AS ANNOUNCER, WRONA LOVES TO HORSE AROUND.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing 

Some racetrack announcers are identified with particular pet phrases - Phil Georgeff's ``Spinning out of the turn,'' Dave Johnson's ``Down the stretch they come,'' Trevor Denman's ``Moving like a winner.'' Not Michael Wrona.

Wrona, the 33-year-old Australian who takes over as the voice of Hollywood Park when the track opens a 66-day season tonight, is known for his boundless creativity. He might be the sport's greatest phrasemaker. But don't expect to hear the same phrases over and over.

In 1990, during a brief stay at Hollywood Park, Wrona delivered his most often quoted line. He was describing the final yards of Itsallgreektome's Hollywood Turf Cup victory. Referring to the Greek's unproven stamina, Wrona posed and answered the question, ``Can he stay the distance? He stays like a mother in law!''

``I do throw in occasional quips or one-liners, but I don't want to be known as a comedian. I throw those in sporadically,'' said Wrona, who was calling the races at Golden Gate Fields near San Francisco when Luke Kruytbosch left Hollywood Park for Churchill Downs. ``I don't like to be predictable.''

The one time Wrona admits scripting a call, he did it in the interest of originality. It was 1996 and Cigar was at Arlington Park in Chicago to attempt a record-tying 16th straight victory. Wrona ordered tapes of Cigar's 15 wins and wrote down the superlatives used by all of those announcers.

``I kind of put a mental pen through all of those (descriptions),'' he said. When Cigar and jockey Jerry Bailey made their winning move on the turn, Wrona was ready with, ``Bailey sets Cigar alight!'' As they neared the finish, it was, ``Cigar is an unstoppable dynamo - the crowd rises to a champion - 16 in succession and Cigar assumes the crown of immortality!''

Wrona, who is from Brisbane and began his career at 17 at a track in the Australian Outback, certainly has an agile mind. And racing can use more of those.

As Hollywood Park begins its 60th spring-summer season, the track and the sport are changing.

The purchase of Hollywood Park by Churchill Downs, the subject of negotiations announced three weeks ago, is expected to be completed soon. Officials of both tracks have declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the year-old National Thoroughbred Racing Association tries to solidify its role as a ``league office,'' amid indications the industry is on the rebound.

As always, Hollywood Park opens just as racing fans are preoccupied with the Triple Crown, which begins with the Kentucky Derby a week from Saturday.

Wrona, who tries to stay clear of racetrack politics, offered his views on a number of topics:

On the NTRA and racing's future: ``I'm a believer in the NTRA. I definitely gravitate towards an optimistic view on racing. It'll never return to its glory days in terms of on-course attendance. But Australian racing is (strong) despite small on-course crowds. Simulcasting has been in place in Australia for a couple of decades. It's as easy for somebody to have a bet on the races in Australia as for somebody to play the Lotto here. It's a far more socially acceptable pastime in Australia.''

On the Hollywood Park sale: ``I have to think it's a guarantee of Hollywood Park being a live racing venue for many years to come. So it certainly meets with my approval. I've had Retama Park (in Texas) close on me in its inaugural season. I've closed down Arlington. I've done a lot of moving around and I desperately want to carve a niche for myself (at Hollywood Park).''

On the growth of exotic wagers: ``They've become so popular that I'm surprised more racecallers haven't allowed their styles to evolve with that. They tend to concentrate too much on the likely winner. I think of the poor punter, holding a trifecta ticket in his sweaty palm, wondering if he stands a chance.'' So Wrona mentions more horses late in a race than most callers.

On Santa Anita announcer Trevor Denman, who is from South Africa: ``To the American ear, we're pretty much the same. There are inevitable comparisons. I take it as a compliment, knowing how highly regarded Trevor is. I admire Trevor as a racecaller and I also acknowledge he blazed the trail for other foreign announcers in this country.''

On American racing fans: ``I find it a shame racing fans in this country don't relate more to the horses as horses rather than as numbers on the program. Australia people cheer the horse's name. Here I only hear numbers or jockeys' names. One day I was leaving the racecourse in Chicago and the man next to me was talking rather excitedly about a huge trifecta he had hit. I said, `Which horses were they?' He said, `9, 4, 3.' He couldn't remember the names of any of the horses.''

On the Kentucky Derby: ``I have liked Prime Timber since just before he won (the San Felipe Stakes). I see no reason to jump off yet. I do believe Menifee is the best 3-year-old in the country, but I have some concern about his seasoning.''

On his favorite horse: ``Kingston Town (an Australian horse of the '70s and '80s) was one of the reasons I became such a racing freak. The other was (announcer) John Tapp. The combination of John Tapp calling Kingston Town is still the most electrifying memory I have of my early days of following racing. The biggest race in Australia is the W.S. Cox Plate. Kingston Town is the only horse to win it three times.''

On his favorite jockey: ``I don't have a favorite, but the person who made the greatest impression on me when I first came to California is Laffit Pincay. His strength is really quite incredible.''

On Charlie Whittingham, the Hall of Fame trainer who died at age 86 Tuesday in Pasadena: ``Even before I came to this country, I was well aware of the name Charlie Whittingham. He truly was world famous.''

A WEEK AT THE RACES 

Final Santa Anita standings: Jockeys: David Flores, 75 wins; Alex Solis, 65; Laffit Pincay, 58; Chris McCarron, 54; Kent Desormeaux, 47; Gary Stevens, 44; Corey Nakatani, 43; Garrett Gomez, 41; Eddie Delahoussaye, 35; Corey Black, 24. Trainers: Bob Baffert, 42; Richard Mandella and Ron McAnally, 19; Vladimir Cerin and Bobby Frankel, 18; David Hofmans and Mike Mitchell, 16; Jenine Sahadi, 14; Wally Dollase and Ted West, 13.

Handicapper helper: Trainers Barry Abrams, Mike Harrington, Ian Jory and John Sadler will try to repeat their 1998 patterns by following weak showings at Santa Anita with strong showings at Hollywood Park. Keep an eye on those barns early in the Hollywood Park meet that opens tonight.

On the stakes schedule: At Hollywood Park: tonight, $100,000 Senorita, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile on turf; Saturday, $100,000 Melair, 3-year-old fillies bred in California, 6-1/2 furlongs; Sunday, $150,000 Hawthorne Handicap, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. At Golden Gate Fields: Sunday, $250,000 San Francisco Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile on turf. At Churchill Downs: Saturday, $100,000 Derby Trial, 3-year-olds, 1 mile.

Mileposts: A public funeral for Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham is scheduled for noon today at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia. Hollywood Park plans a moment of silence before tonight's 7 o'clock first race. The Hollywood Turf Handicap has been renamed the Charles Whittingham Handicap; that was announced before his death. . . . The Hollywood Park meet runs through July 19. First post is noon most days, and 7 o'clock tonight and Fridays June 25, July 2, 9 and 16. . . . Major races: the $400,000 Whittingham and the $250,000 Milady Handicap, May 31; the $350,000 Shoemaker Mile, June 13; the $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup, June 27; and the $500,000 Swaps Stakes, July 18. The Gold Cup will have a title sponsor, San Diego-based Sempra Energy. . . . Laffit Pincay begins the meet 102 away from Bill Shoemaker's record for career victories (8,833). If he keeps up his early-1999 pace, Pincay could catch Shoemaker in December. . . . Sandi Gann matched Julie Krone's record for victories on a card by a woman jockey when she rode six winners at Turf Paradise in Phoenix Saturday. . . . This has been the healthiest Kentucky Derby season in memory. The winners of the eight biggest preps are all aiming for the Derby a week from Saturday: General Challenge (Santa Anita Derby), Menifee (Blue Grass), Valhol (Arkansas Derby), Stephen Got Even (Gallery Furniture.com), Kimberlite Pipe (Louisiana Derby), First American (Flamingo), Adonis (Wood Memorial) and Charismatic (Lexington).

- Kevin Modesti

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Box: A WEEK AT THE RACES (See text)