HOLLYWOOD PARK : Pembroke Sets Grass Mark for 5 1/2 Furlongs

Several minutes after the fact, Gary Jones still didn’t believe the final time of the $153,100 Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.

There was no mistake. Pembroke, a 5-year-old Gone West horse trained by Jones, had completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in a world record 1:00 2/5.

In beating Lit De Justice by three lengths, Pembroke, the 13-10 favorite, easily eclipsed the old mark of 1:01, set by Classy Women on the same grass course July 6, 1991.

Third early behind the wicked splits set by Lucky Forever (20 4/5 seconds for the quarter- and 42 3/5 for the half-mile), Pembroke got through a large opening on the rail and sprinted away under Corey Nakatani for his seventh victory in 15 starts. He had the lead after a 54 1/5-second five furlongs.

Lit De Justice, the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of five, outfinished Cyrano Storme by a head. Then came Three Peat and Lucky Forever.

This was the second victory in three starts at the Hollywood Park meeting for Pembroke, and he was beaten by a nose by Cyrano Storme in his only loss.

But it might be a while before Pembroke is seen again. Jones isn’t eager to run the horse on dirt, and Del Mar doesn’t run sprints on turf.

“We’ll have to look around the country,” said Jones. “There has to be something for him.

“Every time they set a world record, you wonder if the time is right or if there’s a mistake on the board. This horse isn’t a very sound horse. He’s got problems, but he deals with them. He’s got unbelievable guts. He’s a classy dude and the prettiest horse you ever put your eyes on. This horse will make a good stallion somewhere.”

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Hoping to pick up where he left off in New York, You And I is the 6-5 favorite in the $125,000 Bel Air Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

Winless in California since being purchased by trainer Bobby Frankel for owner Edmund Gann, the 4-year-old Kris S. colt has been a tiger at Belmont Park. He won the 1994 Riva Ridge there; then, more recently, he won the Metropolitan and Brooklyn handicaps.

Reunited with Chris McCarron, who rode him in the Riva Ridge, You And I will have only four opponents in the 1 1/16-mile Bel Air after stablemate Bon Point and I’ma Game Master were scratched Saturday.

Making his first start since the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which he was fourth, Soul Of The Matter is the 8-5 second choice. He shows a series of sharp workouts for trainer Richard Mandella. With Kent Desormeaux serving a five-day suspension, Gary Stevens will ride the 4-year-old for the first time.

The field is completed by Cleante, who was seventh behind You And I in the Metropolitan in his last start; Constant Craving, an upset winner over Blumin Affair last month, and Luthier Fever.

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Abaginone’s stakes debut was a complete disaster.

An impressive winner in his first two starts of 1995 at Hollywood Park and a winner of four of his five races overall, the 4-year-old Devil’s Bag colt finished last in the $110,500 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.

The even-money favorite in New York and 4-5 at Hollywood Park, Abaginone broke slowly, moved up to fourth after a quarter of a mile, but never looked to be going well and finished more than 12 lengths behind longshot winner Waldoboro.

Taking advantage of a swift early pace on an extremely hot afternoon, Waldoboro beat another longshot, Corma Ray, by two lengths in 1:09 3/5. The winner is trained by Shug McGaughey and was ridden by Eddie Maple. He paid $42.60 in New York and $61.20 locally.

“This was his first time in stakes company, but [jockey] Gary [Stevens] told me that he didn’t break well,” said Sandy Shulmam, Abaginone’s trainer. “He stumbled coming out of the gate and then got bumped around a little, so I don’t think this is a true indication of what he can do. The heat also did him in, as it’s doing to everyone.”

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Favored Lite The Fuse drew away from California invader Crafty Dude in the stretch to win the $300,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel.

Ridden by Julie Krone for trainer Dick Dutrow, Lite The Fuse won by two lengths as the 3-5 favorite and covered the six furlongs in 1:08 4/5.

Crafty Dude, an 11-1 outsider ridden by Fernando Valenzuela, finished nearly two lengths ahead of 17-1 shot Hot Jaws. Exclusive Praline, the 5-1 second choice, finished sixth in the field of seven.

“My plans right now are to run him in the Forego, Vosburgh and Breeders’ Cup Sprint,” said Dutrow. “I want this in print: I want Meritocrat, who beat us, Rizzi, who beat us, and Birdonthewire, who beat us. We will kick their [rear end].”

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At the moment, it appears Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch will have five opponents when he returns to action in the $500,000 Swaps Stakes next Sunday.

Aside from Thunder Gulch, who will be making his first start in California since he was a distant second to Afternoon Deelites in the Hollywood Futurity last December, the confirmed starters for the Swaps are Dazzling Falls, Petionville, Mr Purple, T.J.’s Gold and To Be Kahled. A possibility is Oncefortheroad, who like Petionville, is trained by Randy Bradshaw.

Dazzling Falls arrived at Hollywood Park on Wednesday morning and he is expected to work either Monday or Tuesday, according to trainer Chuck Turco. Dazzling Falls was second, beaten by a head by Petionville in his last start, in the Ohio Derby. Before that, he had won the Arkansas and Alabama derbies.

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Horse Racing Notes

Corey Nakatani had four winners Saturday. Besides Pembroke, he won with Hachero, Crackerjack Max and Miss L Attack. . . . Pembroke is owned by Darley Stud Management Inc. and he gave Gary Jones his second consecutive victory in the Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders’ Cup. He won in 1994 with Cool Air. . . . Trainer Patty Sterling was fined $500 by Hollywood Park stewards Tom Ward, Pete Pedersen and George Slender after her Launch A Patriot tested positive for isoxsuprine, which promotes circulation in the feet.