HOLLYWOOD PARK : Trainer Hofmans Gives Fields Of Gold Real Shot at Winning Hollywood Oaks Sunday

Trainer David Hofmans didn’t think much of the Princess Stakes, the prep for Sunday’s $163,600 Hollywood Oaks. “I watched the Princess (on June 24) and I wasn’t all that impressed with the way it was run,” he said.

Underwhelmed by A Wild Ride’s 9-1 upset victory over Golden Reef and three others, Hofmans decided to try his Fields Of Gold in the Grade I Oaks, which will be run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

A daughter of Mr. Prospector and a half-sister to Beau’s Eagle, Fields of Gold has two victories and a second in three starts. She broke her maiden, winning by a nose in 1:08 4/5 on May 6; was second at 6-5 to Peppy’s Kingdom nearly a month later, then stretched out to a mile and won by almost two lengths on the day before the Princess.

Owned by John Mabee’s Golden Eagle Farm, Fields of Gold will be coupled Sunday with Annual Reunion, who returns to the dirt after missing by a head in her first grass appearance, last month’s Honeymoon Handicap.

“I think she’ll do fine,” said Hofmans, when asked about Fields of Gold’s initial try around two turns. “The distance is just right for her, and she’s coming up to the race very well.

“From the first day, she’s seemed to do everything right. When she was beaten, she was pushed out the whole way. In her last race, she really relaxed well. I worked her a slow half in 51 (seconds) the other day, and she did it nicely. She went slow the first part, then finished up strong. She’s starting to really mature and wanting to rate.”

Wayne Lukas, who saddled three of the five entrants in the Princess, will send out three more Sunday. A Wild Ride, whose Princess victory was her first win since the Junior Miss Stakes at Del Mar last Aug. 2, will be joined by Patches and Jefforee.

The even-money choice 13 days ago, Patches finished third. The Majestic Light filly, who had bled while placing second in the Railbird on June 9, moved up menacingly at the top of the stretch but was unable to sustain her bid and was beaten by 5 1/2 lengths.

“I thought Patches ran a good race, but I don’t think she ran her best race,” Lukas said. “I think she’ll bounce back.

“A Wild Ride is coming up to this as good as can be. She could end up being the best of the three fillies.”

Like A Wild Ride, Jefforee is owned by Calumet Farm, so they will be coupled Sunday. A chestnut daughter of Alydar, Jefforee will be making her stakes debut in the Oaks. Not too long ago, a Grade I race was the last place anyone would have expected to find her.

Beaten in her first five starts at Laurel and Pimlico, Jefforee finished second three consecutive times after arriving in Southern California.

Stretched out by Lukas, she responded with a 3 1/2-length maiden victory on June 16, then came back 11 days later and won by a neck on the turf.

A pleasant surprise to Lukas, the 3-year-old obviously doesn’t mind work. The Oaks will be Jefforee’s sixth race since May 13.

“I don’t know who had her back there (in Maryland) or what the hell they were doing, but she was very thin when she got here and she wasn’t really into her training,” Lukas said. “She’s picked up 250 pounds since she’s been here and she’s been eating like crazy. She’s really come a long way.

“She’s definitely a nice filly with a lot of ability. It wouldn’t be a surprise to me if she was right there. She might be better on the turf and if she runs a decent race Sunday, we’ll come back with her in the Del Mar Oaks (on the grass).”

Golden Reef, who will be adding blinkers, Pampered Star, a distant fourth in the Railbird, and Let Fly round out the Oaks field.

Lukas and Hofmans will also be represented in the $111,900 Landaluce, the biggest race of the meeting for 2-year-old fillies.

Eleven are scheduled to go in the six-furlong, Grade III event today, and the best credentials so far belong to Sawsan. A Mr. Redoy filly trained by Richard Mulhall, she broke her maiden by five lengths at Hollywood Park on May 24 at 22-1, then won by three lengths in a minor stake at Golden Gate Fields a month later.

Sawsan must break from the rail, however, and this could cause her some problems, because she’s not particularly quick leaving the starting gate.

Hofmans will start Long Time Ago, who like Fields of Gold, is owned by Golden Eagle Farm.

A daughter of Conquistador Cielo out of the mare Six Months Long, Long Time Ago lost by a nose to Garden Gal, another Landaluce entrant, in her debut on June 16.

She lost considerable ground when carried wide by Nice Assay and was six lengths clear of everybody else. Also, the final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was a splendid 1:03.

“The post position beat her,” Hofmans said. “She had the (No.) 11 hole, and the horse in the (No.) 10 hole kept pushing her out all the way down the backstretch, and she only got beat a nose.

“The added distance is going to help this filly, and I think she’s got a good career in front of her.”

Consulate, a Raise a Man filly, is Lukas’ Landaluce hope. Owned by the Clover Racing Stable, she won by 2 1/2 lengths in her debut, seemingly without being asked for her best. “I liked her race the other day and I think she’ll improve off that race,” Lukas said.

Today is the second Jockeys Across America Day, set up to benefit the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund.

Riders throughout North America have been asked to donate one mount fee to the fund, a charity established to provide for injured and disabled jockeys.

Riders at 50 tracks are supposed to participate, and there will also be a special quarter-mile foot race among several jockeys at Hollywood Park. It’s scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Taken for $16,000 two months ago, Cannon Man has to be one of the best claims of 1990.

Winless in 10 starts last year, the 4-year-old son of Cannonade was gelded during the winter, and has really improved.

Claimed by trainer Robert Wright on May 5 after he made it two consecutive victories for Warren Stute with a nine-length, wire-to-wire romp, Cannon Man has found a home on the turf.

The 4-year-old has two victories and a second in three starts for his new connections. The latest victory came last Sunday and was well-earned. Despite running three to four wide throughout, Cannon Man defeated favored Pure Genius by almost two lengths in 1:41 1/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.