HOLLYWOOD PARK : Tight Spot Risks Perfect Turf Mark

A lot of winning streaks will be history once the $221,400 American Handicap has been run today at Hollywood Park.

Seven of the nine entrants in the Grade II stake won their last race, making the 1 1/8-mile affair the best grass offering of the meeting.

Tight Spot, the 123-pound high weight, has the longest streak. The 4-year-old His Majesty colt is perfect in five starts on the turf, including a 4 1/2-length victory in last month’s Inglewood Handicap. A month before that, he equaled the world record for 1 1/8 miles on grass in his 1991 debut, defeating High Rank by a neck in 1:44 4/5.

“He hasn’t missed a beat,” trainer Ron McAnally said. “He’s been fantastic ever since we moved him to the grass. He just glides along the top. He never gets tired.”

This will be Tight Spot’s toughest test. Even though he has never won a Grade I stake, he will be spotting a pound to Exbourne, conqueror of Itsallgreektome and Prized in the Hollywood Turf Handicap on May 27; and six pounds to Pharisien, who won the El Rincon Handicap and the John Henry Handicap in succession.

With Gary Stevens going to Belmont Park to ride In Excess in the Suburban Handicap, Chris McCarron has picked up the mount on Exbourne, who also won the Shoemaker Handicap earlier in the season. Bobby Frankel’s 5-year-old has a series of solid recent works, including a 1:13 for six furlongs at Santa Anita last Saturday.

Pharisien, a 4-year-old Kenmare colt, hasn’t been out in almost two months. Despite a slow pace, he beat Gold Cup winner Marquetry by a head in the John Henry. Corey Nakatani will again ride for trainer Christian Doumen.

Also fresh off victories are Super May, Great Commotion and Reinstate. Super May, a 5-year-old son of Super Concorde, was an easy winner in the Johnny’s Image on June 21, and he had excuses while losing by 2 1/2 lengths to Pharisien. Super May broke in the air to lose position, then lacked room around the far turn. Jose Santos will ride.

Great Commotion, a lightly raced 5-year-old, beat a small allowance field by two lengths at 3-5 odds on June 7 in his third American start. Group-placed overseas, he will race with Lasix for the first time today and will be coupled in the betting with Coeur De Miel.

Reinstate came from off the pace to win his initial start in this country for Julio Canani, beating Double Found and six others at nearly 16-1. Kent Desormeaux takes over on the 4-year-old.

The other entrants are Ski Champ, who won four of six starts in Argentina, and Hecquet, who most recently was sixth in the Golden Gate Handicap.

Besides In Excess, six others are scheduled to go in the $500,000 Suburban at Belmont Park, at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.

This will be the first start for In Excess since he upset Housebuster in the Metropolitan Mile on May 27, and the main concern today is the additional quarter-mile. He was beaten in both of his 10-furlong races at Santa Anita--the Charles H. Strub Stakes and the Santa Anita Handicap. In Excess will carry 119 pounds, one less than Izvestia.

After winning his first two starts of the year in Canada, Izvestia was beaten by Double Booked in the New Hampshire Sweepstakes on June 15 at Rockingham Park. Don Seymour will ride Izvestia, who is seeking his first major victory on dirt in the United States.

The other scheduled starters are Killer Diller, Chief Honcho, De Roche, Montubio and Sound of Cannons.

Horse Racing Notes

Because of the conditions of the $200,000 Swaps Stakes, there will be a huge weight shift favoring Best Pal when he meets Compelling Sound again Sunday. Best Pal will carry 114 pounds in the 1 1/4-mile race, while Silver Screen winner Compelling Sound totes 123. When they met last month, Best Pal carried 123 and Compelling Sound 118. Other possible starters in what figures to be a small field are Key Recognition and Corporate Report.

Agent Bob Meldahl, who has been working for both Laffit Pincay and Pat Valenzuela, said he will decide between the two today. Meldahl and Valenzuela were involved in a shouting match Tuesday, and the jockey reportedly gave the agent an ultimatum to choose either himself or Pincay. . . . After riding Mandon in Wednesday’s second race, Chris McCarron opted off the remainder of his mounts because of an inner ear infection. . . . Russell Baze rode two winners Wednesday.