HOLLYWOOD PARK : Compelling Sound to Have Surgery

Compelling Sound, third behind Best Pal and Corporate Report in Sunday’s Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, will undergo surgery this week after a small chip was discovered in his right knee.

The 3-year-old Seattle Slew colt, who had won three consecutive races, will be sidelined at least four months, according to trainer Charlie Whittingham.

“I think it happened when he was hemmed down along the rail and had to keep checking,” Whittingham said. “He’s a big, long-striding horse and being in tight like that can be tough on one his size.

“You could see a filling (Monday morning), and X-rays showed the chip.”

Earlier this year, Excavate, another top 3-year-old in Whittingham’s barn, underwent surgery after a bone chip was discovered in his knee before the Santa Anita Derby. Excavate is expected to return later this year.

Barring a major surprise, trainer Ron McAnally’s domination of Hollywood Park’s races for older fillies and mares should continue Sunday.

Brought To Mind will be heavily favored to win the $200,000 Vanity Handicap and finish the same three-race sweep--Hawthorne, Milady and Vanity--that Bayakoa completed in 1989. Bayakoa won the Hawthorne and Milady last year but was held out of the Vanity because of McAnally’s unhappiness with the weights.

Two fillies who didn’t appear in either the Hawthorne or the Milady and could have provided Brought To Mind with an argument in the Vanity won’t be present Sunday.

A Wild Ride, given top weight of 122 pounds for the Grade I stake by racing secretary Eual Wyatt, is still in the East after winning the Hempstead Handicap last month.

Heart Of Joy, with two consecutive victories on the turf at the Hollywood meeting, will also skip the 1 1/8-mile race, which would have marked her first start on the dirt.

“I had Chris (McCarron) work seven furlongs for me (Sunday) and I told him I wanted (Heart Of Joy) to kick it in at the end,” trainer Gary Jones said. “She went the last quarter in 27 (seconds). It wasn’t a good work. She’s not right when she does something like that, so we’ll just wait until she is right.

“We still have (trying the) dirt in the back of our minds, just not on this particular course. This isn’t a knock against anyone, but it hasn’t been the same track during the meeting as it was in the winter. I think she’ll like the track at Del Mar.”

Even though he is disappointed that Heart Of Joy won’t be in the Vanity, Jones is having a meeting to remember at Hollywood Park. He ranks second to McAnally in the trainer standings with 18 victories, and his 22% winning mark is second only to Darrell Vienna among trainers in the top 10.

Jones will seek his third stakes victory of the season when he sends out Timebank in Saturday’s Bel Air Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The race is also expected to attract Flying Continental, Twilight Agenda, Trebizond and possibly Sea Cadet.

Timebank, the track record-holder for 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt at 1:14 2/5, made his first start around two turns when he finished fourth in the Californian on June 9. Three-quarters of a length in front of him that day was Hollywood Gold Cup winner Marquetry.

Entered next in the seven-furlong Triple Bend on June 29, the 4-year-old Water Bank colt was scratched in favor of the Bel Air.

“He ran too hard (in the Californian), and it would have been too quick,” Jones said. “The way the race came up, I’m glad I didn’t run him. I entered him, and if he’d drawn outside, I might have considered running him.

“He’s training well and he’ll rate. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of speed in there, but he doesn’t have to be on the lead. He won a race at Oak Tree (last fall) when Eddie Delahoussaye had him four to five lengths out of it and he came running. If somebody else wants the lead, he can take back.”

Best Pal, who ended a five-race losing streak with his impressive victory in Sunday’s Swaps Stakes, will probably make his next start in the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 10 at Del Mar.

Part of the American Championship Racing Series, the Classic, which is being run for the first time this year, would mark Best Pal’s first start against older horses and is at 1 1/4 miles.

“Mr. (John) Mabee called (Sunday) night, and we talked about the Classic,” Jones said. “That’s our prime objective and the race is his baby.” Mabee, Best Pal’s owner, is the former chairman of Del Mar’s board of directors and still serves on the board.

“The Travers (at Saratoga) a week later is also in the back of our minds. The horse came out of the race very well.”

Russell Baze, who ranks 11th in the Hollywood Park jockey standings with 21 victories from 278 mounts, is leaving Southern California at the end of the week, according to agent Pat McDowell.

Baze, who started riding locally in June 1988, is returning to Northern California, where he was the dominant jockey before deciding to try his hand on this circuit. He will be reunited with agent Ray Harris.

Horse Racing Notes

Laffit Pincay boosted his lead in the Hollywood Park jockey standings with three victories Wednesday. After wins aboard Nikki’s Baby, J.L.’s Tribute and Beautiful Legend, Pincay has 54, two more than Gary Stevens and four ahead of Chris McCarron. Stevens won with favorites Prince Wild and Flight of Freedom. . . . Six fillies and mares were entered Wednesday morning in Friday night’s feature, the $60,000-added Sangue at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The field, from the rail out: Sweet Roberta, Jewellery, Mamma Rosita, Conteuse, Freya Stark and Appealing Missy.