Weekend Racing at Hollywood Park : Drysdale Has Sights on a Sweep

At first glance, trainer Neil Drysdale would appear to have a solid chance of sweeping the three stakes at Hollywood Park this weekend.

Drysdale will run the veteran Sabona in the $216,800 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap Sunday. Today, he has the classy Miss Brio in the $107,400 Hawthorne Handicap, and First Play, one of his top 3-year-olds, in the $111,900 Will Rogers Handicap.

Under ordinary circumstances, a sweep would not be out of the question, based on the year Drysdale’s horses are having. Through May 14, the Drysdale stable had earned $1,451,746 and ranked third nationally behind juggernauts Wayne Lukas and Charlie Whittingham.

However, Sabona and Miss Brio have their work cut out.

“As a matter of fact, I may not run Miss Brio in the Hawthorne at all,” Drysdale said Friday morning.

“That’s an awfully tough spot for her to come back. And, after all, the point is to win the next two races down the line. Hopefully, we’ll find another place to get her ready.”

The Grade II Hawthorne, a mile on the main track, is a warmup for the Milady Handicap June 17 and the Vanity Handicap July 15, both Grade I events.

Miss Brio has been on the sidelines because of a bruised foot since mid-February. Before that, however, the Chilean mare ranked at the top of her division, especially after beating the speedy Bayakoa in the Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita.

Even if Miss Brio does not run, the Hawthorne still will feature Chapter 3 of the rivalry between Bayakoa and Goodbye Halo, who finished 1-2 in both the Santa Margarita Invitational at Santa Anita and the more recent Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Richard Eamer and John Bedrosian’s Daloma, who defeated Winning Colors in the A Gleam Handicap three weeks ago, Behind the Scenes and Vanita’s Special complete the field.

First Play will be one of several colts trying the grass for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Will Rogers.

But the son of East Coast stakes winner Play On earned high marks for an allowance victory at Santa Anita on March 18.

“He grabbed a quarter that day,” Drysdale said, referring to the injury that occurs when a horse’s back hoofs overreach and snag off a chunk from one of the front hoofs.

“He’s come back well, but it remains to be seen if he takes to this hard turf course.”

First Play’s competition should come from Notorious Pleasure, Over the Pole, Advocate Training, Roback and Broke the Mold.

Sabona--Old Bones, as he is called around the barn--will be making what has become a traditional appearance in the LeRoy.

Back in his youth, while trained by John Gosden, the now 7-year-old son of Exclusive Native finished second in the 1986 race and ran third in 1987. Injury kept him out of the LeRoy last year.

Bill Shoemaker will ride Sabona for Drysdale, but even their best effort may not be enough to stop Ruhlmann, top-weighted at 121 pounds and the heavy favorite.

“He’s been training so good it’s scary,” said assistant trainer Rodney Rash, who has been overseeing Ruhlmann’s LeRoy preps while Charlie Whittingham has been on the Triple Crown trail with Sunday Silence.

A dark brown son of Mr. Leader, Ruhlmann is owned by Jerry Moss--the M in A&M; Records. He has won both his starts this year, breaking the track record for a mile at Santa Anita and winning the San Bernardino Handicap there.

Besides, Sabona, Ruhlmann will race San Fernando Stakes winner Mi Preferido, His Highness, Sharp Victor, Perfec Travel and Hot Operator.

Horse Racing Notes

There are those who insist that the best 3-year-old in the country will not be racing in the Preakness today, but in the $100,000 Gold Rush Handicap at Golden Gate Fields. His name is King Glorious, unbeaten and virtually untested in six starts, and if he passes this test he will be heading east to make his case on the national stage.

There will be betting at Hollywood Park on the Preakness, with Sunday Silence listed as the 6-5 local morning-line choice and Easy Goer at 8-5.