HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Friday, July 14, 1995

By Vince Bruun & Ed Golden

URGENT REQUEST DRILLS HALF-MILE,
LOOKS TO REBOUND IN CAESARS TURF CHAMPIONSHIP

Trainer Rodney Rash hopes a return to grass might transform Stewart Aitken's Urgent

Request back into the front-running demon that captured the Santa Anita Handicap in March.

With that in mind, Rash will send out Urgent Request in the $250,000-added Caesars

Palace Turf Championship (Gr. II) on July 22. The 5-year-old Irish-bred tuned up for the 1 1/2-mile race Friday morning by working four furlongs on a firm turf course in :49 3/5 (dogs up).

"Maybe he's just not a dirt horse," Rash said. "The day he won the Big

Cap, it was a sealed track they listed as 'wet/fast.' It was a totally different track than the one at Oaklawn (for the Oaklawn Handicap) and the one here (for the Hollywood Gold Cup).

"At least I hope that's the case. Now, if he doesn't run well in this race on the turf,

maybe we'll turn him out for a while and reevaluate. But he's training good and he seems to be fine, so we figure it's worth a shot."

The Caesars Palace Turf Championship Handicap is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. (PDT) and will

be televised live as part of the ESPN Thrifty Car Rental Racing Across America series. The one-hour telecast begins at 1:30 p.m.

Confirmed starters: Jahafil, Chris McCarron; Liyoun, Goncalino Almeida; Sandpit,

Corey Nakatani; Special Price, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Urgent Request, Pat Valenzuela.

Weights are due Saturday.

TO BE KHALED PREPS FOR SWAPS STAKES

Loyal B. Crownover's To Be Khaled worked one mile in a rapid 1:37 3/5 on Santa Anita

Park's fast main track Friday morning and trainer Vladimir Cerin said he is "definitely considering" the $500,000 Swaps Stakes for the son of Libanon.

"Most horses have a hard time running that fast in a race," Cerin said. "It

was a very satisfying effort. We're definitely considering the Swaps, but we'll decide later."

The probable field for the Grade II event, to be decided at nine furlongs on the main track:

Thunder Gulch, Gary Stevens; Dazzling Falls, Laffit Pincay Jr.; Petionville, Chris Antley; Mr Purple, Corey Nakatani; T.J.'s Gold, no rider, and To Be Khaled, no rider.

PANZA AND STAFF DESERVED A CIGAR, AND THEY GOT ONE

A racing secretary's job is not easy, whether he's plying his trade in the Big Time like

Hollywood Park or on the Leaky Roof circuit.

But Martin Panza, Hollywood Park's 31-year-old racing secretary, and his dedicated crew,

have presented innovative and refreshing races on a day-to-day basis, despite an acknowledged national horse shortage.

Luring racing's newest hero, Cigar, for the Hollywood Gold Cup, and the prospect of

Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch running in the Swaps Stakes on July 23, are two obvious highlights of which Panza can be most proud.

"So far, the meet's gone exceptionally well," Panza said in a rare quiet moment on Hollywood

Park's backstretch Thursday morning. "There was a lot asked of us, including putting two 14-race cards back-to-back.

"The horses we've already had come and run here in the stakes, like Cigar, Concern

and Soviet Problem, indicates to me that some of the changes we've made in the stakes program have worked out positively.

"There is a shortage of horses, and the first couple of weeks here were sort of tough. If

you look at my crew and what they were asked to do and the hours they were asked to put in, they did a good job. Certainly, it's not just me, it's everyone who's working with me. They're the ones who are putting in the time.

"As far as response from the horsemen, obviously we've had larger fields this year

than we had last year. The horsemen have been very supportive, including the two 14-race cards. They gave us the opportunity to see if that would work. They didn't have to back it. It was a lot of hours for them. But their cooperation is important in helping us to try new things.

"I feel comfortable that in the long run, things are starting to look a little brighter."

Meanwhile, Panza does not intend to rest on his laurels after Hollywood Park's successful

67-day meet ends on July 24. He is not going to celebrate by going to Disneyland.

ELLIS THINKS PIRATE'S REVENGE HAS EDGE IN RUBBER MATCH

Sidney Craig's Paseana, who defeated Pirate's Revenge in the Hawthorne Handicap on

May 28, needs $100,133 to catch Dance Smartly for the all-time North American filly/mare money title.

The 8-year-old Argentine-bred could break the record with a victory in the $300,000-added

Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 23. Paseana's earnings are $3,133,703, while Dance Smartly's are $3,263,836.

But Ron Ellis, who trains Pirate's Revenge for Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wygod, candidly admits

his filly has the edge for the Vanity, especially if the nine-furlong race comes up light.

"I think anytime there's a small field with the running style of both our fillies, mine has

an advantage, because she lays a little bit closer than Paseana does now," Ellis said. "I think it's an advantage to my filly any time there's a small field."

Ellis, enjoying his usual successful meet with 10 wins, five seconds and one third from 29

starters through Thursday (34.4 percent winners, 55.1 in the money), said Pirate's Revenge was a tad tired after defeating Paseana in the Milady Handicap on June 25, and likely would be given a break after the Vanity.

"She's doing fine now, but she was a little knocked out after her last race. She's had a

hard campaign. I had planned on giving her a break after the Milady, but she'll definitely get one after the Vanity."

ASK PETE ARRIVES FOR JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIP

Ten years ago, trainer Mike Chambers shipped in a Northwest flash named Hilco Scamper

to win the Hollywood Juvenile Championship. Trainer Ron Stevens hopes to have similar luck with Ask Pete in the 1995 Hollywood Juvenile Championship (Gr. II) on July 24.

The undefeated Washington-bred arrived here this week from Yakima Meadows and had his

first workout over the main track Friday, working five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 under Chris Antley.

"I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't think we had a shot," said Ron

Stevens, father of jockey Gary Stevens.

A homebred bay gelding by Petersburg out of the Steel Emperor mare Ifyou Have Toask,

Ask Pete has been all the rage in his home state. He aired by seven lengths in a maiden special weight on May 21, covering 4 1/2 furlongs in :52 3/5, and then scored by four lengths in the $16,700 Emerald Cup on June 17, running 4 1/2 furlongs in :51 2/5.

Stevens, who was aboard Hilco Scamper in 85, said he would love to ride Ask Pete for his

father in the Juvenile, but said he's already committed to ride the promising maiden allowance winner Hennessy for D. Wayne Lukas.

ABAGINONE SIMULCAST AT 2:05 P.M. SATURDAY

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

Sandy Shulman-trained Abaginone from Belmont Park Saturday. Post time is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. 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 (3 p.m.), and the $150,000-added Delaware Handicap (Gr. II) for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles on Sunday at 2:45 p.m.

FINISH LINES: Leading rider Corey Nakatani took off his mounts Friday night due to a slightly sprained

ankle . . . Comedienne Rita Rudner, whose special currently is airing on HBO, is one of the owners of New Zealand-bred Shirley Valentine, scheduled to start in Saturday's fifth race. Rita is married to Englishman Martin Bergman, whose father was a trainer overseas. Shirley's Valentine is trained by Russ Livermore . . . Owner Susan Isaacs reports Blaze O'Brien is "doing terrific and is very happy" at Ponzo Equine Center where he is recovering from a fractured right front sesamoid which was operated upon on July 3 . . . Paco Gonzalez, who saddled Minero ($15) and Slew Supreme ($9.20) for victories on Thursday's card, said the turning point for seventh race winner Slew Supreme was gelding him after his third-place finish on Feb. 3. "He came back a different horse," the trainer said of the 5-year-old son of Slew O'Gold, unbeaten in two starts since being altered. Alex Solis gave the Kentucky-bred chestnut a courageous ride, darting to a hole on the inside in early stretch and getting through a slim opening to win by just over a length. "Solis told me he didn't know who had the biggest heart, him or the horse," Gonzalez said.

Fastness, prepping for the Eddie Read Handicap on Aug. 6, worked six furlongs in 1:14 4/5 on Hollywood

Park's firm turf course (dogs up). Gary Stevens was aboard for Jenine Sahadi . . . Mel Stute has nothing but respect for Bill Thomas' Score Quick, who came again on the inside to win Thursday's $51,000 allowance feature after being passed by Argolid in mid-stretch. "What a game little horse," the trainer said. "He's run a lot of times (20 starts, four wins, seven seconds, three thirds and earnings of more than $200,000). He just keeps improving and he doesn't want to get beat." Stute said he paid $24,000 for the Kentucky-bred son of Northern Score at Barretts . . . Fernando Valenzuela was booked on an 11:55 p.m. flight Friday to Washington, D.C., for Saturday's Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel. Valenzuela rides Crafty Dude for Mike Chambers . . . Stevens, meanwhile was booked on an 11 p.m. flight to New York for Saturday's True North Handicap to ride Abaginone for trainer Sandy Shulman . . . Belated birthday wishes to Joy Scott, who was 37 on Thursday . . . Rodney Rash celebrated his 36th birthday Friday.

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