HOLLYWOOD PARK STABLE NOTES

Saturday, December 9, 1995

By Vince Bruun

TAKE IT TO THE BANK, STEVENS IS MASTER OF HOLLYWOOD'S TURF
To say that Gary Stevens has been the dominant turf rider at the 1995 Hollywood Park Autumn Meeting is like saying UCLA used to dominate college basketball under coach John Wooden.

Talk about a concentration of wealth. There had been 37 turf races through Friday, and Stevens had won 11 of them, from 26 mounts.

To look at it another way, 33 different jockeys had ridden at least one race on the turf. Thus Stevens, representing three percent of the jockey colony, had won 30 percent of the turf races overall. Next closest with three wins each were Alex Solis (3 of 26) and Chris McCarron (3 of 25).

Stevens' win percentage on the turf, 42.3 percent (11 of 26), was almost unbelievable, and he had been especially tough with Bobby Frankel-trained horses, winning five of 10 starts.

Horse        	        Date            (race #)         Type	                           Trainer                  $2 Win

Luzette	                 Dec. 8             (8)          ALW ($55,000)              R. Mandella               $5.20

Tychonic	      Dec. 3	         (8)          Lure ($61,950)                R. Frankel                  $7.80 

Staffin	                  Dec. 2             (2)           ALW ($36,000)              D. Vienna                   $4.20

Old Chapel	    Nov. 25            (6)          Generous ($250,000)      J. Kimmel                  $4.80

Fastness	      Nov. 25             (9)          Citation ($300,000)        J. Sahadi                     $3.80

Dirca		        Nov. 22             (8)          ALW ($40,000)               J. Sahadi                      $5.20

Didina		        Nov. 19            (8)           ALW ($46,000)               R. Frankel                   $9.20

Tychonic             Nov. 18             (9)          Steinlen ($61,400)          R. Frankel                   $13.40

Electrify	       Nov. 17            (5)           CLM $62,500 ($39,000) R. Frankel                  $12.40

Ninette	               Nov. 17            (8)            ALW ($36,000)                R. Frankel                  $4.00

Twice The Vice Nov. 15            (8)            Flawlessly ($61,000)         R. Ellis                       $5.00           

Total: 26 mounts--11 wins                              

MATTY G MIGHT BE SUPPLEMENTED TO FUTURITY
Double J Farm's Matty G worked seven furlongs in 1:25 3/5, handily, under Alex Solis Saturday morning, and trainer Ron McAnally said the Capote colt might be supplemented to the $500,000 Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) on Sunday, Dec. 17.

Matty G, who faded to finish fourth in the Hollywood Prevue Breeders' Cup Stakes Nov. 19, set splits of :22 1/5, :44 4/5 and 1:08 4/5 in the seven-furlong race before being passed by Cobra King, Hennessy and stablemate Exetera in the stretch.

Supplemental nominations to the Grade I Futurity cost $25,000: $12,500 to enter, and an additional $12,500 to start.

McAnally, who also plans to send out Verne Winchell's Exetera in the Futurity, won the 1993 Futurity with Winchell's Valiant Nature.

Early probables for the 15th Hollywood Futurity: Odyle, no rider; Tropicool, no rider; Hennessy, Gary Stevens; Exetera, Eddie Delahoussaye; Ayrton S, Chris McCarron, and Matty G, Alex Solis.

NAKATANI TO RIDE CARA RAFAELA
Corey Nakatani has been one of the hottest jockeys in Southern California, finishing first or second in five of the last seven meetings on the circuit.

But things haven't gone so well at the 1995 Autumn Festival. Because of a five-day suspension, a trip to the Japan Cup to ride Sandpit, and a bout with the flu, Nakatani had ridden just five of the first 18 days here. His win percentage, 18.6, was solid as usual, but he had ridden just six winners and was tied for 12th in the standings.

Perhaps next Saturday's Hollywood Starlet will be just the remedy for Nakatani. After all, he's won the race two of the last three years (Serena's Song in 1994 and Creaking Board in '92) and appears to have a plum mount in TNT Stud's Cara Rafaela.

Cara Rafaela, second to My Flag in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will be the most accomplished runner in the Starlet, with earnings in excess of $400,000.

Early probables for the 15th Hollywood Starlet: Cara Rafaela, Corey Nakatani; Chile Chatte, Alex Solis; Advancing Star, Gary Stevens, and Wheatly Special, Chris McCarron.

WILL NORTHERN SPUR WIN THE ECLIPSE AWARD?
Charles Cella's Northern Spur, who would have been heavily-favored to win Sunday's $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, continues to recover from a cough at Santa Anita, trainer Ron McAnally said.

"How do you think we feel about it?" McAnally said. "There aren't any superstars in that field."

McAnally was asked if Northern Spur merited the Eclipse Award for male grass horse.

"I think he has as good a chance as any horse to win (the Eclipse)," McAnally said. "I would imagine Sandpit would also have a chance. We'll just wait and see how it comes out."

The Turf Cup, meanwhile, goes on with a full-field of 14. Randy Bradshaw, who will saddle Shrewd Idea, said the 12-furlong race appears to be a grab-bag.

"If nothing else, it's a great betting race," Bradshaw said. "A person could make a good case for a lot of those horses, and also get a fair price."

FINISH LINES: Desert Stormer remains in training and her future remains undecided, trainer Frank Lyons said. The Breeders' Cup Sprint winner most likely will be retired and bred to an undetermined sire. But owner Joanne Nor hasn't completely ruled out another race or two for the Storm Cat mare . . . Neil Drysdale (48) and Willard Proctor (80) both celebrate birthdays Monday . . . Tough Pumpkin should be renamed Tough to Figure. The 3-year-old Cal-bred gelding has won two of his last three starts for Caesar Dominguez, paying $89.20 and $28. Friday's wire to wire romp in the nightcap was the final nail in the coffin of Pick Six players. The carryover to Saturday was $105,859.44 . . . Miesque Stakes winner Antespend will not be supplemented to the Hollywood Futurity. Trainer Ron McAnally said he wants to keep the filly on turf . . .Hillwalker ($4) and Kelkyko ($5.60) registered the first dead-heat for win at the meeting in Friday's fifth race. Alex Solis, who rode Hillwalker for Mel Stute, had two wins on the program and five wins in the last two days. Solis, with 18 wins, had overtaken Eddie Delahoussaye for second place in the standings . . . Cal Cup Classic winner Luthier Fever worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:12 3/5 Saturday morning for trainer Gary Jones.

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