HOLLYWOOD PARK : Itsallgreektome Eclipses Field in the Turf Cup

Itsallgreektome’s fifth stakes victory of the year, in Sunday’s $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, could lead to another big prize in the near future.

The 3-year-old gelding’s one-length victory in a 14-horse Grade I race enhanced his chances of winning the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top turf performer.

Nobody can question his credentials. He was first, second or third in nine consecutive stakes, lost by a neck to Royal Academy in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, then raced 1 1/2 miles for the first time Sunday.

“(An Eclipse) would be nice,” said trainer Wallace Dollase, still beaming after his biggest success.

“It would be the cream. He’s beaten some awfully good horses, he’s gone 1 1/2 miles and went a brilliant mile. Who else can say they’ve done that?

“I think he’s got to be right there. And this is an iron horse. You’ve got to call him an iron horse to run as often (12 times this year) and consistently as he has. I’ve got to find something to knock on because he’s also been able to remain 100% sound. I give this animal a lot of credit. No doubt about it, he’s something special.”

Ridden perfectly by Corey Nakatani, Dollase’s son-in-law, Itsallgreektome saved ground early after breaking from the rail, was taken to the outside down the backstretch, began to rally around the final turn, led by a length with a furlong to run and finished in 2:24 4/5, breaking the Turf Cup record of 2:25 4/5 set by Alphabatim in 1986 and three-fifths off Rivlia’s course record. He paid $7 as the 5-2 favorite and earned $275,000 for his 83-year-old owner, Jheri Redding.

“What a ride,” Dollase said. “That’s what I was worried about with all those horses. With all those horses, how was this horse coming from out of it going to be lucky enough to get through? Corey just moved him on the backside and was sitting perfect then.

“This horse has a terrific three-eighths of a mile run in him. He has a lot of patience and when you ask him, he goes. He gives you everything he’s got. Today, he just ran right on by them. It was a perfectly timed ride.”

Nakatani hasn’t done much wrong on the gray son of Sovereign Dancer, and at 20, he has become a veteran in the world’s strongest jockey colony. The Turf Cup was his 20th victory of the meeting, placing him fourth in the Hollywood Park standings.

“In the beginning, he was a little bit rank, but because he’s such a nice horse he came right back to me,” Nakatani said. “Going down the backside, I just wanted to get position and he relaxed just the way he always does. When I asked him to pick it up, he just took off.

“There was never a question in my mind about the distance. I knew the horse was fit and I knew there wasn’t a horse in the race who could run with him. I think he should get the Eclipse Award.”

Mashkour, a 20-1 shot who had been beaten by a head while carrying a $125,000 claiming price in his last race at Oak Tree, came from far back to gain the place, finishing two lengths ahead of 11-1 shot Live The Dream. A head back in fourth was pacesetter Fly Till Dawn.

“I had to check pretty hard at the three-eighths pole, and if that hadn’t happened, it would have been a better horse race than it turned out to be,” said Mashkour’s rider, Chris McCarron. “He was coming out of some cheaper races, but he’s legitimate. He got beat by a head by Rial at Del Mar and that horse came back to win some nice stakes. (Mashkour has) run some productive races and he should have been closer today.”

Although he won’t be leaving Hollywood Park, Itsallgreektome will be taking a vacation. The San Francisco Mile, March 23, at Golden Gate Fields probably will be his 4-year-old debut.

Rial was fifth in the Turf Cup, then came Hodges Bay.

With six days remaining, Gary Jones is firmly entrenched atop the Hollywood Park trainer standings. He has 13 winners from 41 starters, putting him three ahead of Bill Spawr.

Perhaps the most encouraging development for Jones has been the emergence of Tabaman.

A full brother to Turkoman, the 3-year-old didn’t show a thing in his first two starts--finishing 11th and sixth--improved in his third race, around two turns, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind in second. He went to the sidelines after that March 4 race and didn’t return until Nov. 11.

Since coming back, Tabaman has been a different animal. He blitzed maidens by four lengths, then Saturday he defeated another highly regarded colt, High Energy, by more than a length in a fast 1:21 2/5 for seven furlongs.

“He was too big and too soft (earlier this year),” Jones said. “He just needed a lot of time. He’s come back a different horse.”

Chris McCarron, who has ridden Tabaman in three of his five starts, also notices a huge difference.

“He’s really matured a lot,” he said. “He was something of a clown before. He didn’t really want to put out everything he had.

“The time has really helped him a lot. He’s just the opposite of his brother (whom McCarron also rode). He has a lot more speed and he’s more aggressive. You could blow a bomb up underneath Turkoman and it wouldn’t have fazed him. (Tabaman has) really come around nicely.”

Horse Racing Notes

Laffit Pincay Jr. won for the first time since returning from a broken collarbone when he took the fifth race on favored Secret Meeting, but he had to survive a stewards’ inquiry. . . . Chris McCarron had two victories Sunday, running his total for the meeting to 48 and putting him 14 ahead of runner-up Alex Solis. . . . Festin ran the fastest 1 1/16 miles of the meeting when he won the seventh in 1:41 4/5 as the 4-5 favorite. . . . Timebank, another talented 3-year-old trained by Gary Jones, will be sidelined for a couple of months. He was second to Frost Free in the Vernon O. Underwood Nov. 24 in his last start. Jones also said Quiet American probably will make his 1991 debut in the San Pasqual Handicap, Feb. 3, at Santa Anita.