HOLLYWOOD PARK : It Could Be Whittingham Weekend

Heading into the final weekend, it is probably the most startling statistic of Hollywood Park’s fall-winter meeting: trainer Charlie Whittingham, who is in line for an Eclipse Award, has only three wins in the first 28 days at Inglewood.

He has made his victories count, however. His first was with longshot Live the Dream in the Hollywood Derby. Next was Frankly Perfect’s romp in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup. Even his latest--Light Ice--was in Friday’s feature, a $30,000 allowance on the grass.

Before the scene shifts to Santa Anita Tuesday, Whittingham appears set to finish with a flourish.

He will send out Ruhlmann and Lively One in the $109,100 Native Diver Handicap today, then come back with Oczy Czarnie and Claire Marine in the $200,000 Matriarch Sunday. Royal Touch, another Matriarch entrant, is being trained by John Hammond for this race, but will remain in Whittingham’s barn afterward.

Seemingly en route to an Eclipse after rattling off five wins in six starts during the spring and summer, Claire Marine was beaten badly twice during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita. She was a distant fourth at 4-5 in the Las Palmas Handicap, then ran fifth at 2-1 in the Yellow Ribbon, the Grade I stake that probably earned Brown Bess the honor as the nation’s top female grass performer.

Perhaps the switch to Hollywood Park will turn Claire Marine around. She won the Wilshire and Beverly Hills here during the summer and lost by a nose to stablemate Fitzwilliam Place in the Gamely Handicap.

Her recent drills indicate a possible reversal. She followed up a 1:38 2/5 mile with a :57 flat five-eighths workout four days ago.

“I sure can’t come up with any excuses for her last two races,” said Chris McCarron, back Friday after having been ill Wednesday and Thursday.

“In (the Las Palmas), we thought she might have needed the race a little bit, but in the Yellow Ribbon, she was in a great spot and didn’t seem to fire the same as she had earlier in the year.

“The only thing I can say is that she wasn’t breezing as aggressively as she had. She wasn’t working badly, but it wasn’t the same as the summer, when she was blowing away Fitzwilliam Place.

“It could be she likes this turf course a little bit better. But maybe she’s tailing off. I haven’t been on her, but her works look solid. Hopefully, she’ll bounce back to her old self Sunday.”

If she runs another clinker, Whittingham still has Oczy Czarnie, a 3-year-old daughter of Lomond. A winner four times in 10 races in France, she romped in her American debut, winning Arlington Park’s Pucker Up by eight lengths over Soft Going on Sept. 1.

She has had two sharp workouts here--miles in 1:39 2/5 and 1:40 1/5--and will be ridden by Corey Black.

Royal Touch also won four of her 10 outings in Europe and was a credible fourth as part of the mutuel field in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She was beaten by a length and a half by Steinlen and did have some trouble. With Gary Stevens on vacation, Russell Baze has inherited the mount.

Neil Drysdale, who ranks fourth nationally among trainers in money won, will send out Colorado Dancer and Beat.

Colorado Dancer was third in the Yellow Ribbon in her first U.S. outing, but the Matriarch is only a 1 1/8-mile race, not really her best distance. She would be more comfortable at a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half.

Beat has never won a stake but recently was third behind Saros Brig and Nikishka in a division of the Dahlia Handicap.

Also entered are two from Bobby Frankel’s barn, Darby’s Daughter and General Charge, although only General Charge may start, and Mamma Rosita, a Brazilian filly who upset an allowance field Nov. 24.

In the Native Diver, which will go at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, Ruhlmann will be attempting to end a three-race losing streak.

After winning the Mervyn LeRoy in May, he was fifth at 1-2 in the Californian, then went to the sidelines after losing to Rahy in the Bel Air.

Brought back in a sprint 20 days ago, he made no impression against Olympic Prospect, finishing fourth by almost seven lengths.

He has returned to post two good workouts, :57 flat Dec. 15 and :34 1/5 Wednesday, and is the one to catch.

“We’ve been trying to get him to relax in the mornings,” said McCarron. “And we’ve been successful in doing that. In the race the other day, I might have rushed him a little too much because there were some awfully quick horses in there and I didn’t want him to drop too far back. It probably confused the hell out of him. Having that race behind him should help.”

Freshened since chasing Hawkster in the Oak Tree Invitational in October, Lively One is much more effective on the dirt and he did win the Swaps over this track as a 3-year-old.

The other entrants include Stylish Winner, who ended a long drought with a win in the On Trust Handicap, Happy Toss, Haut Arandu, Perceive Arrogance, No Marker and Dusty Mag.

The chorus of boos began before Friday’s second race was over.

The object of the fans’ displeasure was Princess Royalty, a 2-year-old Slew’s Royalty filly who was winning her debut by 16 lengths.

Trained by Hector Palma, the California-bred had four less-than scintillating workouts listed in the Daily Racing Form--a :39 3/5 out of the gate, a 1:01 3/5, a :50 out of the gate and a :50 1/5--yet was bet from 15-1 on the morning line down to the 2-1 favorite.

Breaking well under Rafael Meza, she quickly pulled clear and the only real question was what the final margin and time would be. She covered the six furlongs in 1:10, the second-fastest clocking in four races at the distance Friday.

Although the times for her morning exercises weren’t flashy, her ability was hardly a secret. Two of the handicapping sheets sold at the track picked Princess Royalty and one of their clockers had this comment about her :50 1/5 work: “Better drill than time might indicate.” She was also claimed out of the race, by Jerry Fanning for owners Marty and Eileen Alpert.

Horse Racing Notes

The Hollywood Park stewards received confirmation from the California Horse Racing Board that two drug tests on jockey Pat Valenzuela were negative, so he’ll be able to accept mounts today when entries are drawn for Santa Anita’s opening Tuesday. Valenzuela, who was suspended for 60 days in October after he had tested positive for cocaine, submitted to one test last week and another when he met with the stewards Thursday.

To clear up any misconceptions, Dr. Ray Baran was on the scene immediately when Hammerin’ Hank was fatally injured in a freak mishap in Wednesday’s third race, but nothing could be done to save the 2-year-old, who had severed his right front leg.