Tight Spot Leads All the Way in American : Horse racing: Pincay rides horse to sixth consecutive victory since switch to grass.

Only the courts may be able to stop Tight Spot on grass.

Owner Verne Winchell’s front-running 4-year-old colt has never lost a turf race, and his one-length victory Thursday at Hollywood Park in the $219,400 American Handicap was similar to most of the other five. Tight Spot broke on top, was able to relax on the lead and had enough firepower through the stretch to hold off his pursuers.

The third victory in Tight Spot’s six-race grass winning streak came last year amid controversy in the Del Mar Derby, and in a long-running dispute that outcome will be settled in court. Jheri Redding, the owner of Itsallgreektome, thought he won the $300,000 race when the stewards disqualified Tight Spot for interference, but later, a hearing officer for the racing board twice ruled that Tight Spot should be the winner. Redding has sent the matter to Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“I don’t know why they’re doing that,” said Winchell, who is the majority owner of Tight Spot.

In the American, Tight Spot carried high weight of 123 pounds and outfinished Exbourne, who won the Hollywood Turf Handicap at 1 1/4 miles a month ago. Exbourne, carrying 122 pounds, finished three lengths ahead of Super May Thursday, and it was only a neck farther back to Reinstate in fourth place.

Tight Spot’s time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:46. He went off as the favorite of the crowd of 35,931 and paid $5.40 to win, while earning $129.400.

Tight Spot gave Laffit Pincay his second important victory in less than 24 hours. Pincay had just returned from winning the Matchmaker Stakes with Miss Josh at Atlantic City Race Course Wednesday night.

Pincay has ridden Tight Spot in his last four grass victories, starting with the Del Mar Derby. Tight Spot broke his maiden on dirt at Hollywood Park in December 1989 and has won four consecutive races on grass there since then, including the Inglewood Handicap a month ago.

Tight Spot had a record of two victories in nine starts on dirt when trainer Ron McAnally switched him to grass for the Star Dust at Hollywood last summer.

“I’ve been with Ron a long time,” Winchell said, “and I’ve seen him move horses up before by putting them on grass. I’ve been in racing 33 years, and this is the best grass horse I’ve ever had. I think we were helped today with that horse (Coeur De Miel) being scratched. He might have battled us for the lead if he had stayed in there.”

Since McAnally was busy with horses in the East, Eduardo Inda, his assistant, saddled Tight Spot.

If Pincay were training other horses, he would be hard-pressed to find a way to beat Tight Spot.

“They will have to figure that out,” Pincay said. “He can lay second if he has to. He’s that type of horse. I never really hit him today--just a couple of times. He was relaxed, very relaxed, and on the backside, he picked it up a little on his own. He’s just a nice horse to ride.”

With Gary Stevens, the winner of the Hollywood Turf Handicap, at Belmont Park, where he rode In Excess to victory in the Suburban Handicap, Chris McCarron had the mount on Exbourne.

“He couldn’t have given me any more effort,” McCarron said. “He ran very hard. It was a great try, but he was just second best.”