HOLLYWOOD PARK : Fumo Di Londra Makes Right Date, Not Right Race

Watching Fumo Di Londra run on the first Saturday of May was what Sid and Jenny Craig had in mind when they bought the Irish-bred colt late last year.

The race the Craigs were thinking about for today, though, wasn’t the $107,500 Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

The Kentucky Derby was the target, but that plan was scrapped after the son of Indian Ridge finished last on March 6, 31 lengths behind Tabasco Cat, in the San Rafael Stakes.

That was Fumo Di Londra’s first race on the main track, and after that debacle, trainer Ron McAnally decided to return him to the turf, on which he had won three of seven and was worse than third only once racing in Italy, England and Germany.

Barring rain, the one-mile Spotlight will be run on the grass, and Fumo Di Londra is the 2-1 favorite against seven opponents. The Spotlight is the first in a series of three races for 3-year-olds on the turf. The two others are the Will Rogers at 1 1/16 miles and the Cinema at 1 1/8 miles.

Given 24 days off after the San Rafael, Fumo Di Londra has had six workouts since March 30, all on the turf. He went an easy half mile in 49 1/5 on Thursday. Alex Solis will ride him and they have the inside post.

Only two of the eight horses in the Spotlight are coming in after victories and Screaming Don’s was a complete surprise.

Sent off as the longest shot in the field at nearly 51-1, the Lyphard’s Ridge gelding rallied to win the California Derby on April 16. Trained and owned in part by Lanny Sharp, Screaming Don had been badly beaten in the Southwest and Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and had never won a race anywhere except Turf Paradise in Phoenix.

Adalberto Lopez, who has done well since moving to northern California, rode Screaming Don in the Cal Derby and he has the mount again today.

The other colt looking for a second consecutive victory is Timbalier, who is running only the third race of his life for trainer Chris Speckert.

A son of Sovereign Dancer, he finished a fast-closing third at 62-1 in his debut after breaking well behind the field, then stretched out and broke his maiden on April 2.

Timbalier has trained sharply since and his breeding says he should handle the turf. With Eddie Delahoussaye busy riding Strodes Creek in the Kentucky Derby, Corey Black will ride Timbalier.

The rest of the field includes Gracious Ghost, who has beaten only one horse in his last three starts; Halloween Treat, Unfinished Symph, who will race on Lasix for the first time; Sharp Phase and Crowning Decision, who scored his only victory by 6 1/2 lengths over the Hollywood Park turf last Dec. 8.

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The Spotlight is one of 17 races on which Hollywood Park will offer betting today.

In addition to the Kentucky Derby, there will be five additional stakes simulcast from Churchill Downs. Post time for the first of those stakes--the American Turf--will be at 10 a.m. Two races from Golden Gate Fields will also be simulcast.

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The Wicked North, who was originally scheduled to race next in the Californian in June, might run in the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 15.

“It isn’t etched in stone, but if he continues to do as well as he’s been doing, we’ll probably enter him,” trainer David Bernstein said.

Weights for the Mervyn LeRoy will be released Sunday. The Wicked North is scheduled to work that morning at Santa Anita.