Eyes on Frankel

By winning the Bien Bien Stakes on opening day at Hollywood Park with Mizzen Mast, trainer Bobby Frankel increased his stakes victories for the year to 43.

Thirty-two of his wins have been in graded stakes, 14 of them Grade I scores by Aptitude, Flute, Happyanunoit, Lido Palace, Senure, Squirtle Squirt, You, Skimming and Timboroa. Aptitude, Flute, Lido Palace, Senure and Squirtle Squirt are all double Grade I winners.

Frankel, probably on his way to another Eclipse award as the nation’s top trainer, will try to add to his stakes total today when he saddles Heads Will Roll and Waki Music in the $100,000 Matiara at 11/8 miles on the Hollywood Park turf course.

If he is to win the Matiara, it will probably be with Heads Will Roll. An English-bred 3-year-old filly owned by John Amerman, Heads Will Roll has not been worse than third in four starts in this country. Last month at Belmont Park, she picked up her first U.S. win in a division of the Pebbles Handicap as the 2-1 favorite.

Waki Music, who won once in eight starts overseas for Juddmonte Farms, won in her second U.S. start but will have to step up her game to be a serious factor this afternoon.

The Matiara field is completed by Gabriellina Giof, who was second in the recent Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap at Santa Anita; Alinga, whose only win in seven starts this year was in a minor stakes at Bay Meadows in September; Walts Wharf, who finally won for the first time in 2001 in her 17th start; Live Your Dreams, who has been 1-2 in four of five on the Hollywood Park turf; and longshot Thewholebag.

Race of the day: The ninth has a full field of maidens going a mile on the turf.

Great White Father ran very well in his debut for Julio Canani and should improve the second time out.

Fun And Sun had a sprint prep in the same race in which Great White Father ran. French Rebel has run second in his last pair, and there are live longshots such as Civilisation, Thrill The Crowd and Bonair Lake.

Who’s hot: Whosleavingwho. A 3-year-old son of Chicks Beduino trained by John Bassett for Jim Geiler and Kim Kessinger, Whosleavingwho heads the field in tonight’s $250,000 Los Alamitos Derby, and he will be seeking his sixth win in a row at Los Alamitos.

Who’s not: Dixie Force. A New York-bred son of Dixie Brass, the 2-year-old has been beaten by a combined 623/4 lengths in his first two races and has beaten exactly one horse.

Exotically speaking: Let’s play the Churchill Downs simulcast network pick three.

In the race from Calder, let’s use Western Stranger, Quick Talker, Out Of Nickles and The Judge Sez Who, Bonus Pack, Foster’s Landing and Buckhari in the race from Churchill Downs and single Quick To Please at Hollywood Park.