HOLLYWOOD PARK : Frankel Takes Aim on Californian

Bobby Frankel will have two chances to continue his stakes roll in Sunday’s $333,800 Californian at Hollywood Park.

One of America’s hottest trainers will be represented by Marquetry and Louis Cyphre in the prelude to the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup June 29.

Frankel wrapped up the Santa Anita meeting with victories by Mashkour and Missionary Ridge in the San Juan Capistrano and San Jacinto handicaps, but things have been even better since the scene shifted to Inglewood.

Exbourne won the Shoemaker Handicap April 28, then returned to upset Itsallgreektome and Prized in the Hollywood Turf Handicap. Louis Cyphre made it two stakes victories in a row when he won the Mervyn LeRoy May 19, six days before Shotiche went north and won the Rolling Green Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Those successes have pushed Frankel into third place among trainers in the national standings. Through June 2, his stable had more than $1.98 million in earnings, leaving him behind only Wayne Lukas and Ron McAnally.

“I’m very fortunate to have so many good horses,” he said. “Good horses can make you look good.”

An Irish-bred who didn’t race on the main track until the 15th start of his career, Louis Cyphre is a nose away from having three consecutive victories on the dirt.

Before his victories in the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Golden Gate and the Mervyn LeRoy, the 5-year-old Niniski horse was edged by Anshan in Santa Anita’s San Bernardino Handicap.

Originally, Frankel was going to skip the Californian with Louis Cyphre and wait for the Gold Cup, but had second thoughts.

“I got to thinking that this is a $300,000 (Grade I) race that he’s got a real good chance of winning,” said the 49-year-old trainer. “He’s doing well and he’s had three weeks (since the LeRoy). You don’t want to pass up $300,000 when you might not be able to beat Farma Way and those other horses for $1 million (in the Gold Cup).”

Owned by Edmund Gann, Louis Cyphre has demonstrated versatility. He led all the way in winning the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup, then sat third behind Perforce and Warcraft in the LeRoy. His ability to sit off the pace should come in handy Sunday because the field is loaded with front-runners--Timebank, Marquetry, Ultrasonido and Robyn Dancer.

A son of Conquistador Cielo, Marquetry will be making his first start on the dirt Sunday. He was also entered in today’s Inglewood Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, but Frankel will run him in the Californian.

Marquetry’s pedigree says he should handle the switch and Frankel says he has trained well on the main track.

“Juddmonte Farms (which owns Marquetry) has a lot of good grass horses and we’ve been wanting to try him on the dirt,” Frankel said. “There’s a lot of big races coming up and this seemed as good a time as any. It’s better to find out now than late in the year. If he doesn’t run well, we’ll put him back on turf.”

Although Marquetry has led in all five of his races in this country, including a narrow loss to Pharisien in the John Henry Handicap May 12, Frankel believes Marquetry can come from off the pace.

“I don’t think he needs the lead,” he said. “If somebody outruns him, I don’t think it will be a problem. This is a good spot to try him because of the weight (only 111 pounds) and there was no grass race for him until July 4 (the American Handicap). You’re running for $300,000, so you might as well find out now.”

The Californian is probably the most competitive stakes race of the meeting. Besides the Frankel horses, the field includes Super May, who won the 1990 LeRoy in his last dirt start and who has been second and third in his first two races this year; Ultrasonido, who won six of eight on the main track in South America; Robyn Dancer, who has two consecutive victories at Hollywood Park; Timebank, who will be making his first start around two turns after a five-length victory in his 4-year-old debut, and LeRoy runner-up Anshan.

With the scratch of Marquetry, Tight Spot will have six opponents in the Inglewood, one of two stakes today at Hollywood Park. Eight 3-year-old fillies will get together in the Princess Stakes two races earlier.

Unbeaten in four outings on turf, on May 8 Tight Spot ran his first race since the controversial Del Mar Derby. In beating High Rank by a neck, the 4-year-old His Majesty colt equaled the world record for 1 1/8 miles on turf, completing the distance in 1:44 4/5.

He has continued to train well for McAnally and will again be ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr.. The other entrants are Razeen (Jose Santos), Military Shot (Julio Garcia), Blaze O’Brien (Martin Pedroza), Jungle Pioneer (Kent Desormeaux), Somethingdifferent (Russell Baze) and Madjaristan (Pat Valenzuela).

Trainer Brian Mayberry will have three starters in the Princess, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Besides the entry of Garden Gal and Ifyoucouldseemenow, Mayberry will send out Number’s Game. The rest of the field includes Fappies Cosy Miss, Officer Lea, Shy Trick, Island Shuffle and Winglet.