HOLLYWOOD PARK : Work on Grass Helps ‘Revenge Win on Dirt

For a filly who trainer Ron Ellis says might prefer the turf, Pirate’s Revenge isn’t doing badly on the main track.

Owner Pam and Marty Wygod’s homebred became a Grade I winner for the first time and avenged an earlier defeat against Paseana with a 3 1/2-length victory in the $158,500 Milady Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Almost a month earlier in the Hawthorne Handicap, Pirate’s Revenge had to settle for second after a torrid pace took its toll, enabling Paseana to rally from next-to-last for her 19th victory.

Striving to catch Dance Smartly and become the richest female in history, the 8-year-old Paseana dropped far back Sunday while Pirate’s Revenge took advantage of a great trip and some slower fractions to win for the eighth time in 17 starts.

Ridden by Chris Antley, the 4-year-old daughter of Pirate’s Bounty completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 2/5 and gave the Wygods their second Grade I victory of 1995. Key Phrase, who has since been retired and is now in foal to Storm Cat, won the seven-furlong Santa Monica Handicap on Jan. 16 at Santa Anita.

After the Hawthorne, Ellis decided to try something he’d done before the Miss Hollywood Park, a restricted stakes Pirate’s Revenge won by nine lengths.

He worked her twice on the turf. “I think she might even like the grass a bit better than the dirt,” he said. “I did it before [the Miss Hollywood on April 29] and it worked then. They were kind enough to let me work her on the grass even though she was going to run on the dirt.”

No matter where she runs, Pirate’s Revenge, the 6-5 favorite while coupled with third-place finisher Private Persuasion, is consistent. In addition to her eight victories, she has five seconds and a third.

“Amy [Ellis’ wife] has always been this filly’s biggest fan,” Ellis said. “[Pirate’s Revenge] really has developed because we were hard on her earlier this year and didn’t think she’d turn out to be this good.

“She seems to be getting better and better with racing, so we’ll point her to the next one in this series [the $300,000 Vanity Handicap on July 23].”

By running second, four lengths ahead of Private Persuasion, Paseana earned $30,000 for owners Sid and Jenny Craig. She now has $3,163,703, leaving her $100,133 behind Dance Smartly’s record of $3,263,836.

“She really ran very well,” said jockey Chris McCarron. “The thing is she’s wanting to drop back early now, and why she does that, I don’t know. I didn’t force the issue with her last time and she went ahead and fired.

“I figured today if she wanted to go back to her old game and lay just off the leaders, I was going to let her. But she didn’t want any part of it the first part. I just figured she knows what she’s doing and I’m not going to force the issue.

“She started picking them up [around the turn] and had good momentum going around the turn. But Antley’s filly just had too much left in the lane today. She didn’t come back at all.”

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Cigar, who will be trying for his ninth consecutive victory when he runs in next Sunday’s Hollywood Gold Cup, was given top weight of 126 pounds for the 1 1/4-mile race.

This means Cigar is picking up two pounds after his latest victory--a four-length romp in the June 3 Massachusetts Handicap against a very weak field.

Next on the list is Concern, who was given 123 pounds by Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza. This is one more than he carried under the allowance conditions of the Californian. He won that race impressively in his California debut.

Trainer Richard Small had said he would evaluate the weights for both the Gold Cup and the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 4 before deciding in which race to run. Weights for the Suburban will be announced Thursday.

Cigar, who has beaten Concern soundly in both of their meetings this year, gave Concern one pound (122-121) the last time they met in the Pimlico Special on May 13. Concern finished third, beaten by five lengths.

“We’ve tried to give everyone an equal opportunity to win,” Panza said. “The weights are out and they are what they are. They’re not going to change. But a lot of thought and discussion went into them. I think the weights give everyone an equal chance to win and that’s the important thing.”

Best Pal, who won the 1993 Gold Cup, was given 120 pounds, and four horses--Santa Anita Handicap winner Urgent Request, 1994 Pacific Classic winner Tinners Way, Tossofthecoin and Del Mar Dennis--were all assigned 118. Blumin Affair (115), Meadow Flight (114) and Let’s Be Curious (113) round out the list of nominees.

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The beaten favorite in his last two starts, Sandpit bounced back as the 7-2 second choice Sunday and won the $500,000 Caesars International Handicap at Atlantic City Race Course in New Jersey.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani and trained by Richard Mandella, Sandpit took advantage of his inside post, saving ground all the way, then held off 20-1 shot Celtic Arms and Pat Valenzuela to win by three-quarters of a length. He ran the 1 3/16 miles on soft turf in 1:57 1/5.

Horse Racing Notes

Don’t Read My Lips, who was claimed for $16,000 earlier this year by trainer Casey Maslonka, won the $75,000 Queen To Conquer Handicap, leading all the way in the 1 1/2-mile turf race. Fernando Valenzuela rode the 4-year-old Turkoman filly, who has now earned more than $120,000 since being claimed Feb. 20.