HOLLYWOOD PARK : Giant Asset and Viva El Capitan Head the Los Angeles Handicap

Even if Giant Asset never wins another race, the 4-year-old Affirmed colt has earned a place in local history.

On Feb. 21, the roan, who had finished fourth in a five-horse field 16 days earlier, ran the race of his life. The 10-1 shot completed six furlongs in 1:08 1/5 and won by a neck over favored Viva El Capitan.

What made the $41,000 allowance race significant was that it was the only time Viva El Capitan has lost at Santa Anita. After that defeat, the 5-year-old Elegant Life gelding won three in a row to leave him 10-1 at Arcadia.

The scene has shifted to Hollywood Park and the stakes are higher, but Giant Asset will try to duplicate his most recent effort in the $106,900 Los Angeles Handicap today.

If trainer John Sadler is to win the six-furlong L.A. Handicap for a third time, Giant Asset is going to have to beat Viva El Capitan, and two other talented horses from Bob Baffert’s barn--1992 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Thirty Slews and Gundaghia, who has won 15 of 37 races--as well as course specialist J.F. Williams and Scherando.

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert McKee, Giant Asset was well beaten in his first two starts last summer at Del Mar, but upset maidens at 10-1 on Oct. 7 at Santa Anita, then won two of four after that before going to the sidelines. He was bothered by an abscess on the side of his head.

“(Giant Asset) has been working well and his last race was really good,” said Sadler, who trained sprinters Olympic Prospect, Melair, Three Peat and Frost Free, among others. Kent Desormeaux, who rode the colt for the first time on Feb. 21, will be back aboard.

No worse than second in 10 consecutive races, Viva El Capitan has not been as effective at Hollywood Park. Successful 13 times in 19 races, he has won only one of four at Hollywood Park. Gary Stevens takes over for David Flores, who will ride Scherando.

The beaten favorite in last year’s Los Angeles, Thirty Slews is seeking to win for the first time since his 18-1 upset in the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He has been favored in four of his five losses since. Eddie Delahoussaye will remain on the 7-year-old gelding, who worked six furlongs in 1:12 on May 6.

Gundaghia has won three of four at Hollywood Park and didn’t have the best of trips as the 11-10 favorite in the Albany Handicap, finishing fourth at Golden Gate Fields last month.

J.F. Williams has four victories and two seconds in seven starts at Hollywood.

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When The Wicked North was scheduled to run in the $162,300 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on Sunday, it appeared that the country’s top handicap horse might have as few as three rivals in the Grade II race.

But news that the 5-year-old would skip the race and run in the Californian on June 5 didn’t create a run on the entry box Friday morning for the LeRoy.

Only seven were entered for the first prep for the July 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, underlining the lack of depth in the local handicap division. Of course, the same problem is evident in the East. Only six are entered in the $600,000 Pimlico Special today.

Lottery Winner is the highweight at 116 pounds for the LeRoy, run at 1 1/16 miles. The 5-year-old Apalachee gelding ended a six-race losing streak when he won the Bates Motel Handicap on April 24 at Santa Anita. Laffit Pincay will ride for trainer Jay Robbins.

Del Mar Dennis, a 4-year-old Dixieland Band gelding, scored an 8-1 upset in the San Bernardino Handicap on April 2 in his last start and has won four of six for owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trainer Paco Gonzalez. Sal Gonzalez Jr. will ride.

Others entered are Excavate, Bossanova, who was also entered in Friday night’s eighth race; Thunder Rumble, fourth in his comeback after being away for nearly 18 months; Tinners Way and Hill Pass.