HOLLYWOOD PARK : Mashaallah Lets Frankel Win Murray Again

Trainer Bobby Frankel and Times columnist Jim Murray can count on seeing each other at least once a year.

Four out of the five times that Hollywood Park has offered the Jim Murray Handicap, Frankel has trained the winner.

Unable to find room until late in the stretch under Laffit Pincay, favored Mashaallah beat 11-1 shot Marfamatic by a length in a stakes-record 2:25 1/5 for the 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Making his second start in the United States and first on Lasix after being well beaten in the Hollywood Turf Handicap on May 30, Mashaallah paid $5.80 as the 9-5 choice in winning for the ninth time in 22 races. He earned $46,600 for owner Jorge Cardemil.

“This isn’t a top-class race (the Murray is a restricted stakes), but it’s a good race and sometimes you go on to bigger and better things with these horses,” Frankel said.

“I think eventually (Mashaallah) could get back to a higher level. He wasn’t the best (in Europe), but he was like a Group III to Group II-type horse. He can run all day and he was impressive today.

“He’s tough and he had to do what he had to do. He bled last time, so the Lasix helped and Laffit rode a race that I like to be ridden. You just sit in there and (stay) cool.”

Making his first start since April 24, Marfamatic got the lead briefly, then wound up three lengths in front of Samourzakan. Navire was fourth and pacesetter Bolt The Hatch faded to fifth and last. Newton’s Law and Time For Lightning were scratched.

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Getting ready for this Saturday’s $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, The Wicked North worked five furlongs in 59 seconds Saturday morning.

“He went great,” regular rider Kent Desormeaux said. “He was phenomenal, scintillating.”

Neither The Wicked North’s trainer, David Bernstein, or Arcangues’ trainer, Richard Mandella, complained about the 122 pounds each was assigned for the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup, but Gary Jones, the trainer of Kingdom Found, disliked the 116 given his horse.

He said he was going to talk with owner Ray Dilbeck about sending the Californian runner-up to Belmont Park for the $350,000 Suburban Handicap on July 4.

“I’ll try and get nine pounds from Devil His Due and only have one horse to beat,” Jones said. “I’ll talk with Mr. Dilbeck and we’ll decide. But I think they’re weighting more on what they think he’ll do, not what he’s done. He’s never won a stakes race and he gets the same weight as Fanmore.”

Racing secretary Martin Panza noted that Kingdom Found was assigned the same weight he had in the Californian, when he finished only a neck behind The Wicked North in a track record 1:46 3/5.

“Gary knew the (allowance) conditions of the Californian going in and he chose to run when he was getting only four pounds from The Wicked North,” said Panza, who assigned the Gold Cup weights. “He’s carrying the same weight he did in the Californian. He only lost by a neck and he’s getting two more pounds (from The Wicked North).”

No decision has been made regarding Bien Bien, who was assigned 121 pounds. Bien Bien finished 2 3/4 lengths behind The Wicked North in the Santa Anita Handicap.

“(Owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan) are coming back from Canada,” trainer Paco Gonzalez said. “They’ll be here on Monday, so we’ll wait until then.”

Post positions for the Gold Cup will be drawn on Thursday and the race will be run as the third on Saturday and be televised by ESPN.

Horse Racing Notes

Soviet Problem, the 3-5 favorite, held on to beat Miss Dominique in the $60,000 Ski Goggle. This was the third consecutive victory for the 4-year-old Moscow Ballet filly and she now has 10 victories in 13 lifetime starts. She completed the seven furlongs in 1:21 3/5. This was one of four victories Saturday for Chris McCarron, who is now two shy of 6,000. . . . Trainer Bobby Frankel also won the $150,000 Golden Gate Budweiser Breeders’ Cup with heavily favored Tinners Way Saturday. It was the first victory in eight American races for Tinners Way, who was ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Talking Salsa was second and Seahawk Gold was third.

Lakeway, who is on target for a rematch with Sardula in the Hollywood Oaks on July 10, worked a half-mile in 46 1/5 Saturday morning, the fastest of 48 workouts at the distance. . . . Frankel’s other Murray victories came with Toulon, Berillon and Shotiche. . . . Golden Klair, unbeaten in three starts at Hollywood Park, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the $162,400 Milady Handicap today. Other entrants are Likeable Style, Andestine, Zarani Sidi Anna, Lunar Spook, Oxava and Southern Truce.