HIGH HEELED HOPE ONE TO BEAT IN SATURDAY'S MAKER'S MARK
High Heeled Hope heads into Saturday's $100,000 Maker's Mark off two impressive victories at Keeneland, and could be scaring off the other 2-year-old fillies in the seven-furlong event.
"We have high hopes for her," trainer Randy Bradshaw said. "She got a 99 Beyer figure for her race at Keeneland. I don't know if any 2-year-old fillies in the country have done that yet."
Comparatively, Storm Song received a 97 Beyer figure for her victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Gr. I). High Heeled Hope earned her figure while posting a 1 1/4-length win in the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 16.
After a summer on the road, the daughter of Salt Lake will return to Hollywood Park where she broke her maiden in her second start.
"She seemed to run well at Hollywood," Bradshaw said, referring to the July 7 win. "She beat Sharp Cat by 17 lengths, although it was her first start, and she also beat Desert Digger, who won the Sorrento (Gr. II)."
The dark bay filly is owned by Paraneck Stable, which is the nom de course of Ernie Paragallo, who campaigned 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Gr. I) winner and 1996 Kentucky Derby (Gr. I) favorite Unbridled's Song. High Heeled Hope was the first Paraneck runner for Bradshaw, who has since added a second runner for Paragallo, a full sister to Ticket To Houston.
Following her Hollywood win, High Heeled Hope finished off the board in stakes at Del Mar and Saratoga, before taking two straight at Keeneland.
"You get to shipping these 2-year-olds around, and they come down with all kinds of little problems," Bradshaw said. "She shipped down for the Sorrento (at Del Mar) and to Saratoga for the Spinaway (Gr. I), and she didn't run that well. But we knew she was a better filly than that."
Probables for Saturday's $100,000-added Maker's Mark for 2-year-old fillies, to be run at seven furlongs on the main track: Exhilaration, Gary Stevens; Guthrie, no rider, and High Heeled Hope, Alex Solis.
ROBYNHOOD GOES FOR THE MONEY IN $100,000-ADDED
HOLLYWOOD PREVUE
High expectations abound for recent
maiden-winner Robynhood, a half-brother to multiple-Grade I
winner Mecke, and trainer Marty Jones will look for continued
improvement in Sunday's $100,000-added Hollywood Prevue (Gr.
III).
"I thought it was an impressive race," Jones versaid. "But it's always a tough jump from maidens to winners."
Robynhood broke his maiden by 3 1/2-lengths on Oct. 6 at Santa Anita. Sunday he is likely to face a compact, but competitive field, including Sunny Slopes Stakes winner Thisnearlywasmine.
"I wish there was some other speed to go out with Thisnearlywasmine," Jones said. "I'm trying to teach (Robynhood) to settle and go long. We don't want to have to chase him around there if we don't have to."
Corey Nakatani, who piloted Robynhood to his maiden win, has the call in the seven-furlong event.
"He's by a stone sprinter," Jones said. "But the way he acts, and he's a half to Mecke, I would think he would go longer."
The son of Robyn Dancer drilled five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 Tuesday morning in preparation for the Grade III race.
"We're just looking for some good progression from him, and hopes he keeps developing," Jones said. "If he jumps up and runs a good race, we'd have to give the Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) a shot."
Probables for Sunday's $100,000-added Hollywood Prevue (Gr. III), for 2-year-olds to be run at seven furlongs on the main track: Constant Demand, Eddie Delahoussaye; Robynhood, Corey Nakatani; Stolen Gold, no rider, and Thisnearlywasmine, Chris McCarron.
Possible: Vermillion, no rider.
VIA LOMBARDIA TO GO IN FRIDAY NIGHT FEATURE, $60,000-ADDED STEINLEN
Via Lombardia heads a competitive Friday night feature, the $60,000-added Steinlen for 3-year-olds and up. The Neil Drysdale trainee is coming off a troubled trip in an Oct. 25 Santa Anita allowance.
"He looked like there was plenty of room to come through the rail," Drysdale said. "And then there wasn't."
The 4-year-old settled for a fifth-place finish behind Pinfloron that day.
"Eddie Delahoussaye felt he might have won given the better trip," Drysdale said. "But that's pretty subjective."
Two of Via Lombardia's biggest wins came at Hollywood Park. In 1995, the son of Shardari captured the Cinema and Will Rogers, a pair of Grade III handicaps for 3-year-olds on the lawn.
"It looks like he's coming back into form," Drysdale said. "We didn't know what was wrong with him, so we gave him a long rest. But it looks like he's back to his old self."
Post positions from the rail out for Friday's $60,000-added Steinlen, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the turf: Felon, Corey Nakatani, 122; Adams Trail, Brice Blanc, 114; Beau Jingles, Chris McCarron, 122; Saltgrass, Rene Douglas, 114; The Barking Shark, Alex Solis, 111; Northern Spy, Gary Stevens, 114, and Via Lombardia, Julio Garcia, 120.
MUG GIVEAWAY FRIDAY NIGHT
Hollywood Park will celebrate the return of $1 Friday Nights with a collector's mug giveaway. The 14-ounce mug commemorates two of racing's greatest athletes -- the incomparable Bill Shoemaker and 1978 Hollywood Park Gold Cup winner, Exceller. The artwork on the glass is a reproduction of an original painting by renowned equine artist Fred Stone.
Dollar Friday nights feature $1 admission for patrons 30 and under and $1 hot dogs, $1 beers and $1 sodas for everyone in attendance. Friday night's first live race is 7 p. m.
HOLLYWOOD TO DEBUT FRIDAY NIGHT COLLEGE AREA
Hollywood Park will unveil Longshots, a new college area for racing fans 30 and under on Friday night. The special area, complete with two bars, a dance floor and big screen televisions, will hold live bands and deejays on Friday nights.
Longshots is located on the fourth floor of the grandstand in the Super Mezzanine Area. Admission is free for ages 30 and under, and $4 for those 31 and up.
FINISH LINES: Trainer Ben Cecil reported Carleton F. Burke (Gr. II) winner Dernier Empereur has been invited to the $3.2-million Japan Cup on Nov. 24. "I'm trying to persuade Gary (Tanaka) to run in the Hollywood Turf Cup (Gr. I)," Cecil said. "He's thinking about it. But the more he looks, I think he'll see how tough the Japan Cup will be. (Dernier Empereur) would be even money here, but there he'd be 20-1. He'd have to face Helissio, Pentire, the Irish Derby winner Zagreb, Melbourne Cup winner Saintly, Awad and a few others." . . . Cecil reported Yellow Ribbon Stakes (Gr. I) winner Donna Viola came out of the race fine and will be pointed for the Matriarch (Gr. I) on Dec. 1. "I would think she would win the Eclipse Award if she can win the Matriarch," he said. . . Alyrob worked four furlongs in :47 3/5 Wednesday morning for trainer Wally Dollase. The 3-year-old finished second in an Oct. 18 allowance race in his first start since running eighth in the Kentucky Derby (Gr. I) . . . Ski Dancer breezed four furlongs in :47 1/5 . . . San Clemente Handicap (Gr. II) heroine True Flare drilled four furlongs in :48 3/5 . . . William P. Kyne Handicap (Gr. III) winner Chequer went five panels in 1:02 4/5 Wednesday . . . Designated races for the autumn meeting include the Hollywood Derby (Gr. I) and The Matriarch (Gr. I) on Dec. 1, the Hollywood Turf Cup (Gr. I) and Hollywood Futurity (Gr. I) on Dec. 15, and the Hollywood Starlet (Gr. I) on Dec. 14.
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