HOLLYWOOD PARK : Southern Truce Appears Ready to Roll in the Milady Handicap

Before Southern Truce is retired to become a broodmare next year, trainer Roger Stein hopes to make her a millionaire.

With 18 victories in 41 races, the 6-year-old daughter of Truce Maker has earned $823,888. She was claimed by Stein for $16,000 in 1991.

Southern Truce could take a big step toward seven figures with a victory in the $162,400 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

She is one of seven fillies and mares entered in the final prep for the July 24 Vanity Handicap in what will be only her fourth start of 1994. Despite being bothered by quarter cracks on both of her front hoofs, Southern Truce has won twice this year, in the Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita and the Miss America Handicap at Golden Gate Fields. Most recently, she was second at 1-2 in the Jersey Lilly Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park.

A recent workout suggests she is in good shape. Southern Truce went six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 on June 16, the best of 20 workouts at the distance for the day. However, she is winless in two starts at Hollywood Park.

“I know this isn’t her favorite track, but she’s feeling good now,” Stein said. “I would like to have one more work in her, but any time you go into a race you would like to have one more work.”

In the Grade I Milady, which is run at 1 1/16 miles, Southern Truce will be making her third start for owners Robert and Janice McNair, who race under the name Rose Hill Stable. Newcomers to the sport, the McNairs, who live in Texas, also own a percentage of Kentucky Derby runner-up Strodes Creek. They bought their share in him shortly before the Santa Anita Derby.

“I’m really glad to be training a horse like this for people like them,” Stein said. “They want to do what’s best for the horse and the previous owner was interested in just the money. They are really nice people.”

While Southern Truce hasn’t shown a fondness for Hollywood Park, Golden Klair is a track specialist. The 4-year-old, British-bred filly is unbeaten in three races in Inglewood.

In her most recent appearance, she stayed much closer to the pace than usual and beat Likeable Style, another Milady entrant, by half a length in the Hawthorne Handicap on May 29.

That was Golden Klair’s second stakes victory of the meeting. A month earlier, she had rallied from last to beat Cargo by two lengths in the A Gleam Handicap.

Golden Klair is the co-highweight for the Milady Handicap at 119 pounds with Likeable Style.

Away for more than nine months before the Hawthorne, Likeable Style has trained sharply since that race. Last year, the 4-year-old Nijinsky II filly won the Senorita Breeders’ Cup Handicap on the turf at Hollywood Park before returning three weeks later to win the Honeymoon Handicap there.

The other entrants are Zarani Sidi Anna, who will be trying dirt for the first time; Andestine, the beaten favorite in the Hawthorne; Lunar Spook, a flop since she won the 1993 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, and Oxava, who would be making her first start on the main track after 20 races on turf.

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Trainer Bobby Frankel will have the favorite in stakes at both Hollywood Park and Golden Gate Fields today.

Mashaallah, who finished seventh of eight in the Hollywood Turf Handicap, is the morning line choice in the $75,000-added Jim Murray Handicap at Hollywood Park, and Tinners Way is certain to be heavily favored under Kent Desormeaux in the $150,000 Golden Gate Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

A winner of eight of 20 races in Europe before coming to the United States, Mashaallah will will race on Lasix for the first time in the Murray, at 1 1/2 miles on turf. Laffit Pincay will ride.

Frankel also entered Newton’s Law in the restricted stakes. The other entrants are Bolt The Hatch, Marfamatic, Samourzakan, Time For Lightning and Navire.

Seeking his first U.S. victory after seven defeats, Tinners Way is expected to have only five opponents at Golden Gate in the 1 1/16 mile race.

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Soviet Problem, who has beaten males in her last two victories, is back among her own sex today and also returns to Southern California for the first time in more than a year in the $60,000 Ski Goggle, the eighth race on Hollywood Park’s card.

An easy winner over Lazor in a match race on May 12, Soviet Problem defeated Gundaghia by a length in the Oakland Handicap 18 days later. With regular jockey Russell Baze to ride seven horses up north, Chris McCarron will ride the 4-year-old Moscow Ballet filly for owners John Harris and Don Valpredo and trainer Greg Gilchrist.

Making her comeback in the seven-furlong Ski Goggle is Exchange, a multiple-stakes winning mare. Owned by Sid and Jenny Craig and trained by Bill Spawr, Exchange hasn’t run since finishing last in the Gamely Handicap on May 30, 1993. Pincay will be aboard.