HOLLYWOOD PARK : Unanimous Approval Is Given for Six-Day Weeks From June 15

By a 6-0 vote, the California Horse Racing Board approved Hollywood Park’s request for six Monday programs, beginning June 15, at its monthly meeting Friday at the Cypress City Hall.

Those cards were requested to make up for the four days--among them the Kentucky Derby program--Hollywood Park lost during the riots in Los Angeles.

Thus, Hollywood Park will close with seven six-day weeks. Del Mar, which follows Hollywood Park, also races every day except Tuesday during its seven-week meeting. Factoring in the Fairplex Park meeting and the opening week of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, there will be racing on 105 of 120 calendar days from June 15 through Oct. 12, the Columbus Day holiday.

There were no objections raised to the Monday cards, but trainer Brian Sweeney asked that the CHRB pay close attention to the quality of the fields and analyze the figures to help determine the effects of six-day racing on the industry.

Trainer Ron McAnally was out of town last July 7, the last time Race The Wild Wind ran at Hollywood Park.

Heavily favored in her debut, the Sunny’s Halo filly struggled home fourth, and, bleeding from the nostrils, had to be vanned from the track. She didn’t return to the races until late January.

McAnally, who left for England with wife Debbie Friday night, hopes the news is better in Race The Wild Wind’s second start in Inglewood.

A winner of her last three starts, including the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Race The Wild Wind is the 9-5 favorite in today’s $112,500 Railbird Stakes at seven furlongs. Chris McCarron will ride her.

Considering the 3-year-old’s last three races and her recent workouts, the inside post appears the biggest obstacle for owners Brandon and Marianne Chase’s filly. She drew the rail in the field of 10, not the greatest place to be on the Hollywood Park main track.

Although McAnally would have preferred a different post position, he said the rail isn’t as bad going seven furlongs as six.

“She’s training well, doing well and couldn’t be coming up to the race any better,” he said earlier this week before heading to England to watch Dr. Devious run in the Epsom Derby Wednesday.

One filly who can’t complain about her Railbird draw is Magical Maiden, the 5-2 second choice and co-highweight with Race The Wild Wind at 121 pounds. Magical Maiden, a Lord Avie filly who will be ridden by Gary Stevens, drew the extreme outside.

In her last two starts at Hollywood Park, Magical Maiden lost by a head to longshot Melo Melody in the Moccasin Breeders’ Cup, then returned to beat Looie Capote by a length in the $250,000 Hollywood Starlet. Trained by Warren Stute and owned by Clement Hirsch, Magical Maiden was fifth in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes in her last outing, the first time she had been off the board in eight starts. She lost a shoe in the Ashland and didn’t seem to care for the deep track.

The rest of the field includes She’s Tops, with Kent Desormeaux at 4-1; Wicked Wit, Danny Velasquez Jr., 10-1; No Mecourtney, Corey Nakatani, 10-1; Gettin’ Air, Alex Solis, 12-1; I Aim High, Laffit Pincay, 20-1; Laurasia, David Flores, 20-1; Jetinwith Kennedy, Antonio Castanon, 20-1; and Second Stop, Eddie Delahoussaye, 30-1.

With Kostroma passing to await the Beverly Hills Handicap later this month, the field for Sunday’s $160,800 Gamely Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on turf has come up weak.

None of the six fillies and mares in the Grade I race have won this year, going a combined zero for 19.

Only Yours, the 116-pound highweight, has come the closest. She was beaten by a nose in an allowance race over the Hollywood Park turf course in her last start. Before that, the 4-year-old, English-bred filly was second, half a length behind Dance O’My Life in the Santa Anita Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap. McCarron takes over for the suspended Pat Valenzuela on Only Yours for trainer Richard Cross.

Cross will also send out Silvered, so he and Bobby Frankel will saddle two-thirds of the field. Frankel, who won the Gamely with Double Wedge in 1990, has Metamorphose and Guiza.

A 4-year-old daughter of Lord Avie, Metamorphose was beaten by a neck in the Beaugay Handicap May 10 at Belmont Park in her first U.S. appearance. She had won two of eight racing in France. Stevens will ride.

Guiza hasn’t won in her last eight starts but has two seconds and two thirds. Alcando, who scored a 28-1 upset in the Beverly Hills last year, and Vielle Vigne complete the field.

Horse Racing Notes

Martessa, who is owned by Arlington International Race Course chairman Dick Duchossois, was impressive in her American debut in the eighth race Friday at Hollywood Park. A 4-year-old filly bred in Germany, Martessa rallied from off the pace under Eddie Delahoussaye and won comfortably in 1:33 for the mile on turf. Trained by Ron McAnally, she has won seven of 11. Sacque was second and Heart Of Joy, the 3-5 favorite, was third. . . . Paseana, who has won five in a row, worked seven furlongs in 1:26 1/5 Friday morning. McAnally is undecided about where she will race next. . . . Alex Solis won four races Friday, sweeping the early double with Softscape and Charismatic Con, then winning the fourth with 12-1 shot Gary Go Go and the ninth on Pride And Power.