HOLLYWOOD PARK : Stevens Willing, but Has No Plans to Ride in Europe at Present Time

Gary Stevens has never kept secret his desire to ride in Europe before his career is over.

There have been attempts to lure the jockey across the Atlantic, but Stevens has yet to receive an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The subject was raised again while Stevens was in Japan for the Japan Cup and an international all-star jockey competition. Some reports seemed to indicate that a move might be forthcoming.

“I feel like the whole thing’s been blown out of proportion,” Stevens said Wednesday morning at Hollywood Park. “There were a lot of European press there asking about it, and because of some of the things that they’ve read, people here have been asking me if I’m going.

“I’d definitely like to ride over there before I quit riding, but I’m very, very happy with where I am. There’s nothing even in the works right now. I’m very happy with my lifestyle. What I’d like to do is ride about three or four more years in the United States, then go to Europe for two years.

“I want to keep all my options open. Japan was something new for me and something I really enjoyed. I loved it. I had a great time over there. I raced three of the 10 days I was there and went to the training center once. The rest of the time I was either traveling or playing tourist. It was the best vacation I’ve ever had.”

What made the journey even more enjoyable was Golden Pheasant’s upset victory in the Japan Cup.

“It was the best race of his life, even better than the (1990) Arlington Million,” Stevens said. “Before he left, I was on him for a mile work, and it was one of the best works he’s ever had because he’s a horse who doesn’t really like to train. He breezed a mile in 1:37 and change.”

“The style of the jockeys over there is very American. I went to a jockeys’ school one day and saw eight students who were close to graduation. They all looked very good, but they all ride identically.”

The biggest difference Stevens noted in Japan was how much stricter the rules and the stewards are. “In one of the competition races, a horse bolted, taking the jockey completely by surprise,” Stevens said. “It wasn’t the rider’s fault, but the horse was ruled off and (the jockey) was suspended for three weeks (six racing days because the Japanese race only twice a week).

“You’re also not allowed to change paths in the stretch. Even if you’re 10 in front, you have to stay in the same lane. If you change course, you’re disqualified, and that means an automatic suspension. There’s no fine line. It’s cut and dried. It keeps you as alert as you can possibly be.”

David Flores was suspended for five days beginning Saturday for an incident in Sunday’s Matriarch, which led to Campagnarde clipping heels and falling in the Grade I race.

Stewards Pete Pedersen, Thomas Ward and David Samuel ruled that Flores, who rode Island Jamboree, altered course in the stretch without sufficient clearance. Danny Sorenson, who was riding Campagnarde, went down and suffered a compound fracture of the tip of his right thumb.

A.P. Indy, a $2.9-million yearling and half-brother to Summer Squall, won his second consecutive race Wednesday at Bay Meadows.

An easy winner against maidens over a slow track on Oct. 27 at Santa Anita, A.P. Indy had no trouble with seven allowance rivals in his latest start. With Eddie Delahoussaye riding, the 2-year-old son of Seattle Slew and a prohibitive 1-5 favorite led all the way, winning by three lengths in 1:36 2/5 for the mile.

“We didn’t want the lead, but he was fresh and broke good from the gate, so we kept on going,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “We were happy with his race. Eddie asked him (to run) down the stretch and he responded, and that’s what we wanted. If he comes out of it OK, we’ll go next in the Hollywood Futurity (on Dec. 22).”

Drysdale also won a race at Hollywood Park as Mujaazif was a winner in his American and main-track debut. A son of Alydar, Mujaazif is out of the mare Miss Snowflake, making him a half-brother to Snow Chief.

Horse Racing Notes

Twilight Agenda will carry high weight of 124 pounds in Sunday’s $200,000 Native Diver Handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Hollywood Park. This will be the first start for Twilight Agenda since he finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2. Other probable starters are Stalwart Charger, Defensive Play, Mr. Integrity and Ibero. . . . Itsallgreektome, who will try to defend his Hollywood Turf Cup title on Dec. 15, will work seven furlongs on the grass before today’s first race. One of his opponents in the Turf Cup will be Miss Alleged, who defeated him in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.