HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Saturday, November 30, 1995

By Vince Bruun

TIKKANEN PREPS FOR $500,000 HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP
Tikkanen has arrived in Inglewood, Calif.

This Tikkanen, however, is not Esa Tikkanen, the pro hockey player. This Tikkanen is a 4-year-old gray and will race at Hollywood Park; not play hockey across the street at the Great Western Forum.

Indeed this is the same Tikkanen who shocked the racing world with a 16-1 upset in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs. The Cozzene colt was on the turf course Thursday, working one mile in 1:41 4/5 in preparartion for the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (Gr. I) on Dec. 10.

The arrival of Tikkanen means the Turf Cup field could include the last two winners of the $2-million Breeders' Cup Turf - 1995 winner Northern Spur and '94 winner Tikkanen.

Tikkanen, who arrived from New York on Nov. 24, is slated to stand the 1996 breeding season at JS Company's Arrow Stud near Shizunai, Japan. His current record reads four wins from 16 starts and earnings of $1,583,103 for George Strawbridge.

Tikkanen hasn't won since the '94 Breeders Cup, and the Hollywood Turf Cup might be the final race of his career.

Bertrand De Brevedent, an assistant to trainer Christophe Clement, has accompanied Tikkanen to Hollywood Park and was aboard the colt for his workout Thursday.

Early probables for the Hollywood Turf Cup, to be decided at 1 1/2 miles on turf: Earl Of Barking, G. F. Almeida; Northern Spur, Chris McCarron; Party Season, no rider; Patio de Naranjos, no rider; Privity, no rider; Talloires, Kent Desormeaux, amd Tikkanen, no rider.

Possible: Hidden Source, no rider; The Key Rainbow, no rider.

TWICE THE VICE DRILLS FOR BAYAKOA HANDICAP
Martin and Pam Wygod's Twice The Vice worked an easy five furlongs in 1:02 at Santa Anita Park Thursday morning in her final drill for Sunday's $100,000-added Bayakoa Handicap (Gr. II) for fillies and mares.

"She was just breezing," Ellis said of Twice The Vice. "She doesn't need much."

Twice The Vice, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred by Vice Regent, has won six of 13 starts and $379,054. She returned from a nine-month layoff to win the $61,000 Flawlessly Handicap on Nov. 15, and she did it impressively. Racing in-hand throughout the mile turf race, she defeated Norcliffe Dancer by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:34 1/5.

Ellis was somewhat less than thrilled when Twice The Vice received the same impost as Urbane, 120 pounds, for the Bayakoa.

"I'm not happy with it, but there's nowhere else for us to run," Ellis said.

Probables for the 14th running of the Bayakoa Handicap, to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track: Urbane, Corey Nakatani, 120; Twice The Vice, Gary Stevens, 120; Pirate's Revenge, Chris Antley, 119; Klassy Kim, Kent Desormeaux, 117, and Ashtabula, no rider, 114.

HENNESSY IN, COBRA KING OUT OF HOLLYWOOD FUTURITY PICTURE
Cobra King and Hennessy, one-two finishers in the Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup Stakes on Nov. 19, are headed in different directions.

Trainer Mike Puype said Cobra King, owned by by Betty and Gary Biszantz of Rancho Santa Fe, is scheduled to be flown to Florida next week and will begin his 3-year-old campaign in the $75,000-guaranteed Hutcheson Stakes (Gr. II) on Feb. 4.

Hennessy, meanwhile, remains at Santa Anita and will make his next start in the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) on Dec. 17, assistant trainer Jeff Lukas said.

FOREST GAZELLE RETURNS IN VERNON O. UNDERWOOD
Juddmonte Farms' Forest Gazelle, who set a track record of 1:07 4/5 for six furlongs in the Los Angeles Handicap on April 28, will run in the $100,000-added Vernon O. Underwood Breeders' Cup Stakes on Dec. 9, trainer Bobby Frankel said.

Also confirmed for the six-furlong Underwood is Jeanie and Russell Bartholomew's Lucky Forever, who always seems to be around whenever a record is set.

Lucky Forever, a 6-year-old Florida-bred by Lucky North, set a world record of 1:13 1/5 for 6 1/2 furlongs while winning the $75,000 Rich Cream Handicap May 20 at Hollywood Park. In addition, Lucky Forever set splits of :20 4/5 and :42 3/5 when Pembroke set his world record of 1:00 2/5 for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in the Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup on July 15. And it was Lucky Forever who finished second when Forest Gazelle set the six furlong track record on opening night last spring.

Confirmed for the 15th running of the Vernon O. Underwood Breeders' Cup Stakes, to be run Dec. 9: Forest Gazelle, Kent Desormeaux; Lucky Forever, G. F. Almeida, and Plenty Zloty, no rider.

FINISH LINES: Congratulations to trainer Jason Orman for his first victory as a trainer, Sarintakieit ($26.20) in Wednesday's seventh race. Orman, 26, has worked as an assistant trainer for his father, Mike Orman . . . Cal Cup Mile winner Megan's Interco has aggravated a quarter crack and will be out of action a couple of months, trainer Jenine Sahadi reported . . . Undefeated Advancing Star and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Cara Rafaela both remain on course for the $250,000 Hollywood Starlet (Gr. I) on Dec. 16, according to their connections. Advancing Star worked a half-mile in :47 3/5, handily, on a fast main track Thursday . . . Trainer Richard Mandella said the tentative plan calls for Best Pal to defend his championship in the $100,000-added Native Diver Handicap (Gr. III) on Dec. 23 . . . Golden Gate Handicap winner Special Price, who became ill with a life-threatening fever last fall, is recovered and has resumed training, Neil Drysdale said . . . Drysdale did not nominate Hollywood Derby winner Labeeb to the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup. "It's too quick back," he said. "We've got all next year with him." . . . Sandpit, eighth in Sunday's $3.9-million Japan Cup, will probably remain in training next year, Mandella said . . . Ventiquattrofogli worked five furlongs on the turf in 1:00 3/5, and trainer Wally Dollase said the Col. F. W. Koester Handicap winner leaves next week for the Hong Kong Cup. Dollase was attempting to get Paul Atkinson to ride . . . Dare And Go, 1995 Strub Stakes winner, worked six furlongs in 1:18, handily, at Hollywood Thursday . . . Bobby Frankel, who saddled the second, third and fourth place finishers in Sunday's $700,000 Matriarch, was especially impressed by Wandesta's performance. The Juddmonte Farms' filly, beaten a length and a neck by Duda and Angel In My Heart, overcame a rough trip to finish third. "I was watching Sleep Easy, and I don't know how she lost her position," Frankel said of Wandesta. "She wound up circling six-wide into the stretch and she only got beat a length."

The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com/alauck)