Several have stakes potential

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - On Wednesday's eight-race card at Hollywood Park, which includes five maiden races, the top race offers a glimpse at a few 3-year-old fillies who could develop into stakes-caliber runners. There are six starters in a $51,000 optional claimer over a mile on turf. A case can be made for each.

Varnished, trained by Bobby Frankel, is the likely favorite. She faces a maiden winner from England, a filly who was second in an optional claimer last month, and three fillies emerging from claiming races.

Varnished is a stalker who should get a good trip pursuing expected front-runners Oneexcessivenite and West Coast Gee Gee.

Oneexcessivenite won a one-mile turf race for $62,500 claimers on July 2, leading by 4 1/2 lengths in the stretch and holding on by a desperate nose. Trained by Bob Baffert, Oneexcessivenite runs Wednesday for a claiming price of $80,000. She was beaten at that level over 1 1/16 miles on turf on June 15.

West Coast Gee Gee has been racing in turf sprints. She won a $45,000 claiming race over 5 1/2 furlongs on April 25, finished fifth in an allowance race for California-breds over a mile on May 16, and was claimed for $62,500 following a runner-up finish as the favorite in a sprint on May 25.

Wednesday's race will be her first start since being claimed and first for trainer Rafael Becerra.

Shezsospiritual may have first run on the leaders, but she must prove she can compete at this level. She won a maiden claimer at Santa Anita over 1 1/16 miles last January and a $25,000 claimer on the main track here in May but has yet to win on turf. In her last start, she finished a fast-closing third behind Oneexcessivenite on July 2.

Desert View, trained by Kristin Mulhall, is the import in the field.

Last fall in England, Desert View finished second in a maiden race at Lingfield on the all-weather surface and returned less than three weeks later to win a maiden race at Windsor. Desert View is by Sadler's Wells out of Ocean View, the runner-up in the 1995 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita.

Desert View is a closer who will be joined at the back in the early running by No Kings.

Trained by Ron McAnally, No Kings was second in an optional claimer on June 15, rallying from sixth. Julie Krone will ride No Kings, the filly's sixth different rider in as many races.