BAFFERT CENTER OF SPAT WITH PARK OFFICIAL.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing 

The popularity of wisecracking trainer Bob Baffert no longer extends to the Hollywood Park front office, and it's not because of Silver Charm's withdrawal from Sunday's Hollywood Gold Cup.

It's because of a spat with track chairman R.D. Hubbard, in which Baffert showed that even though he's always quotable, he's not always right.

Earlier in the month, Baffert entered Silver Charm in the little-known Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, which raised the purse from $500,000 to $750,000 to attract the 1997 Kentucky Derby winner. Silver Charm was the only ``name' horse in the field but finished second.

Weeks before that, Hubbard wrote a commentary in the Daily Racing Form, citing the Foster and its purse bonus as an example of how tracks put short-term gains ahead of the long-term good of the sport, luring popular horses to insignificant races in order to draw a single big crowd instead of forcing would-be champions to face each other.

``If racing is ever to establish itself as a major-league sport,'' Hubbard wrote, ``its stars must compete against each other in events other than just the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup.''

Incredibly, Baffert saw little wisdom in what Hubbard wrote. He fired back in comments to a Los Angeles writer last week, twisting the knife by saying Hubbard is ``surrounded by people who don't know racing, and I think he got bad advice. Hollywood Park ought to spend a few days at Churchill Downs to see how to really run a track.''

Baffert hinted he would not run Real Quiet, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, in the July 19 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park unless the purse was increased. But Hubbard, admitting his track has been guilty in the past, isn't playing that game anymore.

``What's wrong with a track putting up extra money to get the top horses?'' Baffert was quoted saying. ``It's like anything else, you have to pay extra to get the best. These horses turn these tracks into great places again. Look at what Cigar did for little Suffolk Downs, and then the same thing happened when they got Skip Away this year.''

Baffert was referring to the Massachusetts Handicap, whose first-place purse multiplies when the winner is a big-name horse.

What's wrong with that? It produces noncompetitive races that amount to glorified workouts for horses like Skip Away but not the showdowns that really matter. The only time purse bonuses make sense is when they lure two or three big-name horses to the same race.

More galling: When the horse finishes second in his glorified workout, and the trainer announces afterward, ``I didn't have Silver Charm cranked up,'' as Baffert said. The track and the fans should ask for their money back.

Silver Charm was withdrawn from the Gold Cup Wednesday after Baffert said the colt developed a fever. So Baffert didn't attend a the Gold Cup post-position draw Thursday. Hubbard zinged him anyway.

``I realize we don't know how to run a race track here at Hollywood Park, but we'll try to put on a good Gold Cup,'' Hubbard said. ``We're sorry Silver Charm isn't here, but I do believe we have the best two horses in the country.''

Skip Away vs. Gentlemen is the kind of matchup fans really want to see.

Eight in Gold Cup: Skip Away and Gentlemen will have to contend with six other horses, including Californian winner Mud Route, who wasn't certain to enter; Floriselli, a surprise entrant for trainer Bobby Frankel, and Budroyale, a former $32,000 claimer who could press Skip Away on the lead.

Skip Away, an even-money favorite, and Gentlemen, 7-5 as part of an entry with Puerto Madero, will start side by side in posts 2 and 3. Skip Away, trainer Sonny Hine and owner Carolyn Hine arrived Thursday from New York.

``To me, this is the race of the year,'' Sonny Hine said. ``These are two great horses. Skip Away is the country's best and Gentlemen is No. 2 - I've always felt that way.''

Jockey change? Gary Stevens, who had planned to ride in the East for most of the rest of the year, decided to stay here after Baffert offered him first call on his horses.

That includes Real Quiet, who has been ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

``I told Kent, `You'd better start wining and dining Gary,' '' Baffert said.

Despite Baffert's comments last week, it appears Real Quiet will race next in the Swaps.

Also this weekend: Marty and Pam Wygod own the favorites in the two other stakes on the Gold Cup card.

Exotic Wood will go for her 12th victory in 17 starts in the 7-furlong A Gleam Handicap. She and Chris McCarron will face seven fillies and mares.

Benchmark, winner of the 1-1/8-mile Goodwood Handicap last fall, returns from ankle-chip surgery for the 7-furlong Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Handicap. He and Eddie Delahoussaye are lukewarm favorites in an 11-horse field that includes recent Los Angeles Handicap winner Gold Land.

Saturday's Vanity Invitational Handicap, usually the track's championship race for fillies and mares, finds Escena shipping in from Churchill Downs to seek her fourth straight victory for the Jerry Bailey-Bill Mott-Allen Paulson team. The top local is Fleet Lady, runnerup in the Milady Handicap, won by I Ain't Bluffing, who's skipping this one.

Elsewhere: In Saturday's Mother Goose, one of the summer's biggest races for 3-year-old fillies, Frankel-trained Kentucky Oaks winner Keeper Hill and jockey David Flores lead a well-matched field of 11.

A WEEK AT THE RACES 

Hollywood Park standings: Jockeys (through Wednesday): Corey Nakatani, 36 winners; Chris McCarron, 32; Garrett Gomez, 27; David Flores, 26; J.C. Gonzalez and Laffit Pincay, 21. Trainers: Craig Dollase and Sandy Shulman, 14; Bob Baffert and Neil Drysdale, 13; four tied with 11.

Handicapper helper: The Hollywood Gold Cup has been more upset-prone than most major stakes. In the past 13 runnings, only four were won by post-time favorites - Cigar (1995), Best Pal ('93), Blushing John ('89) and Ferdinand ('87).

Upcoming stakes: At Hollywood Park: $100,000 Fran's Valentine, 3-year-olds and up bred in California, 1 1/16 miles on turf, tonight; $350,000 Vanity handicap, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1-1/8 miles; $84,000 Jim Murray Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/2 miles on turf, and $78,000 Arbor Vitae, 3-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs, Saturday; $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/4 miles; $300,000 Triple Bend Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 7 furlongs, and $250,000 A Gleam Handicap, fillies and mares 3 and up, 7 furlongs, Sunday. At Belmont Park: $200,000 Mother Goose Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1-1/8 miles, Saturday.

Mileposts: The Hollywood Park Pick-6 paid a season-high $411,236 Thursday. The only perfect ticket was purchased at a West Virginia greyhound track. . . . The California Horse Racing Board dates committee recommended a 10 percent reduction in racing days for 1999 to keep fields from shrinking further. Thoroughbred Owners of California president John Van de Kamp said 5 to 7 percent might be more realistic. . . . The trial of Alton Stone, the Calumet Farm groom accused of lying about his whereabouts the night the great stallion Alydar suffered a fatal injury, began in Houston. . . . Trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Laura Pinelli have gotten married. . . . Deeds Not Words broke down while galloping out after finishing fifth in a Churchill Downs allowance race and had to be destroyed. Deeds Not Words won once in eight races after finishing 13th and last in the 1997 Kentucky Derby, stretching Wayne Lukas' streak of Derby starts to 17 years. . . . Shane Sellers won an all-star jockey competition at Lone Star Park in Texas last Friday. . . . Wild Rush was moved from trainer Richard Mandella here to Joe Orseno in New York by owner Frank Stronach.

--- Kevin Modesti

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BOX: A WEEK AT THE RACES (see text)