Grandeur Faces Older in Hollywood Turf Cup
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Runner-up as the favorite in the Grade I Hollywood Derby
Nov. 25,
Grandeur will try to become the first 3-year-old since Bien Bien in
1992 to win the Hollywood Turf Cup.
Trained by Jeremy Noseda for owner Yvonne Jacques, Grandeur
finished 1 ½ lengths behind Unbridled Command in the Derby after winning the
Grade II Twilight Derby in his United States debut Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
The Irish bred son of Verglas and the Desert Sun mare
Misskinta has won five of 11 and earned $248,438. The gray gelding will be
trying 12 furlongs for the first time Saturday.
Second behind Sanagas in the 2011 renewal, Bourbon Bay will
try to provide Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale with his first Turf Cup
victory.
A gelded son of Sligo Bay and the Conquistador Cielo mare
Coral Necklace, the 6-year-old has won nine of 27 and banked $968,536 for owner
David Heerensperger. He’s yet to win over the Betfair Hollywood
Park grass course, but
has been second or third in five of his six losses.
Drysdale and Heerensperger will also be represented by Fire
With Fire, a 4-year-old gelded son of Distorted Humor and the Capote mare
Cosmic Fire. The gray has won twice in 16 starts while earning $177,444.
Runner-up to Acclamation in the Grade I Charles Whittingham
Memorial Handicap June 9 in his lone start over the local grass, Slim Shadey
will try to rebound from a dull performance in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Eighth in the Grade I at Santa Anita, the 4-year-old Val
Royal gelding out of the Chief’s Crown mare Vino Veritas has won four of 23.
Owned by Phil Cunningham and trained by Simon Callaghan, Slim Shadey has a
bankroll of $508,600.
Optimizer will be making his third start since Nov. 3 for
Lukas and breeder Bluegrass Hall LLC.
The 3-year-old English Channel colt out of the A.P. Indy
mare Indy Pick finished fifth in the Grade III River City Handicap Nov. 25 at
Churchill Downs 22 days after finishing 11th of 12 in the Breeders’
Cup Turf.
A winner of three – all on turf – of 18, Optimizer has
earned $431,942. His only graded victory came in the Grade III Kent Sept. 22 at
Delaware Park.
Kindergarden Kid, who split the field in the Breeders’ Cup
Turf, will be making his second start for trainer Peter Miller. Owned by
Colleen and Kevin Bamford and David Bernsen, the 5-year-old Dynaformer gelding
out of the Dixieland Band mare Amelia – making him a half-brother to CashCall
Futurity contender He’s Had Enough – has won five of 22 and banked $338,959.
He won the Grade III Sycamore Oct. 18 at Keeneland at the
Turf Cup distance. Kindergarden Kid has been worse than third once in four
attempts at the trip.
Second to Calidoscopio in the Grade II Breeders’ Cup
Marathon on the Santa Anita main track Nov. 2, Grassy returns to his preferred
surface for owners Button Stable, George Hicker and former trainer Gary Jones.
Trained by Jones’ son Marty, Grassy has won five of 20 and
banked $573,624. The 6-year-old gray son of El Prado and the Rousillon mare
High Savannah has lost five in a row since taking the Grade II Bowling Green
Handicap Sept. 10, 2011 at Belmont
Park when in the barn of
Christophe Clement.
Interaction, who won a Group I at 12 furlongs in his native
Argentina three years ago, will get more yardage for Hall of Fame trainer Ron
McAnally after finishing last in the Grade II Citation Handicap Nov. 23.
Owned by Pozo de Luna, Interaction, a 6-year-old Easing
Along horse out of the Ride the Rails mare Inter Rails, is 6-for-19 with
earnings of $535,463.
He’s lost nine of 10 since taking the Gran Premio Carlos
Pellegrini by three lengths Sept. 12, 2009 at San Isidro. McAnally won the 1983 Turf Cup
with the legendary John Henry.
Idle since an optional claiming victory Aug. 19 at Del Mar, Tiz Gianni will
make his first appearance in a graded race for Desert Sun Stables and trainer
John Shirreffs. The 4-year-old Giacomo colt out of the Jade Hunter mare
Tizprecious has won three of 12 and earned $118,750.
Private Affair will try to become only the second female
winner – Miss Alleged defeated a field that included Itsallgreektome and Quest
For Fame in 1991 – for Green Grass Stable and trainer Angel Rodriguez.
A 5-year-old Peruvian bred daughter of Privately Held and
the Apprentice mare Adorada, Private Affair has four wins in 11 races and
earnings of $206,753. She won a $54,880 allowance against her own sex Nov. 22
in her first start at Betfair
Hollywood Park.
From inside out, the field for the 30th Hollywood
Turf Cup: Interaction, Joe Talamo rides, 118 pounds; Optimizer, Corey Nakatani,
118; Slim Shadey, Victor Espinoza, 124; Grandeur, Garrett Gomez, 120; Fire With
Fire, Martin Garcia, 120; Grassy, Rafael Bejarano, 124; Bourbon Bay, Mike
Smith, 124; Tiz Gianni, David Flores, 120; Private Affair, Brice Blanc, 117 and
Kindergarden Kid, Javier Castellano, 122.
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