HOLLYWOOD PARK : After Short Pause, Tabasco Cat Tries Turf in Hollywood Derby

Ever since the Hollywood Derby was moved from the main track to the turf in 1981, a large field has been all but guaranteed.

In fact, the race was split into divisions for seven consecutive years and eight of 10. Last year, 14 3-year-olds started and 16 were entered Friday morning for Sunday’s 54th running of the Derby. However, only 14 will be allowed to run. Mighty Forum and Psychobabble are the also-eligibles.

Although a full field was expected, Tabasco Cat didn’t seem a likely participant. After all, the Storm Cat colt is only two weeks removed from a neck loss to Concern in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, his 11th start in a memorable year.

Besides being highly successful with five victories and $2,164,334 in earnings, 1994 has also been strenuous for Tabasco Cat. The Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner has run at seven tracks in four states. And Tabasco Cat has never set hoof on turf.

Still, the most accomplished member of the Hollywood Derby cast will almost certainly be favored in a race that wasn’t in trainer Wayne Lukas’ plans until after the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Originally, Lukas was going to give Tabasco Cat three-four weeks off before preparing him for the final two legs of Santa Anita’s three-race Strub Series--the San Fernando and Strub Stakes.

He changed his mind after seeing how the colt looked after his narrow loss at Churchill Downs.

“He came out of that race better than he had any race all year,” Lukas said Friday. “A lot of astute horsemen have told me that they’ve never seen him look better. He bounced out of the Classic in beautiful shape. He’s heavier now by about 60 pounds than he was at Saratoga (during the summer). He’s really starting to mature.

“I’ve been dying to put him on the grass. It’s a 3-year-old race for $400,000 and it’s a Grade I. Instead of three or four weeks off, he’ll have two weeks. He’s doing absolutely super and, if he runs well on the grass, it gives us another option for next year. We really have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain.”

Tabasco Cat’s pedigree suggests he should handle the grass and there are other reasons Lukas thinks he will make a successful transition.

“He’s got the action and the right style of running and he’s got the flat foot that is so typical of good grass horses,” he said. “He’s got that daisy-cutting stride where he kind of shuffles when he runs and he’s nifty and handles turns well. I think he’ll take right to it.”

Of course, that remains to be seen and Tabasco Cat is giving away a lot of turf experience. The other 15 entrants have combined for 41 victories in 113 grass starts.

Perhaps, the colt to beat is Dare And Go, who has the same connections as Kotashaan, the 1993 horse of the year. Owned by the La Presle Farm of Gerard and Alain Wertheimer and trained by Richard Mandella, the Alydar colt lost by a head to Vaudeville in the Secretariat on Aug. 28 at Chicago’s Arlington International in his American debut.

Before that, Dare And Go won four of eight in France. He will be ridden by Gary Stevens.

Corey Nakatani, who rode Explosive Red to a 22-1 upset in last year’s Derby, will ride Eagle Eyed, one of two horses trainer Bobby Frankel will start. Eagle Eyed had trouble in the Del Mar Derby, was disqualified from third and placed seventh after bumping Marvin’s Faith.

Frankel didn’t get any breaks when post positions were drawn. Eagle Eyed is stuck in Post 14 and right next to him is Frankel’s other colt, Torch Rouge.

The rest of the field, from the rail out, are Marvin’s Faith, Yokohama, Powis Castle, Signe Divin, Fadeyev, Lahint, Numerous, River Flyer, Pollock’s Luck and Unfinished Symph, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile as part of the mutuel field.

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College Town, who made a comfortable living running second a lot before his surprising victory in the California Cup Classic, is the 3-1 favorite for today’s feature, the $100,000 Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.

Owned by David N. Brown and trained by Mel Stute, College Town had only a maiden victory and eight second-place finishes in his first 18 races before shocking heavily favored Kingdom Found at 33-1 in the Classic. Teamed with Laffit Pincay for the first time, the 3-year-old Snow Chief gelding rallied along the inside to win the $250,000 race by two lengths.

Pincay will be aboard again today in the Barrera and there are 10 opponents.

Of the others, Powis Castle has the most class, but he is also entered in the Hollywood Derby and he seems more likely to show up there. Vann Belvoir is named on the Rare Brick colt today, but he is also scheduled to ride eight horses at Bay Meadows.

However, three of Powis Castle’s four victories have been on dirt and he was also second behind Tabasco Cat in the San Rafael and second to Polar Expedition in the Jim Beam.

Others in the field are Flying Sensation, who has earned close to $300,000 while winning only once in 12 starts; Hello Chicago, Luthier Fever, Sharp Phase, Puzar, Warning Label, Just Java, Alphabet Soup and Tajo. A Treek For Roses, Jacques Aboard and Barbarian were scratched Friday.

Horse Racing Notes

Hollywood Park began offering simulcast betting on races from Hong Kong Friday night. The simulcasts from Sha Tin Race Course began at 9:30 p.m. and continued until 1 a.m. and there were separate California pools for trifecta, quinella, exacta and win, place and show betting. Future simulcast dates are Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, 10 and 16.

Amateur jockeys will be riding in the 10th race on today’s card, part of a 24-race series the riders have been participating in around the country. The race drew a field of 10 and will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Scott Fileccia, who won the 1993 race at Hollywood Park aboard Whisk Spree, will ride Bojay Dawn today.

Hollywood Park will simulcast the $400,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup between the third and fourth races today. . . . The Hollywood Derby will be simulcast on ESPN between noon and 1 p.m. Sunday. The race is scheduled to be run at 12:40 p.m. . . . The other stakes on the card Sunday are the $250,000 Citation Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on the turf and the Hollywood Turf Express at 5 1/2 furlongs.