HOLLYWOOD PARK : Derby Could Be a Battle of Charlies

Can Charlie deal with Charlie?

This is one of the questions that will be answered Sunday in the 49th running of the $200,000 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park.

Certainly, Charlie Barley, the 3-year-old Canadian colt, will be outnumbered by the forces of Charlie Whittingham, the 76-year-old Southland trainer.

Seeking to win the Grade I Derby for only the second time this decade, Whittingham will enter four horses--River Master, Seven Rivers, Live the Dream and Shining Steel.

Each of the four has reason to succeed. River Master is the most accomplished, having won stakes at Del Mar and Bay Meadows, in addition to running second behind Hawkster in the Del Mar Derby.

He bombed in his most recent appearance, winding up eighth in the Volante Handicap at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting. Eddie Delahoussaye, riding the colt for the first time, said he thought something was bothering River Master, who was trying to run wide the entire journey.

However, the son of His Majesty came out of the race well and his recent works have been sharp. Chris McCarron, who has ridden him in each of his four victories, will be aboard Sunday.

Seven Rivers, after being unable to break his maiden in four tries last year, has blossomed as a 3-year-old, winning four of five since returning to the races, including a 7-1 upset in the Volante.

Live the Dream was fifth in a pair of races at Del Mar, then turned things around when he got to Santa Anita. After just missing in an allowance race, the Northern Baby colt surprised older horses in the Henry P. Russell Handicap as Robbie Davis scraped him through the narrowest of openings along the inside.

Shining Steel, winner of three of eight starts in England, has been training well for his U.S. debut. He is owned by King owner Bruce McNall and his star, Wayne Gretzky.

The four comprise a powerful Team Whittingham, but Charlie Barley has the credentials to make this a profitable invasion. Trained by Grant Pearce and owned by Scott Abbott and John Haney, the son of Affirmed has been a model of consistency throughout his 18-race career.

He has failed to finish in the money only three times and is equally at home on dirt or turf, the surface on which the Derby will be contested at 1 1/8 miles.

Regular rider Robin Platts thinks that grass is Charlie Barley’s preference, and this is the root of a good-natured, year-long argument between him and Pearce.

“That’s something Robin and I have had a lot of fun with,” Pearce said. “I’m not convinced he’s better on either. He’s pretty consistent and runs well on both surfaces.”

Platts, who was third aboard Carotene in the 1986 Yellow Ribbon Stakes on one of his two previous trips to California, thinks the distance and the Hollywood Park course will suit the half-brother to 1987 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Success Express.

“As long as it stays firm and he’s running strictly against 3-year-olds at a mile and an eighth, he’s got a very good chance,” Platts said.

“He breezed real well this morning (three furlongs in :35 2/5). He’s kind of a moody horse who likes to be pampered but he always tries.”

Most recently, Charlie Barley was third in the Rothmans International over soft going. Two races before, he lost by a half-length to Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Prized in the Molson Million on the dirt.

“He would have won the Rothmans on a firm turf course,” Platts said. “They didn’t catch him until the last eighth of a mile.”

Purchased for $50,000 at Keeneland two summers ago, Charlie Barley began his career by running second in a stakes and has since earned more than $675,000.

When an anticipated invitation to the Japan Cup didn’t come, it was decided that the Hollywood Derby would be his last race of 1989.

“We’re shortening him up a bit--I think his best distance is a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter--and we’re running strictly against 3-year-olds,” Pearce said. “There aren’t any other races for 3-year-olds now, so this looked like the right spot when we didn’t get invited to Japan. After this, we’ll send him to Florida for a rest.

“He’s coming up to the race super. He breezed real well and I’m very pleased.”

Besides the Whittingham foursome and Charlie Barley, nine others entered the Derby, which continues to be a popular event.

Fourteen started last year’s Derby, and the race was split into divisions the previous seven years.

Also in Sunday’s field are Raise a Stanza, third in the Volante; Go Milord, a European making his American debut for Wayne Lukas; Broto, who has three victories on on grass against lesser imports, Gauntlett Boy; Fast ‘n’ Gold; One Drink; Art Work and Lowell.

The main event on today’s program is the $75,000 Hollywood Turf Express at six furlongs.

Topping the lineup is Sunny Blossom, who finished a distant second to Sam Who in Oak Tree’s Ancient Title Handicap, his first race in more than seven months. Making only his second start on grass, Eddie Gregson’s gelding drew the rail today.

The highweight for the Express is Oraibi, back from Maryland after finishing second in the Laurel Dash. He returned with a :58 2/5 workout at Santa Anita for Richard Mandella and will be ridden by Laffit Pincay.

Others entered are California Jade, Summer Sale, You’re No Bargain, Undercut (also out of the Gregson barn), Star Cutter (who ran some strong races here at this distance during the summer), Cutter Sam, Bit of a Lark and Ofanto.

Horse Racing Notes

Sam Who, whose number was taken down in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for interference shortly after the start, skipped the Express in favor of the National Sprint Championship Dec. 16. . . . Look for a change in the official program sold at Hollywood Park. The odds will return to their traditional spot, and most of the information supplied by the Daily Racing Form will be eliminated. All that will be kept is the horse’s record in 1989 plus its turf record when applicable. . . . All Hollywood Derby entrants will carry 122 pounds. . . . For the first time at the meeting, the Pick Six fell Friday. Because of some short fields and equally short prices, there were 49 perfect tickets, each worth $4,057.40.