The Agenda Is Victory in Gold Cup

With Best Pal sidelined and Strike The Gold waiting for the Suburban Handicap next month, the American Championship Racing Series could have a new points leader after the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup today.

By finishing first or second, Twilight Agenda would move to the front, two-thirds of the way through the series, which has a $750,000 bonus.

Even though the 5-year-old is the 121-pound highweight, a victory would be something of a surprise. Twilight Agenda hasn’t won since January, and only stablemate Dance Floor prevented him from finishing last in his most recent race, the Nassau County Handicap on June 6 at Belmont Park.

Less than two weeks earlier, he had finished fourth as the favorite in the Metropolitan Mile. He is winless in four starts at the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Gold Cup.

Trainer Wayne Lukas has discounted those efforts, saying that Twilight Agenda did not care for the Belmont surface. But he also might be feeling the effects of a long campaign. After today, he will have run in five of the first six ACRS events.

What might help the 3-1 third morning-line choice is a return to Hollywood Park. On Gold Cup Day a year ago, he scored the first of his six 1991 victories, beating Flying Continental by two lengths in the Super Diamond Handicap. Twilight Agenda completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.

Two weeks later, Twilight Agenda won the Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park; then, during the fall, he won the Native Diver Handicap there.

“He loves this track, and I think the reason for his sub-par performances is simply that he just didn’t like Belmont,” said Chris McCarron, Twilight Agenda’s rider in eight of his last 10 races. “A lot of horses have run well at many places and didn’t run well at Belmont, and I think this is one example.”

Another Review is the 6-5 early favorite for the Gold Cup, which will be run as the fourth race on the card to accommodate ABC-TV. Unbeaten in three starts since he was treated with Lasix, the Buckaroo colt was supplemented for $25,000 by owner Thomas Mellon Evans.

Marquetry, last year’s winner, and Defensive Play, who will race coupled as the Juddmonte Farms entry, are the 2-1 second choice.

A 27-1 longshot when he upset Farma Way in this race last year, Marquetry will be carrying eight more pounds (118-110) than he did last year. He has won only once since the Gold Cup, but his performance in the John Henry Handicap on June 14 might have been a signal that he is returning to his best form.

Running on the turf for the first time in more than a year, Marquetry lost by a head to Notorious Pleasure, but was unlucky. He and David Flores had to steady while rallying around the far turn, and it was probably the difference.

With Flores again on Marquetry, Eddie Delahoussaye takes over on Defensive Play, who was the runner-up to Another Review in the Californian.

The two other Gold Cup entrants are Sultry Song, a New York invader who was third in the Nassau County Handicap, and Ibero, the longest shot in the field at 10-1, who was third in the Californian.

Those looking for the best race of the weekend at Hollywood Park will have to wait until Sunday’s $322,000 Beverly Hills Handicap, featuring Kostroma, Martessa and the 1992 debut of Flawlessly.

Unbeaten in two starts this year, Kostroma will carry top weight of 124 pounds for trainer Gary Jones in the 1 1/8-mile turf race. Kostroma appeared beaten by Danzante in the Wilshire Handicap, but ran her last sixteenth of a mile in slightly more than five seconds and won by a nose under Kent Desormeaux.

Trained by Ron McAnally, Martessa was impressive in her American debut, beating Sacque and Heart Of Joy by two lengths while completing a mile in 1:33. She has trained well since that effort and again will be ridden by Delahoussaye. She will carry 120 pounds.

Flawlessly, who was sidelined because of an injury, will make her first start since winning the Matriarch on Dec. 1 at Hollywood Park. The 4-year-old Affirmed filly has six victories and a second in seven turf starts and will carry 122 pounds. Regular rider McCarron will be aboard for trainer Charlie Whittingham.

The other entrants are Lady Blessington, who beat a softer field in her 1992 debut; Indian Chris, who has a victory and two seconds in four U.S. races, and Alcando, who hasn’t finished in the money since her 28-1 upset in this race last year.

Horse Racing Notes

Post time for the Gold Cup is 2:45 p.m. . . . The groom of the Gold Cup winner will be presented a 1992 pickup truck. Wayne Lukas recently suggested that the free cars often presented to jockeys be given to the grooms instead, so Hollywood Park, the California Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Assn. and a local dealer decided to do so.

Besides the Gold Cup, the card will feature the $83,400 Jim Murray Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, the $55,000-added Variety Queen at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the $109,600 Triple Handicap at seven furlongs. Fanatic Boy is the probable favorite in the Jim Murray, Alysbelle the likely choice in the Variety Queen and Renegotiable, Light Of Morn and Robyn Dancer head the field in the Triple Bend.

In one way, Gold Cup Day is no different from most every other day at Hollywood Park--there are extremely small fields. Only 74 horses entered the 10-race program on Thursday and Sunday’s is even thinner. Only 71 horses were entered Friday morning for the 10 races on Sunday. Earlier in the week, 69 horses were entered for both Wednesday and Thursday and 78 were entered for Friday. . . . Tight Spot and Golden Pheasant, who might compete in the American Handicap a week from today, both worked Friday morning. Tight Spot went seven furlongs in 1:28 1/5 and Golden Pheasant ran a mile in 1:40 1/5. . . . Jockey Goncalino Almeida escaped uninjured when Baichal, his mount in Friday’s sixth race, jumped the rail early in the stretch while apparently on his way to victory. A 3-year-old son of Nijinsky and the favorite in the race, Baichal also was unhurt and ran loose for awhile on the other side of the rail. A couple of horses just missed Almeida while he was down.