Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, who has won the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap a record six times, and Juddmonte Farms, for which he has won the race a record four times, will be favored to add to those numbers with Champs Elysees when the $250,000, Grade II stake is run for the 19th time Saturday at 1 ˝ miles on the Hollywood Park turf.
Frankel confirmed by telephone Sunday that the planned to start both Champs Elysees and the Gary Tanaka-owned Sudan in the race named in memory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times who died in 1998. Both worked on Cushion Track here Saturday.
Ramon Dominguez will be here from Maryland to ride Champs Elysees while Jose Valdivia Jr. has a call aboard the Irish-bred Sudan - a Grade I winner in Italy - in his second United States start.
English-bred Champs Elysees, a Juddmonte homebred, finished third in the Santa Anita Handicap under Dominguez in his last start March 1. The French import finished second in the Hollywood Turf Cup and won the San Marcos Stakes in his first two stateside starts. A royally-bred son of Danehill out of Hasili, the 5-year-old horse is a brother to Dansili, Banks Hill and Intercontinental and a half-brother to Heat Haze.
The Frankel duo is expected to face defending champion On the Acorn and San Luis Rey Handicap winner Boule d'Or (Tyler Baze) in the Jim Murray. Other possibles include Church Service, Shamdinan and Victorian Prince.
MULLINS SEEKS JIM MURRAY-SENORITA DOUBLE
Trainer Jeff Mullins would love to see San Luis Rey Handicap winner Boule d'Or go wire to wire in the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap Saturday and sweeter still would be another triumph in the $100,000-added Senorita Stakes on the undercard.
Mullins pegs his hopes in the Senorita on Sweeter Still, an Irish import who won the China Doll Stakes and finished second in the Providencia Stakes, beaten by a nose, in her last start April 5 on the Santa Anita turf.
Sweeter Still, a daughter of Rock of Gibraltar owned by David Lanzman, finished ninth after a slow start in the Miesque Stakes here Nov. 24 in her U.S. debut.
"I gave her some time after the Miesque and let her acclimatize," said Mullins Sunday, expecting a much better effort in the Grade III Senorita for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf. Martin Garcia has the call back.
Other probable starters include Dawn Before Dawn (Mike Smith), Divine Legacy (Joseph Talamo), Gorgeous Goose (Jose Valdivia, Jr.) and Magical Fantasy (Alex Solis).
The Senorita is the first stepping stone to the $750,000, Grade I American Oaks on July 5. Missit, winner of the Providencia, worked six furlongs in 1:14 on turf Sunday for trainer Ben Cecil for the $175,000-added Honeymoon Handicap, the second prep, on June 7.
COURT, SAILORS SUNSET REUNITE IN L.A. 'CAP
Jon Court has taken a call to ride Sailors Sunset in defense of his crown in the $100,000-added Los Angeles Handicap, a Grade III test at six furlongs Saturday, agent Mike Siani confirmed Sunday.
Court was aboard for trainer Marcelo Polanco when Sailors Sunset led all the way last year for a half-length victory. The 5-year-old gelding has been winless in four subsequent starts under three different jockeys.
Court, who has ridden the horse to four of his six career victories, was also aboard when the Everest Stable son of Petionville established a track record of 1:07.79 winning the Underwood Stakes here on Cushion Track in 2006.
Sailors Sunset seeks to become the first horse to win the race in consecutive years in its 56-year history and only the second horse to win it twice. Native Diver won in 1965 and 1967.
Other probable starters include Bilo (Tyler Baze), Doppio (Rafael Bejarano), High Standards (Joel Rosario), Street Boss and Peace Chant, the 2007 runner-up. El Manuel, another nominee, worked four furlongs in :48.80 Sunday.
Trainer David Hofmans said Greg's Gold would skip the race and await the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap at 7 ˝ furlongs June 7.
ABRAMS TO FIRE RAILBIRD HEAT; HAPPY WITH GUTS
Trainer Barry Abrams, back from Churchill Downs after a fourth-place finish by Golden Doc A in the Kentucky Oaks Friday, looks forward to Lethal Heat putting her unbeaten streak of three on the line in the $100,000-added Railbird Stakes, a Grade III test for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs next Sunday.
Lethal Heat, a California-bred daughter of Unusual Heat co-owned by Abrams and Madeline Auerbach, comes off a victory in the Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita March 30 and will be ridden for the first time by Rafael Bejarano.
Abrams originally wanted to start the filly in the Melair Stakes here April 27 but she did not get in because of a mix-up at entry time. Abrams won the race anyway when a second filly, Bel Air Sizzle, finished second and was elevated to first after the winner was disqualified for interference with the third-place finisher.
Railbird competition for Lethal Heat is expected to include Lovely Isle, Magical Victory (Victor Espinoza), P.S.U. Grad (Michael Baze), Peisinoe (Alex Solis), Sweet Hope (Jon Court) and Tasha's Miracle (Martin Garcia). Tasha's Miracle worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 Sunday for trainer John Sadler.
Abrams was proud of Golden Doc A's effort on a muddy day. "She was between horses and in trouble the whole race," said Abrams of the Las Virgenes Stakes winner, for whom he had not yet formulated plans.
Abrams was also happy with an upset victory here Saturday by Guts, a 3-year-old gelding making his eighth start in a $50,000 maiden race at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
"He was finally ridden the way I wanted," said Abrams in praise of jockey Joel Rosario, who rode the son of Unusual Heat for the first time. "I said to stay last and make one late run."
Abrams named the thoroughbred for a standardbred star he trained in the East. "That's the way Guts used to race," said Abrams of the star pacer. "You would take him back and make one run in the stretch. He earned almost $2-million in 1984."
TRES BORRACHOS EYES PREAKNESS
Trainer Beau Greely confirmed here Sunday that Tres Borrachos would make his next start in the Preakness Stakes on May 17. "He's still at Churchill Downs," said Greely of the third-place finisher in the Arkansas Derby. "He will work there Wednesday, again the following Tuesday and ship to Baltimore. Tyler Baze will ride."
Greely co-owns the Ecton Park colt, who broke his maiden here in November.
Two other Hollywood Park horses are also under Preakness consideration. Trainer Craig Dollase said a final decision had not been reached on El Gato Malo, who worked six furlongs here in 1:12.20 Saturday. He won the San Rafael Stakes and finished fifth in the Santa Anita Derby.
Trainer Paddy Gallagher said Yankee Bravo, fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, is also a possibility.
FINISH LINES - Trainer Richard Mandella said from Kentucky that El Roblar, winner of the $109,500 Inglewood Handicap on Saturday, could return in the $250,000-added Grade I Shoemaker Mile on May 26...Richard Migliore will be in Texas Saturday to ride Leonides for trainer Vladimir Cerin in the $400,000 Lone Star Derby, agent Tom Knust reported, in a race also expected to attract the Bob Baffert-trained Samba Rooster…Trainer Christopher Paasch hopes to put a 2007 campaign he considered disappointing behind him with a bumper crop of 16 2-year-olds stabled here for upcoming debuts.
