Drysdale Is Back for More

Neil Drysdale, an assistant to the late Charlie Whittingham between 1970 and 1974, has won the race that now bears the legendary trainer’s name four times.

And it will be a surprise if Drysdale doesn’t win the $350,000 Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap (formerly the Hollywood Turf Handicap) for a fifth time this afternoon.

The first of three graded stakes on the Hollywood Park card along with the $400,000 Californian and $200,000 Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks, the Whittingham, a Grade I at 1 1/4 miles on the turf, figures to be dominated by Storming Home.

A 5-year-old Machiavellian horse owned by Sheik Maktoum al Maktoum, Storming Home was impressive in his U.S. debut on May 10.

He won the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap by two lengths, beating, among others, Denon.

The winner of last year’s Whittingham, Denon returned to win the Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park a week ago. Gary Stevens will ride the 124-pound high weight.

In the Oaks, Santa Catarina, who will also be ridden by Stevens, will try to rebound from her third-place finish at 4-5 in the Black Eyed Susan over a sloppy track at Pimlico on May 16.

Race of the day: You will try for her ninth victory in 19 starts against six rivals in the $300,000 Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. The 1 1/8-mile race precedes the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap and follows the $100,000 Northern Dancer and the $200,000 Regret. All are part of a pick four.

One for the road: Special Rate, who hated the off-track and eased in his stakes debut in Aqueduct’s Bay Shore on April 12, can rebound in the fifth today at Belmont Park. The $46,000 allowance at one mile will mark his turf debut and he could improve on the surface. He’s a half-brother to Tates Creek, a multiple stakes winner on grass.

Exotically speaking: The NTRA Summer pick three using Volponi and Iron Deputy in the Brooklyn, Go Rockin’ Robin, Region Of Merit, Don Six and Cherokee’s Boy in the Leonard Richards Stakes from Delaware Park and singling Mineshaft in the Stephen Foster.

Winners (through Thursday): Previous day/meet total: 1/98. Money: Previous day/meet total: $537.60. Total money bet: $636.