Caesars "if

it's a real light field." The Honey Fox, a restricted stakes at Del Mar, is his first option, however.

"But if it's light, she's got a real nice pedigree and even if she ran third, it would

give her a stakes placing in a major race, so I may give it a shot. She's doing very well right now."

The probable field for the Grade II event, to be decided at 1 1/2 miles on the turf:

Jahafil, Chris McCarron; Liyoun, Goncalino Almeida; Sandpit, Corey Nakatani; Special Price, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Urgent Request, Patrick Valenzuela.

Weights are due Saturday.

URGENT REQUEST TO ADD SPEED TO CAESARS LINEUP

Trainer Rodney Rash confirmed Stewart Aitken's Santa Anita Handicap winner Urgent

Request will return to the turf for the $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship on

July 22.

Following a dismal effort in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Rash said a switch back from dirt

to turf might be the remedy for the 5-year-old son of Rainbow Quest. "I guess we'll find out now, won't we?' Rash said.

The trainer also said Gary Tanaka's Bluegrass Prince is possible for the Caesars Palace Turf

Championship. Tanaka's other nominee, Celtic Arms, will make his next start in either the $500,000 Grande Premio O.S.A.F. in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 5, or the $300,000-added Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 6.

PETIONVILLE PREPARES FOR SWAPS STAKES

Louisiana and Ohio Derby winner Petionville worked six furlongs on Hollywood Park's fast

main track Wednesday morning in preparation for the $500,000 Swaps Stakes on Sunday, July 23.

"I caught him a little quicker than the clocker," trainer Randy Bradshaw said of

the Everest Stable colt. "Sometimes they get them on the split, but I caught him in 1:11 and change." Petionville, with exercise rider Kris Watanabe up, was timed in 1:12 2/5 on Hollywood Park's official work tab.

"I don't know how fast the track was, but he worked real well," Bradshaw said.

"He went the last half-mile in :46 and change. He'll have one more easy half-mile next week, probably :49 or something like that. He's worked well here all the time, although he's never run here.

"He's shipped everywhere he's had to go. I don't know whether I need to load him in a

trailer and haul him around for a while before he runs . . . but he seems to like this track real well."

Bradshaw will consider running Oncefortheroad in the nine-furlong Swaps. "I might

give him a shot in there if it looks like a five or six-horse field," he said.

Multiple Derby winner Dazzling Falls arrived at trainer Jack Van Berg's barn Wednesday

morning. Trainer Chuck Turco is due Friday night.

Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch worked seven furlongs in

1:25 1/5 on Santa Anita's fast main track Monday.

Thunder Gulch hasn't started since winning the Belmont on June 10. The Swaps will be the

Gulch colt's first Southern California start since he ran second to Afternoon Deelites in the Hollywood Futurity last December.

There could be as many as seven Derby winners in the Swaps Stakes, to be decided at nine

furlongs on the main track: Remington Park, Arkansas and Alabama Derby winner Dazzling Falls; Florida and Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, and Louisiana and Ohio Derby winner Petionville.

The probable field for the Grade II event: Thunder Gulch, Gary Stevens; Mr Purple,

Corey Nakatani; Dazzling Falls, Laffit Pincay Jr., and Petionville, Chris Antley.

YOU AND I CONFIRMED FOR SUNDAY'S GRADE II BEL AIR

Edmund A. Gann's You And I will be entered in Sunday's $125,000-added Bel Air

Handicap, trainer Bobby Frankel said Wednesday. Chris McCarron has the mount on the 4-year-old son of Kris S. in the Grade II event at 1 1/16 miles.

You And I has blossomed into a major handicap horse for Frankel. The Florida-bred has

won two of three starts this year, including back-to-back triumphs in the Grade I Metropolitan and Grade II Brooklyn Handicaps at Belmont Park.

With You And I set to run, Frankel said his other Bel Air nominee, Juddmonte Farms' Bon

Point, will remain in the barn and probably be pointed to the Grade III San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 29.

In other Bel Air developments:

Burt Bacharach's Soul Of The Matter, the 121-pound high weight, breezed five furlongs in

1:00 1/5 with Jon Turner up. "It was real easy and nice," trainer Richard Mandella said.

The top money-earner in the field with $854,168, Soul Of The Matter hasn't raced since

Nov. 5, when he finished fourth behind Concern, Tabasco Cat and Dramatic Gold in the $3-million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Cleante, assigned 114 pounds, will be ridden by Alex Solis, trainer Ron McAnally said.

The Argentine-bred's lone North American victory was a dead-heat with stablemate Tossofthecoin in the restricted Bates Motel Handicap at Santa Anita.

Trainer Terry Mangrum said Constant Craving will run in the Bel Air, but added he didn't

have a rider for the Chief's Crown gelding. In his most recent start, Constant Craving upset Blumin Affair in a $54,000 allowance event for non-winners of three lifetime.

Confirmed for the 26th running of the Bel Air Handicap: Soul Of The Matter, Kent

Desormeaux, 121;You And I, Chris McCarron, 119; Cleante, Alex Solis, 114, and Constant Craving, no rider.

NAKATANI RIDES PEMBROKE IN HOLLYPARK BREEDERS' CUP

Corey Nakatani, who has all but clinched his first Hollywood Park spring/summer riding

title, has the mount on Darley Stud Management's top-weighted Pembroke in Saturday's $150,000-added Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup.

Pembroke, a consistent 5-year-old son of Gone West, has received a Beyer speed figure

of 106 in four of his six North American starts. The Gary Jones-trained runner has also been effective at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, defeating multiple stakes winner Slew Of Damascus in the $72,000 Bedside Promise Handicap on June 23, and dropping a heartbreaking nose decision to Cyrano Storme in a $55,000 allowance event on June 1.

Nakatani's commitment on Pembroke leaves trainer Jenine Sahadi without a jockey for

Evergreen Farm's Lit De Justice. Nakatani has ridden Lit De Justice -- a notoriously strong-willed horse -- in nine of his last 10 races.

Confirmed for the eighth running of the Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup at 5 1/2

furlongs on turf: Pembroke, Corey Nakatani, 120; Lit De Justice, no rider, 119; Lucky Forever, Goncalino Almeida, 119, and Cyrano Storme, Kent Desormeaux, 118.

Possible: Polar Route, no rider, and Three Peat, no rider.

WANDESTA DRILLS FOR DIRT DEBUT IN VANITY HANDICAP

Juddmonte Farms' Wandesta, third to Alpride and stablemate Possibly Perfect in the

July 2 Beverly Hills Handicap, is scheduled to make her main track debut in the $300,000 Vanity Handicap on July 23.

The Great Britain-bred daughter of Nashwan worked a half-mile on Hollywood Park's fast

main track Wednesday morning in :49 1/5, for trainer Bobby Frankel, in preparation for the Grade I Vanity, an invitational event at nine furlongs.

In 11 career starts, all on grass, Wandesta has won four times and earned $387,033.

Paseana and Pirate's Revenge, who defeated each other in the Hawthorne Handicap and the

Milady Handicaps, respectively, are expected to resume their rivalry in the Grade I Vanity.

Paseana needs $100,133 to equal Dance Smartly's North American filly/mare money record.

A victory in the Vanity will give her that mark. Dance Smartly's total stands at $3,263,836, while the 8-year-old Paseana has earned $3,133,703, including the $30,000 she picked up for finishing second to Pirate's Revenge in the Milady Handicap.

Other distaff stars likely to be on racing secretary Martin Panza's list of Vanity

invitees include Top Rung, Melrose Wine, Jackpot Jenny and Fondly Remembered.

FINISH LINES: Hollywood Park will import the $100,000-added True North Handicap (Gr. II) featuring

the Sandy Shulman-trained Abaginone from Belmont Park Saturday. Gary Stevens rides the son of Devil's Bag in the six-furlong race. Hollywood Park will also simulcast the $100,000-added AKsarben Breeders' Cup Handicap (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, and the $150,000-added Delaware Handicap (Gr. II) for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles on Sunday . . . Bobby Menell, long-time clocker at Santa Anita, is recovering from open heart surgery at Pomona Valley Hospital, where the operation was performed last week . . . Richard Mandella said Talloires has been invited to the $500,000 Grande Premio O.S.A.F. in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. "He'll go within a week of the race," the trainer said. "I don't know exactly what day." Kent Desormeaux rides. Mandella added the shoeless Best Pal is "sound now and looks great. But we're giving him a little break. We're letting him get some mud up between his toes." Afternoon Deelites is "just hanging around, walking every day" as he recovers from a tendon ailment . . . Belated birthday wishes to Ron McAnally, who celebrated his 63rd on Tuesday . . . Thursday marks the ninth anniversary of Kent Desormeaux's first career victory, accomplished July 13, 1986, at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette, La. . . Cocobuddy provided owner Merv Griffin with his second victory of the meeting on Sunday, rallying from last place to nail Wayne's Whirl by a nose in a $34,000 maiden special weight . . . Jack Saip said Carsona was none the worse for wear following her distant fourth in Sunday's Grade I Hollywood Oaks. "It was an interesting experiment, but it was too much, too fast. She blew two shoes, but I don't know how much difference that made," Saip said. "The main thing is, she pulled up good."

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