Weekend Racing at Hollywood Park : Torrid Toro Tries for Two on the Turf

Jockey Fernando Toro, who already has a pair of stakes victories to his credit at the current Hollywood Park meeting, has the opportunity to double that total this weekend.

“Toro on the turf” is a commonly heard phrase around the betting windows, and for good reason. Toro seems to do better than average on the grass, which is the surface for today’s and Sunday’s feature races.

After winning the Premiere Handicap with Clever Song and the Wilshire Handicap with Galunpe in the last three weeks, Toro will ride probable favorite Bello Horizonte in this afternoon’s $60,000-added Caballero Handicap.

The 1 1/2-mile test has attracted a field of 13, and Bello Horizonte is the co-high weight, with Lord Grundy, at 117. Trained by George Scott and formerly raced in France, the 4-year-old son of Top Ville has has finished in the money in each of his four American appearances.

The complete Caballero field, in order of post position and including jockey and weight: Lord Grundy, Eddie Delahoussaye, 117; Truth, Dave Patton, 111; Keyala, Laffit Pincay, 114; De Soto, Francisco Mena, 110; Plum Certain, Gary Baze, 114; Great Communicator, Scott Stevens, 112; Centenary, Ray Sibille, 112; Bello Horizonte, Fernando Toro, 117; Wild Style, Frank Olivares, 112; Sun Man, Bill Shoemaker, 112; Enbarr, Rafael Meza, 114; Circus Prince, Antonio Castanon, 113, and Dhaleem, Alex Solis, 113.

Truth, Plum Certain and Sun Man give trainer Charlie Whittingham a triple shot at winning his fifth straight Caballero Handicap.

On Sunday, in the $100,000-added Honeymoon Handicap, Toro’s chances of victory are somewhat shorter. He will be aboard Davie’s Lamb, a filly who usually ends up among the leaders but who has won only twice in 14 starts.

Like the Caballero, the 1 1/16-mile Honeymoon has drawn a sizable field, with 11 3-year-old fillies going to the post.

The likely favorite, now that Whittingham has decided not run Sweettuc, will probably be Pen Bal Lady, the Senorita Stakes winner who worked six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 Thursday for trainer Hector Palma.

The Senorita was Pen Bal Lady’s American debut after she had begun her career in England and Scotland. Pen Bal Lady, Sweettuc and Davie’s Lamb finished 1-2-3 in the Senorita.

The complete Honeymoon Handicap field from the rail out: Down Again, Luis Ortega, 113; Quick Messenger, Alex Solis, 114; Joey the Trip, Gary Stevens, 117; Ideal Change, Gary Baze, 113; Davie’s Lamb, Toro, 115; Misshigh Andmighty, Thomas Chapman, 119; Hello Sweet Thing, Chris McCarron, 114; Rainbow Morning, Laffit Pincay, 112; Pen Bal Lady, Eddie Delahoussaye, 119; Wild Manor, Rafael Meza, 114, and Some Sensation, Bill Shoemaker, 117.