HOLLYWOOD PARK : Best Pal, Valenzuela Are Reunited

Pat Valenzuela, Best Pal’s regular jockey during the gelding’s 2-year-old campaign, will be back aboard for Sunday’s $150,000 Silver Screen Handicap.

The rider of Best Pal in five of his six victories last year, Valenzuela lost the mount during his six-month suspension. Gary Stevens, who had ridden the son of Habitony in his four 1991 starts, will ride Compelling Sound Sunday for trainer Charlie Whittingham.

“We had an arrangement with (Best Pal’s trainer) Ian Jory to ride his horse through the Triple Crown and then we talked to Jerry Moss (Compelling Sound’s owner) and Charlie Whittingham and told them we would be available to ride first call on Compelling Sound for the rest of the 3-year-old races,” said Ray Kravagna, Stevens’ agent.

Best Pal, fifth in the Preakness in his last start and still seeking his first victory of the year, ran six furlongs in 1:12 in a workout Monday. He will carry high weight of 123 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile Silver Screen.

“It was a good work,” Jory said. “He finished very well, he did it with a lot of ease. He galloped out in 25 3/5 and went the mile in 1:38 4/5. It was a pretty nice move. He’s really perked up in the last week or so.

“It’ll be nice to have him back here. He looks good and he’s feeling good.”

Best Pal has already shown his fondness for Hollywood Park. He broke his maiden in his first race here last spring and won the $1-million Futurity in December.

Trainer Ron McAnally may start Olympio, who finished fourth in the Preakness, or Sea Cadet, the beaten favorite in the Jersey Derby, in the Silver Screen, but there’s also a possibility neither will go. Sea Cadet worked six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 Monday at Belmont Park and Olympio went the same distance in 1:13.

Compelling Sound, who has won his last two starts on turf, worked five furlongs in 58 4/5 Wednesday morning. If he runs well in the Silver Screen, the Seattle Slew colt will come back in the 1 1/4-mile Swaps. If not, he’ll go back to the grass.

Entries were taken Wednesday morning for the first of Hollywood Park’s Friday night programs. There will be night racing the next six Fridays, through July 19, with post time at 7 p.m.

The feature Friday night is the $61,200 Convenience at one mile on the turf. Heart Of Joy, who won her last start, Countus In, the upset winner of last year’s Matriarch, and Dead Heat are among the six entries.

One For Nana, a 4-year-old Tilt Up colt, became the first four-time winner of the meeting when he finished first in Wednesday’s fifth race.

He won wire to wire under Valenzuela and has now taken five of his last six starts at Hollywood Park. After winning two races for trainer Warren Stute, One For Nana was claimed for $32,000 by Noble Threwitt, who had him last year, and has responded with victories against $62,500 and $50,000 claimers. In his previous victory, the Kentucky-bred came from next to last and beat Cove Way by a nose.

Earlier in the day, Aguilucho made it two victories in three U.S. starts, beating Admirallus and three others in 1:41 3/5 under Eddie Delahoussaye. Owned by Hollywood Park board member Thomas Gamel, Aguilucho is another Gold Cup possibility for trainer Neil Drysdale, who also has Californian upsetter Roanoke and Prized.

Horse Racing Notes

Chris McCarron, Corey Nakatani and Pat Valenzuela all won twice Wednesday. McCarron leads the jockey standings with 34 victories, one more than Laffit Pincay and Gary Stevens. Nakatani is next with 29. . . . Metropolitan Mile winner In Excess will start next in Belmont Park’s Suburban Handicap July 4. Saturday’s $250,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes at Rockingham Park had also been under consideration for the 4-year-old.

Lite Light, a narrow loser to Meadow Star in the Mother Goose, is back at Hollywood Park and is stabled in John Sadler’s barn. . . . The $400,000 Golden Gate Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf will be simulcast at Hollywood Park Saturday. Bobby Frankel will have two starters in the race, San Juan Capistrano winner Mashkour and Missionary Ridge. . . . R.F. Hubbard, Hollywood Park president and CEO, turns 56 today.