HOLLYWOOD PARK : Golden Pheasant Is a Winner for Whittingham

Winless with his first 20 starters at Hollywood Park, trainer Charlie Whittingham ended his slump when Golden Pheasant won the $109,900 Inglewood Handicap on Sunday.

Making his first start since Jan. 20, the 6-year-old Caro horse and 3-2 favorite defeated Blaze O’Brien by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:39 4/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

“He just runs steady, steady and then he fires,” said Gary Stevens, who has been aboard Golden Pheasant in his two biggest victories, the 1990 Arlington Million and last year’s Japan Cup. “I knew he was dead fit. He had two excellent mile works.

“It’s like he’s in his second childhood right now. He had been training better now than he had in the last three years. This is his kind of turf course. It’s firm, but has a lot of bounce to it. It’s like walking on six inches of foam rubber. The harder it is, the better he likes it. He likes to feel the ground shake under him.”

Able to collect only two seconds at the meeting before Golden Pheasant’s seventh victory in 17 starts, Whittingham said the Arlington Million is in his long range plans.

“That’s a long way off, so we’ll take them one (race) at a time,” he said. “We’ll see how he comes out of this race. He ran like he’s supposed to today. He’s a real good horse, and he was the best horse in there. He’s awfully good right now.”

Never more than five lengths off the pace being set by Native Boundary, Golden Pheasant took over with about an eighth of a mile to run to earn $64,900 for owner Zenya Yoshida, who purchased the roan last year from Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky.

Blaze O’Brien, who has been worse than second only once in seven starts over the Hollywood Park turf, finished three-quarters of a length in front of Native Boundary as the 7-2 second choice.

“You were speeding,” Desormeaux said to Stevens in the jockey’s room. “Give that man a ticket.

“I can’t believe I didn’t catch (the winner). I thought I had him turning for home. There aren’t too many races my horse wouldn’t have won if (Golden Pheasant) wasn’t in there.”

After losing Exbourne to a career-ending injury Thursday, trainer Bobby Frankel will try to win the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap with his second string.

Quest For Fame is hardly a shabby substitute in the 1 1/4 mile race. The 5-year-old Rainbow Quest horse won the 1990 Epsom Derby, took the San Luis Obispo Handicap earlier this year and has earned $1,309,642. Carrying highweight of 122 pounds today, he is the 9-5 morning line favorite, and Stevens, who was scheduled to ride Exbourne, has the mount.

Classic Fame, who will carry 120 pounds, is the 2-1 second choice. A 6-year-old son of Nijinsky II, he will be making his first start since finishing 10th in the Arcadia Handicap March 7. He has trained well for Gary Jones and beat Steinlen over this turf course in the 1990 American Handicap. Desormeaux will be aboard for the first time.

The other seven entrants are Bold Russian (Alex Solis, 9-2), Forty Niner Days (Pat Valenzuela, 8-1), Missionary Ridge (David Flores, 8-1), Aksar (Corey Nakatani, 15-1), Irish Empire (Laffit Pincay, 15-1), Big Barton (Hector Torres, 30-1) and River Traffic (Frank Alvarado, 30-1).

Horse Racing Notes

Favored Bel’s Starlet won the $56,800 Great Lady M. three races before the Inglewood. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who had three winners, the 8-5 choice defeated Wordly Possession by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:01 4/5 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. . . . Laffit Pincay and Gary Stevens each rode two winners Sunday.