LUKAS NOT CONCERNED WITH PAST UPSETS IN SWAPS,
SAYS KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER READY FOR SUNDAY
A couple of significant changes have helped draw the Kentucky Derby winner and several legitimate challengers to Sunday's $500,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.
The traditional 1 1/4-mile event has been shortened a furlong to 1 1/8 miles, and the purse boosted to $500,000 from $200,000.
The changes caught the attention of D. Wayne Lukas -- trainer of Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch -- not to mention the conditioners of several other Derby winners.
"I think what was pivotal was that once they changed the distance of the Swaps Stakes, it made sense for a Triple Crown horse," Lukas said. "It fits very well for Thunder Gulch. It shortens him up after a brief layoff -- a race layoff -- and it gives us a chance to run in a Grade II stakes. And I don't think you can downgrade the $500,000 purse."
The distance change and increased purse have helped attract the winners of six Derbies to challenge Thunder Gulch in Sunday's 22nd running of the Swaps. Locally-based Petionville won the Louisiana and Ohio Derbies. Da Hoss ships in fresh from a triumph in the Jersey Derby, while Oklahoma-based Dazzling Falls is a triple Derby winner, capturing the Remington Park, Arkansas and Alabama Derbies.
While the opposition makes Sunday's renewal the most interesting in recent years, Lukas remains undaunted.
"None of them won the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont Stakes," he said matter-of-factly.
PETIONVILLE WORKS FOUR FURLONGS IN SWAPS TUNEUP
Everest Stables' Petionville completed his preparation for the Swaps Stakes with a four- furlong work in :48, handily, Wednesday morning with Kristin Watanabe in the irons.
"It was nice and easy, he was well within himself," said Greg Falk, assistant to trainer Randy Bradshaw. "His main work for the race was completed last week. This was just to keep him sharp."
Falk also said Hadley Thoroughbreds' Oncefortheroad will skip the Swaps and be pointed to the $100,000-added Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar on July 26.
T. J.'s Gold, meanwhile, drilled five furlongs in a bullet :59 1/5 for trainer Pico Perdomo. Eddie Delahoussaye was up. "He broke off seven lengths behind Monarchs Latinlady, and he wound up 10 lengths in front," Perdomo said. "I got him the last quarter in :23 flat."
Probables for the Swaps Stakes: Thunder Gulch, Gary Stevens; Petionville, Chris Antley; Dazzling Falls, Laffit Pincay Jr.; Mr Purple, Corey Nakatani; T.J.'s Gold, Eddie Delahoussaye; To Be Khaled, G. F. Almeida, and Da Hoss, Chris McCarron.
FIELD OF FIVE TAKES SHAPE FOR SATURDAY'S CAESARS TURF CHAMPIONSHIP
Amour Stable's Special Price breezed a half-mile in :51 4/5 on a firm turf course (dogs up) in preparation for Saturday's $250,000 Caesars Palace Turf Championship. A 6-year-old Kentucky-bred, Special Price has been extremely impressive in both of his American starts. The son of Bering came off a six-month layoff to miss winning the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano Handicap (Gr. I) by a head, and followed that effort up with a seven-length victory in the Golden Gate Handicap (Gr. II) at Golden Gate.
Special Prize appears to be the lone closer in a field laden with speed, as Urgent Request, Sandpit and Jahafil usually do their best running when left alone on the lead.
"The only thing I can say is it will be interesting to see if we can pass a horse again," trainer Sandy Shulman said of Jahafil. "I'll tell you right now, we're definitely going to have to do exactly that because no ifs, ands or buts about it, Urgent Request is going to have the lead.
"Basically, I think we're going into this race with a wing and a prayer," Shulman added. "On the other hand, I've learned to never sell Jahafil short. All he's done for me is win races."
A 7-year-old British-bred, Jahafil has raced five times at Hollywood Park, winning three of the starts and finishing second and third in the others.
As for Urgent Request, trainer Rodney Rash said the Irish-bred gray is enigmatic. In three starts for Rash -- all on dirt -- Urgent Request won the Santa Anita Handicap and finished far up the track in the Oaklawn Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup.
"It's one of two things," Rash said. "Either he's not handling the dirt or he's tired from all of his travels. Which is it? I really don't know. He's a difficult little horse to read because he's just a skinny little horse and he always seems to be doing well. I guess after this race, we'll have an answer."
In another developments, the 5-year-old mare Twin Bet will skip the race and instead be pointed to a 1 3/8-mile overnight stake against her own sex at Del Mar.
Probables for the Caesars Palace Turf Championship, to be decided at 1 1/2 miles on turf: Sandpit, Corey Nakatani, 124; Special Price, Eddie Delahoussaye, 122; Urgent Request, Pat Valenzuela, 118; Jahafil, Chris McCarron, 117, and Liyoun, Gary Stevens, 115.
KCAL-TV 9 TO COVER SUNDAY'S SWAPS STAKES
Hollywood Park and KCAL-TV (Channel 9) continue their coverage of Thoroughbred racing with "Hollywood Park Live!," which will air from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
This week's show includes live coverage of the $500,000 Swaps Stakes, featuring Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, and the $300,000 Vanity Handicap, in which Paseana attempts to become North
America's all-time leading filly or mare earner.
The show is hosted by Channel 9 sports anchor Gary Cruz, with Hollywood Park's Trevor Denman calling the races and providing expert commentary. Bret Lewis, a fixture in local sports television for the past seven years, will work as a roving reporter. The show will be co-produced by KCAL-TV's Emmy Award winning producer Scot Henry and Hollywood Park Broadcast Media Liaison Tony Allevato. Gary Garcia is director.
PIRATE'S REVENGE TO MISS VANITY HANDICAP
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wygod's Pirate's Revenge, who upset champion Paseana in the Grade I Milady Handicap on June 25, will miss her scheduled meeting with the 8-year-old Argentine-bred mare in Sunday's $300,000 Vanity Handicap.
"Ron Ellis called the racing office and said she was sick and would miss the race," Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza said Wednesday morning.
While Pirate's Revenge defected, trainer Dan Hendricks said Private Persuasion would join the cast for the Grade I Vanity, to be decided at nine furlongs on the main track.
"She's doing great," Hendricks said of Private Persuasion, who was third behind Pirate's Revenge and Paseana in the Milady Handicap. "We had been pointing her towards this race and the Cal-bred race the same day (the $85,000-added Fran's Valentine), so her training schedule did not have to be altered. If we run third in the Vanity, we can earn $45,000 and pick up a
Grade I placing."
Meanwhile, Greg Falk, assistant to Randy Bradshaw, said Everest Stable's Jackpot Jenny was "50-50" to ship in from Churchill Downs for the Vanity.
The probable field: Paseana, Chris McCarron, 123; Wandesta, Corey Nakatani, 119; Top Rung, Eddie Delahoussaye, 116, and Private Persuasion, Gary Stevens, 114.
If Jackpot Jenny runs, Goncalino Almeida has the mount under 110 pounds.
CAESARS PALACE TURF CHAMPIONSHIP, SWAPS BREAKFAST THURSDAY
Hollywood Park and Caesars Palace will host the post position draw breakfast for the $500,000 Swaps Stakes and the $250,000 Caesars Place Turf Championship on Thursday morning at the Horsemen's Lounge in the stable area starting at 9:30 a.m. Post positions for the Grade I Vanity Handicap also will be drawn. A conference call with D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, is scheduled following the breakfast at 11:30 a.m. in the Hollywood Park press box.
McCARRON ON ASK PETE IN HOLLYWOOD JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIP
Chris McCarron has been engaged to ride Ask Pete in the $100,000-added Hollywood Juvenile Championship, agent Scott McClellan reported Wednesday morning. Chris Antley, who had been named on the Ron Stevens-trained 2-year-old, rides Unfinished Symph for Wesley Ward in the $100,000-added Daryl's Joy Handicap (Gr. III) at Saratoga that day.
Ask Pete worked five furlongs in 1:00, handily, on Hollywood Park's fast main track Wednesday morning, while another candidate for the six-furlong race, Bridge of Royalty, went the same distance in 1:00 2/5 under Laffit Pincay Jr. Desert Native went three furlongs from the gate in :36, handily, for Caesar Dominguez.
The probable field for the Grade II event: Ask Pete, McCarron; Bridge of Royalty, Pincay; Desert Native, Corey Nakatani; Don't Tell Wayne, Alex Solis; Double Brass, Patrick Valenzuela; Hennessy, Gary Stevens, and Houseafire, Eddie Delahoussaye.
HOLLYWOOD PARK SIMULCASTS SET
Hollywood Park will offer simulcast wagering on five added-money races closing week, starting Friday with the $100,000-added Sanford Stakes (Gr. III) for 2-year-olds at six furlongs (1:11 p.m.), and the $100,000-added Schuylerville Stakes (Gr. II) for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs (1:45 p.m.).
The $75,000-guaranteed Laurence Armour Handicap (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds and up at
1 1/2 miles on the turf from Arlington International Racecourse will be Saturday's simulcast at 2:37 p.m.
Sunday's simulcast is the $300,000-guaranteed American Derby (Gr. II) for 3-year-olds at
1 3/16 miles on the turf (2:47 p.m.), while Monday's is the $100,000-added Daryl's Joy Handicap (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the turf from Saratoga (1:45 p.m.). Shoemaker Handicap winner Unfinished Symph from trainer Wesley Ward's barn is expected to compete in the Daryl's Joy.