Krigger hits first 3-bagger

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Kevin Krigger, an 18-year-old apprentice jockey, reached a couple of milestones on Thursday at Hollywood Park.

He scored his first three-win day at a Southern California track when he won aboard Potrithreat ($8.40) in the fourth race, Luna Joe ($20.40) in the fifth race, and Caveolin ($23.60) in the seventh. Caveolin also gave Krigger his first victory in a turf race at 1 1/2 miles.

"I just felt blessed yesterday," he said on Friday, after climbing off a horse during morning training. "The horses ran good. The races were put together for me to win."

Through Thursday, Krigger was the top-ranked apprentice jockey at Hollywood Park, with 15 winners, which left him in eighth place in the standings, 30 behind top rider Patrick Valenzuela. He is booked to ride five of the nine races on Sunday.

Krigger, a lanky 5-5 and 108 pounds, is from St. Croix, Virgin Islands. He had been riding in northern California before moving to Santa Anita in April.

Despite being young and far from home, he claims to not be homesick.

"I don't have time to think about it," he said. "I know I'm going to stay."

Krigger has a five-pound apprentice allowance through October, and is seeking the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding apprentice jockey of 2002.

"That's my goal," he said.

Recent history is working in his favor. Tyler Baze, currently a journeyman at Hollywood Park, won the Eclipse Award for apprentice jockeys in 2000.

Krigger's win aboard Caveolin was his first victory for trainer John Glenney.

Caveolin was still eligible for a maiden race going into Thursday's marathon, but had no trouble dispatching eight winners with a front-running two-length victory. Caveolin set a quick pace and finished in 2:26.95.

"I knew what I was doing," Krigger said of the pace. "He stuck his nose in front and pricked his ears and I thought, 'I can't be going too fast.'"

Thursday's race was Caveolin's first over 1 1/2 miles, and Glenney used Krigger to take advantage of his apprentice allowance.

"Going 1 1/2 miles, five pounds can make a difference," Glenney said. "Our plan all along was to get him out in front."

A 4-year-old, Caveolin is a half-brother to Kim Loves Bucky, winner of the Grade 3 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland in April.

Kim Loves Bucky was an intended starter in the Charles Whittingham Handicap on Saturday, but was never entered. Glenney said he failed to realize that entries were drawn this week on Wednesday for Saturday's races.

"I spaced out," he said. "It may have been that it wasn't his race anyway."

The tentative plan is for Kim Loves Bucky to start in the $250,000 Sunset Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on turf on July 21, the closing day of the meeting.

Fairplex dates meeting June 26

The California Horse Racing Board has scheduled a special meeting for June 26 to vote on the request by Fairplex Park to move its September race meeting to Santa Anita.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. The Fairplex Park dates issue is the only topic of the meeting.

At a regularly scheduled meeting at Bay Meadows on June 6, the CHRB tabled the measure after a motion to deny the change of venue failed on a 3-3 vote with one commissioner abstaining.

Fairplex Park is seeking to conduct its meeting, which runs from Sept. 13-29, at Santa Anita for the first time. The proposal has been opposed by several racing organizations, including officials from the Del Mar meeting and Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, which are run, respectively, before and after the Fairplex Park meeting.

Doc Holiday heading to Arlington

Doc Holiday, the winner of the Will Rogers Stakes on June 1, is being pointed to the $175,000 Arlington Classic over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Arlington Park on June 29, trainer Wally Dollase said.

Dollase wants to keep Doc Holiday at distances less than 1 1/8 miles, which rules out the $200,000 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap over that distance here on June 30.

For the Cinema, Dollase plans to start Stonemason, a recent purchase from Europe, and Mananan McLir, who was second in the Round Table Handicap at Bay Meadows last Sunday.

Another visit to Japan

Jockey Kent Desormeaux will miss three days of racing at Hollywood Park next weekend to ride in a major race in Japan. Desormeaux will be gone from Thursday through Saturday, but is expected back for Sunday's program.

Last year, Desormeaux rode in Japan for 10 weeks during the spring and early summer. This year, he has been to the Far East for one race, finishing third in the Japan Derby last month.

Another frequent traveller, jockey David Flores, on Thursday said he will not go to England next week to ride the Royal Ascot meeting. Flores rides frequently for the Maktoum family's Godolphin Racing, which had indicated earlier this year it would use him during Royal Ascot.

Flores said that he will instead travel to Ascot in August to ride in the Shergar Cup. "I'm definitely going then," he said.

o Reine de Romance, the winner of an allowance race on turf on June 6, is being pointed to the $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes over a mile on turf on July 6. A 4-year-old, Reine de Romance won the San Clemente Handicap last summer at Del Mar.