HOLLYWOOD PARK : Sir Beaufort Favored to Give Whittingham 12th Californian

The six trainers who will send out horses in the $400,000 Californian today at Hollywood Park have combined for 11 victories in the 1 1/8-mile, Grade I race.

All of those victories, though, belong to Charlie Whittingham and, he will be favored to make it an even dozen in the Californian, the third leg of the American Championship Racing Series.

Sir Beaufort, who gave Whittingham his ninth victory in the Santa Anita Handicap at nearly 12-1 on March 6, will be a much shorter price against six rivals today. Pat Valenzuela will again ride the gray, the high weight at 120 pounds.

A 6-year-old son of Pleasant Colony, Sir Beaufort has been no worse than second in his last seven starts. Besides his victory by a nose over Star Recruit in the Big ‘Cap, he has also won the San Carlos Handicap and the Native Diver.

“He’s coming up to this race well,” said Whittingham, who last won the Californian with Sunday Silence in 1990. “He’s a real honest horse and runs hard every time.”

Bobby Frankel will take two shots at Whittingham with Missionary Ridge, the 5-2 second morning-line choice, and 4-1 shot Have Fun.

Best known for his 24-1 upset in the Pacific Classic last year, Missionary Ridge returns to California after having been beaten twice in Florida. He was third, beaten by a neck by Pistols And Roses, in the Donn Handicap, then was fourth in the Gulfstream Park Handicap.

Kent Desormeaux, rider for the 6-year-old’s last two victories, will be back on today.

Have Fun, a son of Topsider out of 1985 Landaluce Stakes winner Arewehavingfunyet, won four of seven starts in Europe before coming to the United States. Fourth in the slop in his American debut at Aqueduct, he was impressive in winning an allowance race on March 19 at Santa Anita. Corey Nakatani has the mount.

Have Fun is also the horse that most concerns Desormeaux.

“He’s a running son of a gun,” Desormeaux said. “I worked him about 100 times and I was out of town the day he ran. Hopefully, Corey will have to ride something out of town one day and I’ll be able to get back on Have Fun.”

Sent to Richard Mandella from Chile by owners Pancho and Teresa Cortez on the advice of former jockey Fernando Toro, Memo was winless in 1992, but he has put together consecutive victories this year. The 6-year-old won an allowance race on an off track in February, then held on to beat Charmonnier by a neck in the San Bernardino Handicap three weeks ago.

“(Mandella) has done a hell of a job training this horse,” regular rider Paul Atkinson said. “He’s a completely different horse now than what he used to be. He’s so much more relaxed. He tried to run off before . . . now he saves himself and has a little more for the stretch run.”

As is Have Fun, Memo is 4-1 on the morning line and the three other entrants--Reign Road, Latin American and Portoferraio--are the longshots.

Hindered by slow fractions in his recent races, Reign Road is expected to be helped by the anticipated fast pace today. Eddie Delahoussaye takes over on the 5-year-old Sovereign Dancer horse, who is at his best between a mile and 1 1/8 miles. He also has beaten Sir Beaufort twice, in the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap last Sept. 13 at Del Mar and in the Goodwood Handicap a month later at Santa Anita.

Eight horses were entered Friday morning in the $109,800 Shoemaker Handicap, which will be run at a mile on the turf Sunday.

Brief Truce, starting for the first time since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, is the 122-pound high weight against a field that also includes C. Sam Maggio, Lomitas, Journalism, Claret, Luthier Enchanteur, Leger Cat and Steinbeck.

Hollywood Park will offer betting on the Countess Fager Handicap from Golden Gate Fields today. The $100,000 turf race for fillies and mares will be shown between Hollywood Park’s sixth and seventh races.

The co-high weights in the Countess Fager, to be run at 1 1/8 miles, are Silvered and Miss Turkana. Trained by Gary Jones, Miss Turkana, who won the California Oaks at Golden Gate last year, worked half a mile in 46 3/5 Wednesday morning at Hollywood Park before shipping north.

The rest of the field: Palomelle, who is trained by Bobby Frankel; La Kaldoun, Fantastic Kim, Peterhof’s Patea, Frenchman’s Cove and Miss High Blade.

Horse Racing Notes

The Californian will be run as the third race on the program and will be televised by ESPN delayed, from 3-4 p.m. . . . Hollywood Park will simulcast the Black Helen Stakes from Hialeah Park on Sunday. . . . Trainer Ed Gregson has been appointed to the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Assn.

Trainer Jack Carava won with four consecutive starters Thursday and Friday. He won with Stylish Majesty and Indeed A Lady on Thursday, then with Curtis’s Ruler and Edison Native on Friday. . . . Gregg McCarron, Chris McCarron’s older brother, retired from riding Thursday. McCarron, 44, began riding in 1969 and finished with 2,403 victories.