HOLLYWOOD PARK : His Success Is Still Greek to Bettors

Those who couldn’t accept Itsallgreektome’s 32-1 victory in the Spotlight Handicap earlier this month got another chance Saturday.

Sent off at 13-1 against many of the same 3-year-olds he had recently beaten, the gray son of Sovereign Dancer charged down the stretch to win the $113,500 Will Rogers Handicap at Hollywood Park.

It was the second victory in as many turf starts for Itsallgreektome, who was also gelded before his Spotlight victory.

The colt had been stuck in neutral since winning his first start at 28-1 last August at Del Mar. He was seventh in his next start, a Louisiana Downs stakes, then was fourth three times in a row.

A nose better than Warcraft and only a length ahead of the fifth-place finisher three weeks before, Itsallgreektome won the Will Rogers by nearly two lengths, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 1/5.

Itsallgreektome is also perfect with Corey Nakatani in the saddle. Nakatani had worked the colt for trainer--and now father-in-law--Wallace Dollase on several occasions, but not until last time did he ride him in the afternoon.

Said Dollase, who had seemed startled after the Spotlight victory: “I’m a believer. The horse proved it to me now. I did have my doubts. I thought maybe we got lucky last time, but now it looks like he’s a racehorse.

“It’s been a combination of the grass and the gelding. I felt he had a lot of ability at one time. Then he got a virus, and we went to Louisiana. It was a deep track and he bled and that really set him back.

“He couldn’t get a hold of the track at Santa Anita. He needs something tight and he sure gets it here, of course. We’ll keep him on grass. I sure don’t want to change anything now.”

Nakatani thought Itsallgreektome would improve Saturday.

“If that last race did anything, it tightened him up for this one because we hadn’t done too much with him before that race,” he said. “I worked him when he went a minute (May 20) and he did it so easy. It was a real good work.”

Warcraft, the 3-2 favorite, was second with no visible excuses, followed by Balla Cove--who improved in his first on Lasix--Somethingdifferent, Mehmetori, Robyn Dancer, Tsu’s Dawning, Single Dawn and Green’s Leader.

Reluctant Guest, the surprise winner of the Wilshire Handicap three Sundays ago, won’t run in today’s $107,700 Gamely Handicap on the turf at 1 1/8 miles, the second in Hollywood Park’s three-race series for older fillies and mares on the turf.

Most effective after layoffs, Reluctant Guest probably will be seen next in the $200,000 Beverly Hills Handicap June 30.

In her absence, trainer Richard Mandella will send out Beautiful Melody, the Wilshire runner-up and a filly who has found a home on the turf.

A twice-beaten maiden when she was transferred to Mandella’s barn last fall after being sidelined for several months, the Alydar filly won her first race against males Feb. 2 at Santa Anita. After Beautiful Melody ran second in another sprint, Mandella decided to stretch her out and try turf.

“She didn’t look as impressive in her two sprints on the dirt as she had in her longer works in the morning,” said the trainer. “The track (at Santa Anita) was much tighter in the morning than it was in the afternoon. Judging from her style and breeding, I felt she wanted to run long.”

Beautiful Melody went wire-to-wire in her first try on the grass, then was even more impressive when successful in the same manner a few weeks later.

Moving to Hollywood Park, she made her first stakes appearance and, after setting the pace, beat everyone except her stablemate.

“I’m a little surprised she’s come this far this fast,” Mandella said. “I thought she ran an exceptional race (in the Wilshire). My other filly happened to run a really exceptional race.”

Mandella was among the leaders at Santa Anita with 23 winners and, in the most recent statistics released by the Daily Racing Form, ranks sixth nationally among trainers with $1,457,176 in stable earnings.

Last Sunday, he saddled Super May, a stakes-winner on the turf, for his 8-1 upset in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap. It was the fifth victory in six starts this year for the versatile son of Super Concorde. He now has victories on grass, on a fast main track and in the slop in 1990.

“The Golden Gate Handicap (June 16) would be a good choice for him,” Mandella said of Super May. “It’s 1 3/8 miles on the turf, but I don’t see the distance being a problem for him.”

Five days after working a mile in 1:35 3/5, Sunday Silence went even better Saturday. Working between the fifth and sixth races, 1989’s Horse of the Year went a mile in 1:34 3/5 under Chris McCarron. Prepping for his 4-year-old debut in next Sunday’s Californian, Sunday Silence had fractions of 23 2/5, 46 4/5 and 1:10 2/5.

“He went super,” McCarron said. “It’s difficult to tell how fast he’s going because he’s so fluid. The man (trainer Charlie Whittingham) told me to let him roll, so we did and he finished up well, too.”

Horse Racing Notes

Continuing a streak that has now reached seven races, Mighty Buck finished last in Saturday’s fifth race. Claimed for $16,000 by owner-trainer Kermit Alexander Jan. 3, 1988, the 8-year-old son of Buckfinder hasn’t finished closer to the winner than 14 1/4 lengths in eight starts since and has yet to race for less than the price for which he was claimed. Racing for a $20,000 price Saturday, Mighty Buck, who won six of 30 starts before joining his current stable, was beaten by nearly 21 lengths and was nine back of the next-to-last horse, Mat Nestor.

Saros Brig, a multiple-stakes winning mare, suffered a broken left front ankle and had to be humanely destroyed while competing in the $150,000 Lady Canterbury Handicap Saturday at Canterbury Downs. The 9-5 favorite in the race and ridden by Pat Valenzuela, Saros Brig was owned by Earl Scheib and trained by Dominick Manzi. . . . Avenue of Flags, a debuting 2-year-old son of Seattle Slew out of the brilliant mare Beautiful Glass, was impressive winning the sixth. He covered the five furlongs in :57 2/5 while winning by 4 1/2 lengths under Kent Desormeaux. He is trained by Richard Mandella and owned by Golden Eagle Farm. . . . There was one perfect ticket in the Pick Six and it was worth a Hollywood Park record $489,639.40.