"It was just a slow work," said trainer Wally Dollase, who saddled his only Gold Cup starter Itsallgreektome to a third-place finish in the 1991 running. Dollase will be aiming for his first $1 milllion victory with the Strub (Gr. I) winner. The 58-year old trainer is having a solid Hollywood meeting, with four winners from 18 starters, coming on the heels of a phenomenal Santa Anita winter/spring stand where he saddled eight stakes winners and posted a 15-for-49 record.
The 4-year-old El Gran Senor colt is coming off a strong second after racing close to the pace in The Californian, but Dollase will not employ the same tactics for the Gold Cup.
"We can't go as fast as we did last time," he said. "We stayed too close to the pace trying to stay with Del Mar Dennis."
Siphon figures to be the pacesetter in the Gold Cup, and Dollase expects his charge to be laying second or third.
"If Siphon sets a good pace it will help us and Soul Of The Matter," said Dollase, who was one win shy of 200 career wins Wednesday.
"You need something to run at, and he'll be the one. But I would imagine he (Siphon) would be right there at the wire, too."
Career Earnings of Gold Cup Probables
Soul Of The Matter $2,302,818In other developments:Tinners Way $1,846,992
Mr Purple $1,133,538
Dare And Go $906,556
Helmsman $798,909
Geri $653,250
Luthier Fever $640,852
Siphon $417,619
Mr Purple worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 Tuesday morning. No rider has yet been named on the Santa Anita Handicap (Gr. I) winner.
Trainer Richard Mandella indicated Corey Nakatani would work Soul Of The Matter Thursday morning. Mervyn LeRoy (Gr. II) winner Siphon will likely work Thursday or Friday.
Tinners Way is expected to work Thursday morning for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Probables for the 57th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup, 1 1/4 miles on the main track, second leg in the MGM Grand Classic Crown: Helmsman, Chris McCarron; Mr Purple,* no rider; Siphon, David Flores; Soul Of The Matter, Corey Nakatani; Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Geri, Jerry Bailey.
Possible: Luthier Fever, Brice Blanc; Dare And Go, no rider
* Eligible for the $2-million MGM Grand Classic Crown bonus.
Visitors of the Las Vegas hotel and casino can wager on head-to-head match-ups, the final time of the race, the winning margin and the possibility of a photo finish.
One of the more interesting wagers offered by MGM Grand Hotel/Casino is whether or not the exacta will be completed by trainers with last names beginning with the letter "M." Currently, three "M" trainers are pointing a total of five horses toward the 1 1/4-mile classic: Richard Mandella (Soul Of The Matter, Siphon and Dare And Go); Ron McAnally (Mr Purple), and Bill Mott (Geri).
The proposition bets offered by the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino of Las Vegas:
Head-to-head match-ups (both horses must start for action):
Soul Of The Matter -180 Tinners Way -140Winning time of the Hollywood Gold Cup will be:Mr Purple +140 Dare And Go Even
Tinners Way -130 Mr Purple -120
Mr Purple -110 Luthier Fever -120
Soul Of The Matter -160 Helmsman -120
Helmsman +120 Tinners Way -120
Geri -120 Geri -160
Soul Of The Matter -120 Siphon +120
Over 1:59 4/5 -160A photo finish for the win:Under 1:59 4/5 +120
Will be +300Winning margin of victory will be:Won't be -400
0 to 1 length EvenWill the exacta be trained by last name beginning with an "M"1 1/4 - 2 lengths 9-5
2 1/4 - 3 lengths 5-2
3 1/4 - 4 lengths 7-2
4 1/4 - 5 lengths 6-1
5 1/4 or more lengths 12-1
Yes -160The MGM Grand Hotel/Casino will offer a $2 million bonus to a horse that sweeps the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Del Mar's Pacific Classic, a $500,000 Participation Bonus and a $100,000 Jockey Bonus.No +120
Participation Bonus point distribution after the first leg of the MGM Grand Classic Crown: Mr Purple, 10 (Santa Anita Handicap winner and eligible for the $2 million bonus); Luthier Fever, 7; Just Java, 5; Helmsman, 3, and Cezind, 1.
"These are all the best fillies on the West Coast," said Ellis, who took the Milady last year with Pirate's Revenge.
Twice The Vice drilled four furlongs in 47 4/5 Wednesday morning in preparation for Sunday's race. "She went very well, it sets her up perfectly," said Ellis.
Ellis has mapped out Twice The Vice's campaign, which culminates with the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Oct. 28. "After here and the Vanity, we'll probably wait until maybe the Beldame before the Breeders' Cup," he said.
In other developments:
Hawthorne Handicap (Gr. II) winner Borodislew went four furlongs in 50 1/5 Wednesday morning.
Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel's Urbane breezed four furlongs in 47 1/5 Tuesday morning.
Confirmed for the 45th running of the Milady Handicap, 1 1/16 miles on the main track : Borodislew, Eddie Delahoussaye, 119; Jewel Princess, Corey Nakatani, 120; Twice The Vice, Chris McCarron, 120; and Urbane, Alex Solis, 117.
"We've really been pointing for this all along," said Bradshaw. "We got that one mile race into him to get him ready, but he's really a long distance specialist."
The 6-year-old Alleged colt came to Bradshaw from Europe, where he had been contesting marathons all over the continent. In his last race before heading to North America, Shrewd Idea ran second to Sunshack in a 1 15/16-mile Group 1 race.
"He's won in five or six different countries," said Bradshaw. "If we spot him in the right places, he's the kind of horse where his owners could make some good money with him."
Probables for the Jim Murray Handicap: Big Sky Jim, no rider; Opera Score, Eddie Delahoussaye; Patio De Naranjos, Rene Douglas; Polish Admiral, no rider; Shrewd Idea, Alex Solis.
Possible: Bedivere, no rider.
Among those who have accepted invitations are Deacon Dan Towler, Tank Younger and Dick Hoerner, who comprised the Rams' famed Bull Elephant Backfield. Other former Rams who will be in attendance include Jon Arnett, Dick Bass, Woodley Lewis, George Strugar and Del Shofner.
FINISH LINES: Santa Anita Derby winner Larry the Legend worked four furlongs in 47 4/5 at Santa Anita Tuesday . . . Afternoon Deelites worked six furlongs in 1:10 4/5 in company with Talloires in preparation for the $200,000 Triple Bend Handicap on June 30 . . . Trainer Richard Mandella said Jim Beam Stakes (Gr. II) winner Roar has joined the barn but will not race until Del Mar. "We're going to give him a break and get to know him a little bit," he said. . . Mandella's 4-year-old filly Rhapsodic and the Bobby Frankel-trained Igotrhythm left Tuesday for Saturday's $150,000 Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap (Gr. III) at Arlington International. . . Tangled Web, a 3-year-old full sister to Grade I winner Cat's Cradle, will make her career debut for David Hofmans in Friday's sixth race . . . Trainer Neil Drysdale began the week with 199 lifetime wins at Hollywood Park.
The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com/alauck)