HOLLYWOOD PARK : Bone Chip Won’t Cool Off Stevens

Standing outside the jockey’s room on crutches, and with his right foot bandaged, Gary Stevens didn’t look like a man who could be back to work within a few days.

Yet, the rider who has had a dream year through the first half of 1995 said he thinks he will be able to ride this weekend after chipping a bone in his right foot in a starting-gate mishap. He will be evaluated today by Dr. James Tibone.

Stevens was injured when Wild Carol, a 3-year-old maiden filly making her third start, acted up in the gate before the start of Sunday’s second race.

“The filly just threw herself into the side of the gate,” said Stevens after returning from Centinela Hospital Medical Center where X-rays revealed the chip. “My foot was in between the gate and her body. That’s 1,000 pounds and something has to give.”

Although he knew something had happened, Stevens rode Wild Carol to a seventh-place finish, then walked gingerly back to the jockey’s room. “As soon as I got my boot off, my foot just swelled up,” he said. He was given medication to reduce the swelling and was told to keep the foot in ice and elevated.

Stevens, who broke his ankle in a similar incident weeks before the 1986 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, said he’ll take off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but hopes to be back Saturday. He especially wants to keep his date with Vaudeville in the $500,000 Caesars International Handicap on Sunday in Atlantic City.

“I’ve been fortunate the last two years,” he said. “I haven’t had any serious injuries. I was due to have something happen, but this isn’t going to slow me down any. Hopefully, the swelling will go down. If it doesn’t, I’ll get a bigger boot.”

Besides winning the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with Thunder Gulch, Stevens also has victories this year with Urgent Request in the Santa Anita Handicap and Larry The Legend in the Santa Anita Derby, and through June 17, he ranked sixth nationally in money won with more than $4.2 million.

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Favored One had to be delighted when she walked into the starting gate Sunday at Hollywood Park and didn’t see Serena’s Song.

Fourth behind America’s best 3-year-old filly in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks this winter, Favored One relished the lesser company and won the $109,100 Princess Stakes.

Making her first start since March 12, and coupled with Texinadress in the betting, the Washington-bred drew away from 20-1 shot Our Summer Bid in the final sixteenth of a mile and won by 2 1/2 lengths. Ridden by Alex Solis for owner Mike Pegram and trainer Mike Puhich, Favored One covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 4/5. She paid $10.40, but her price would have been larger had she not been coupled. Her entrymate, Texinadress, was eased after being close to the early pace.

Sleep Easy, the 17-10 favorite, stumbled at the start and trailed early, then rallied to be third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Our Summer Bid.

“She had trained great into this race,” said Puhich of Favored One. “We actually tried to run her in a little overnight handicap about three weeks ago, but it didn’t fill, so I was forced to train her into this race.

“She’s such an easy filly to train. She does everything so perfect, [so] it’s a pretty easy job. We’re going to point to the [July 9 Hollywood] Oaks. As long as Serena’s Song stays away, we’ve got to take a shot at it.”

Horse Racing Notes

Cardmania probably will miss the $100,000 Triple Bend Handicap because of heat in his left front foot, according to trainer Derek Meredith. . . . Petionville, who won the Ohio Derby on Saturday, will return to Hollywood Park and probably will make his next start in the $500,000 Swaps Stakes on July 23.