Timing's good for Music's Storm

ARCADIA, Calif. - Music's Storm can make up for his seventh-place finish in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar in July here on Wednesday in a $50,000 optional claimer.

Music's Storm was an impressive winner of an allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 3, and was well-regarded in the second division of the Oceanside Stakes on July 24. But after fighting for the lead for the first six furlongs under Gary Stevens, Music's Storm faded through the stretch to finish seventh.

"He was rank and he never had time to relax," trainer Eduardo Inda said. "I threw it out."

Inda did not start Music's Storm for the rest of the Del Mar meeting because of body soreness, choosing to wait for this meeting. The trainer sees Wednesday's allowance race at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course as a prep to the $70,000 Bien Bien Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 6.

"The timing is good," Inda said. "I think he can improve. When he works, he acts like a nice horse."

The 3-year-old Music's Storm faces eight opponents.

Other contenders include Splendid Times, the runner-up in the Pomona Derby, and With Iris, who was a troubled seventh in the Play the King Stakes at Woodbine on Aug. 17.

Splendid Times won two races on turf during the summer. He is making his first start on the hillside course. With Iris was second in an allowance race on this turf course last April and won an allowance race at Hollywood Park in May.

Two horses with European form are likely to play a significant factor in Wednesday's race - Kifissos and Endless Summer.

Kifissos makes his first start for trainer Ron McAnally, following a 13-month layoff. As a 2-year-old in France last year, Kifissos had two wins in four starts and was second in the Group 3 Prix la Rochette over about seven furlongs.

The first two finishers of the 2001 Prix la Rochette - Guys and Dolls and Bernebeau - returned to win stakes this year.

A 3-year-old, Kifissos worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on Oct. 8 at Hollywood Park, the fastest of 22 works at the distance.

Endless Summer was second in two Group 1 stakes in Europe in 2000. He made two starts for trainer Bobby Frankel in the summer, finishing third in optional claimers over 5 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park. He also worked a bullet at Hollywood Park last week, zipping five furlongs in 1:01 on Oct. 7.

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