G1 winners Arklow, Aquaphobia have eyes on Hollywood Turf Cup

Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens reports that he’s gotten some serious interest from several eastern trainers with likely runners for Del Mar’s Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27. The $200,000 race will be contested at a mile and one-half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Brad Cox has indicated his multiple-stakes winner Arklow, most recently seen running 6th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland, might be on board for the marathon. Trainer Mike Maker is considering two of his route runners in Big Agenda and Aquaphobia. The latter was a Grade 1 winner on the grass this year.

Also possible for the seventh local edition of the stakes is the German stakes winner Laccario for trainer Andreas Wohler, as well as trainer Graham Motion’s Ziyad, a European import who ran third in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on October 15 in his initial U.S. start.

Breeders' Cup Turf competitor Red King for trainer Phil D'Amato is also possible for the Hollywood Turf Cup. 

The Hollywood Turf Cup will be part of a seven-stakes-all-on-the-grass bonanza that starts on Thanksgiving Day (November 26) and runs through the track’s closing afternoon on Sunday, November 29.