TIMARIDA STROLLS OVER HOLLYWOOD TURF
The much-heralded Timarida stepped on the Hollywood turf for the first time Thursday morning in preparation for the $700,000 Matriarch (Gr. I) on Dec. 1. She galloped around the oval behind a runner from the Bill Shoemaker barn.
"We just wanted to stretch her legs," said assistant trainer Jimmy O'Neill, who was aboard for the work. "It was an easy work."
Timarida, who captured the Beverly D (Gr. I) in August, owns graded stakes victories in five countries -- U.S., Canada, Ireland, Germany and France. The daughter of Kalaglow was scratched from the Yellow Ribbon (Gr. I) the day before the race.
"She seems to be in very good form right now," said O'Neill, deputizing for trainer John Oxx since he returned to Ireland. "The next few days will tell us more. She handled the ground perfectly. The ground will be perfect for her if she gets there."
HOT HOFMANS TO SADDLE NORTHERN AFLEET IN LAZ BARRERA
Trainer David Hofmans, who saddled Alphabet Soup to victory over Cigar in the $4-million Breeders' Cup Classic, seems like he can do no wrong lately. The 53-year-old trainer will try to saddle his first stakes winner of the autumn meet as he sends out Northern Afleet in Sunday's $100,000-added Lazaro S. Barrera Stakes (Gr. III).
"He ran well down the hill the other day," Hofmans said of his third-place allowance finish down the Santa Anita hillside turf course on Nov. 1. "Now he's fit and ready to roll."
Hofmans finished second in the trainer's standings behind Mike Mitchell in the recently-concluded Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting with ten wins. The 53-year-old trainer has saddled 12 winners from 36 Southern California starters since the beginning of Oak Tree.
Northern Afleet's allowance race was his first start for the Hofmans barn. Previously trained by Vladimir Cerin, the 3-year-old was sent to Hofmans during the first week of Del Mar.
"He's doing very well," Hofmans said. "But his best races are ahead of him.
The son of Afleet will have to tackle Victory Speech and Alyrob in the Barrera.
"We'll test his quality here," Hofmans said. "This race might be a tad long for him right now, but it's his last chance to run against 3-year-olds."
In other developments:
Probables for the $100,000-added Lazaro S. Barrera Stakes (Gr. III) for 3-year-olds, to be run Sunday at 1 1/16 miles on the main track: Alyrob, Corey Nakatani, 117; Don't Blame Rio, Alex Solis, 117; Future Quest, Kent Desormeaux, 117; Victory Speech, Gary Stevens, 123; Northern Afleet, Chris McCarron, 114, and Zanferrier, Goncalino Almeida, 114.
WINDSHARP READIES FOR MATRIARCH
Windsharp, who has beaten males twice in seven starts this year, prepared for her first 1996 start against fillies and mares Thursday with a five-furlong work in :59 2/5 over the main track.
"It was a very nice work," trainer Wally Dollase said. "She went slow and finished terrific."
The daughter of Lear Fan was most recently fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Woodbine.
"She's doing dynamite right now," Dollase said. "Ever since we repaired her breathing problem, she's been better than ever. We all know what she can do against colts, now we'll get to see how she does against fillies."
The 5-year-old, who ran a competitive fourth in the 1995 Matriarch, finished fifth of 14 as one of only two females in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Luna Wells, a 3-year-old filly, ran tenth.
"She ran great in the Breeders' Cup beating so many good males," Dollase said. "You figure Shiekh Mohammed has a few hundred horses in training, and she ran within of a couple lengths of his best three."
In other developments:
Trainer Ben Cecil said Gary Tanaka's Tamise, a graded stakes winner in France and 12th in last year's Yellow Ribbon, is in training with Jean-Claude Rouget in France and is a possibility for The Matriarch.
"She's definitely coming out," Cecil said of the 4-year-old filly, who will remain with Cecil upon her arrival. "And I hear she's doing very well. But she hasn't raced this year, and I don't know whether she could get ready for a race like The Matriarch. That's definitely a tall order."
Gamely Handicap (Gr. I) winner Auriette went six furlongs in 1:16 2/5 over the turf course.
LUKAS GEARS UP FOR WINTER CAMPAIGN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has made his annual migration back to Southern California for the late fall and winter season.
"We still have a couple big races back east," Lukas said. "But we've settled back here for the most part."
Lukas annually moves his stable back to Santa Anita to prepare for the winter and Kentucky Derby prep season. He is currently planning the campaign of next season's 4-year-olds.
"Editor's Note, Dr. Caton and Victory Speech all will be pointed to the Strub series at Santa Anita," Lukas said. "And Honour And Glory could even show up in the first leg or two."
Editor's Note, the Belmont Stakes (Gr. I) winner, most recently finished 12th in the Breeders' Cup Classic (Gr. I).
"Editor's Note will go in the Malibu because he'll be coming off a rest," Lukas said. The former basketball coach indicated Dr. Caton, who is in training at Santa Anita, and Victory Speech would most likely jump in on the second leg of the series -- the $300,000 San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes (Gr. II) on Jan. 11.
Although Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Gr. I) winner Boston Harbor will sit out the rest of the year, Lukas still has plenty of talented 2-year-olds in his barn.
"We'll be represented at the Futurity and Starlet," Lukas said of the 2-year-old . "I don't know who we will send in the Futurity at this point. Sharp Cat will lead our fillies in the Starlet. We might run one or two in there."
RADU COOL VS. GRAFIN IN SATURDAY'S FLAWLESSLY
Radu Cool and Grafin, a pair of distaffers who relish the Hollywood turf, will do battle in Saturday's $60,000-added Flawlessly.
Radu Cool, trained by John Shirreffs, is perfect in two tries over the Hollywood turf. The lightly raced 4-year-old filly has been off since a sixth-place finish in the Ramona (Gr. I) at Del Mar.
Grafin, from the Jeremy Noseda barn, sprinted off to consecutive wire-to-wire victories over the local green this summer, before finishing fifth behind Different in the Beverly Hills Handicap (Gr. I). She enters following a fourth-place finish in the Osunitas Handicap on Aug. 24 at Del Mar.
Probables for Saturday's $60,000-added Flawlessly for fillies and mares, to be run at 1 1/16 miles over the turf course: My Oooo Aah, Chris McCarron, 114; Convertida, David Flores, 114; Grafin, Corey Black, 116; Radu Cool, Rene Douglas, 116; Above The Table, Brice Blanc, 118, and Don't Read My Lips, Alex Solis, 122.
TOC TO HOST OWNERSHIP COURSE
Thoroughbred Owners of California will host an informational session for anyone interested in learning more about racehorse ownership. The "Horse Course" will take place Saturday, Nov. 30 at Hollywood Park. The free workshop will begin in the owner/trainer lounge at 8:30 a.m. Participants will watch workouts, visit the barn area and meet owners and trainers.
Topics include acquiring a thoroughbred, finding a trainer and costs of ownership. For further information, contact the TOC at (310) 330-7142.
FINISH LINES: Trainer David Hofmans said Wealthy, third in the Oak Leaf Stakes (Gr. I), will make her next start in the Miesque Stakes (Gr. III) on Nov. 29 . . . Jockey agent Terry Lipham will be in Florida for the next month. Former agent Bill Barisoff will handle Eddie Delahoussaye's book in his absence. Barisoff worked in the past for Bill Shoemaker and David Flores, but gave up the agent business to join the PGA Senior Tour . . . Trainer Paco Gonzalez said Del Mar Dennis and A. P. Assay are in light training. Both can be expected back during the winter/spring meeting at Santa Anita . . . River Flyer, who took the 1994 Hollywood Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:13 over the Hollywood lawn . . . Hard To Copy drilled five panels in 1:00 2/5 over the turf in preparation for the Hollywood Turf Express on Nov. 29 . . . Boundless Moment, ninth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (Gr. I), went five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 over the turf.
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