ALPRIDE POSSIBLE FOR $700,000 MATRIARCH
Jenny Craig's Alpride jogged Friday morning at Santa Anita -- the filly's first visit
to the track since her triumph in Sunday's Yellow Ribbon Stakes -- and trainer Ron
McAnally said the Irish-bred remains a possible starter in the $700,000 Matriarch (Gr. I)
on Nov. 26 at Hollywood Park.
"We'd like to run her (in the Matriarch), but it'll be up to her to tell us whether she's up to it," McAnally said. "It's wait and see."
A full field of 14 is expected for the 1 1/4-mile Matriarch, which is the centerpiece of the $2-million Turf Festival here. Graded stakes winners will be given preference at entry time.
Alpride, winner of 11 of 17 starts and $861,714, made her North American debut at Hollywood Park with a victory in last summer's Grade I Beverly Hills Handicap. She earned $360,000 for her front-running victory in the Yellow Ribbon.
Probables for The Matriarch: Angel In My Heart, no rider; Bail Out Becky, no rider; Balanka, no rider; Duda, no rider; Matiara, no rider; Morgana, Gary Stevens; Sleep Easy, no rider; Wandesta, Corey Nakatani; Windsharp (s), G. F. Almeida; Bold Ruritana (s), Todd Kabel, and Alywow (s), no rider.
Possible: Alpride, Chris McCarron; Aube Indienne, no rider; Fanjica, no rider; Flagbird, no rider; Jo Knows, no rider, and Twin Bet, no rider.
ROMARIN TO GET NEW RIDER IN CITATION HANDICAP
Romarin, the 5-year-old Brazilian-bred who has as much early lick as any turf
router in the country, will have a new rider in the $300,000 Citation Handicap (Gr. II) on
Nov. 25, as Kent Desormeaux will take over from Corey Nakatani.
Nakatani, who has ridden Romarin in all five of his North American victories including Grade II triumphs in the San Gabriel Handicap and Early Times Classic, will be in Japan next week. He's scheduled to ride Sandpit for Richard Mandella in the $4.4-million Japan Cup on Nov. 26.
Shirley Robins' Silver Wizard, meanwhile, has been confirmed for the Citation Handicap. The Neil Drysdale-trained 5-year-old adores the Hollywood Park turf course, winning four of five starts over the surface, and just four of 18 elsewhere.
Probables for the 19th running of the Citation Handicap: Celtic Arms, no rider;
Earl Of Barking, G. F. Almeida; Fastness, Gary Stevens; Johann Quatz, no rider;
Romarin, Kent Desormeaux; Royal Chariot, Alex Solis; Silver Wizard, Chris
McCarron, Tinners Way, Eddie Delahoussaye.
Possible: Labeeb, no rider, and Los Soldier (s), no rider.
SCORE QUICK TO TRY HOLLYWOOD DERBY
Multiple stakes winners Mr Purple and Score Quick will both be entered in the
$400,000 Hollywood Derby (Gr. I) their connections confirmed Friday.
Mr Purple, third in the Volante Handicap Nov. 5 at Oak Tree, has had one start on the Hollywood turf, finishing second to Via Lombardia in the Grade III Will Rogers Handicap last summer. With regular rider Corey Nakatani opting to ride Da Hoss, trainer Ron McAnally must find a new rider for Mr Purple.
Score Quick, a double stakes winner at Oak Tree, is also nominated to Thursday's $100,000-added Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap (Gr. III), but trainer Mel Stute said he and owner Bill M. Thomas have decided to shoot for the larger Derby pot.
Via Lombardia, undefeated in two starts on the Hollywood turf, worked seven furlongs in 1:29 4/5 over the surface Friday for trainer Neil Drysdale.
Probables for the 55th Hollywood Derby, to be decided at 1 1/8 miles: Da Hoss, Corey Nakatani; Green Means Go, no rider; Hawk Attack, Kent Desormeaux; Helmsman, no rider; Lake George, Corey Black; Mr Purple, no rider; Oncefortheroad, Danny Sorenson; Perfect, no rider; Petit Poucet, no rider; Score Quick, G. F. Almeida; Tabor, no rider; Via Lombardia, no rider; Our Gatsby (s), no rider; Shemaran (s), no rider, and Virginia Carnival (s), Alex Solis.
MIESQUE TO BE DOMINATED BY SUPPLEMENTS
Nine of the 11 confirmed starters for the $200,000 Miesque Stakes on
Nov. 24 are fillies who have been supplemeted to the one-mile turf event at a cost of
$10,000 each.
Only Gastronomical, third in the Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes, and Canta's Crusade, victress of the $78,000 Anoakia Stakes on Oct. 18 at Oak Tree, are confirmed from the original list of nominations.
Probables for the Miesque: Canta's Crusade, Eddie Delahoussaye; Gastronomical, Kent Desormeaux; Antespend (s), no rider; Colcon (s), no rider; Jade Hawk (s), no rider; Like A Hawk (s), no rider; Majestic Dream (s), no rider; Miss Mercedes (s), no rider; Platinum Blonde (s), no rider; Slide By (s), no rider, and Wheatly Special (s), Alex Solis.
STRANGELOVE AMONG SUPPLEMENTS TO GENEROUS
Wesley Ward's Strangelove, who finished second to eventual Breeders' Cup
Juvenile winner Unbridled's Song in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park, will
make his next start in the $250,000 Generous Stakes (Gr. III) on Nov. 25.
Others expected for the one mile turf race include Ayrton S, who rolled to a powerful allowance score in his first start for Ron Ellis at Oak Tree on Oct. 22, and the Randy Bradshaw-trained entry of Cruzin West and Heza Gone West.
Probables for the Generous: Red Shadow (s), no rider; Old Chapel (s), no rider; Blushing Richard (s), no rider; Strangelove (s), no rider; Ayrton S, no rider; Cruzin West (a), no rider; Heza Gone West (a), no rider, and Never To Squander, no rider. (a, Randy Bradshaw-trained entry).
SHARP POINT TO RUN IN HOLLYWOOD EXPRESS
Sharp Point, a 3-year-old filly who has raced competitively with the best sprinters
in England, will take on the boys in the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Express (Gr. III) on
Nov. 24.
Sharp Point, an Irish-bred daughter of Royal Academy, scored her most improtant victory in the listed Tiperrary Sprint Stakes on July 23. Most recently, she finished fourth in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Group 3 Arthur Guinness Flying Five at Leopardstown.
Another Irish-bred, Robert and Beverly Lewis' Cyrano Storme, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, handily, on a fast main track Friday in a prep for the Turf Express.
Probables for the Hollywood Turf Express, to be decided at 5 1/2 furlongs: Bold N' Flashy, no rider; Cyrano Storme, no rider; Distinctive Hat, no rider; Pembroke, Kent Desormeaux; Powis Castle, no rider; Uncaged Fury, no rider; Cominalittlehot (s), no rider; Lakota Brave (s), Alex Solis; O'Martin (s), no rider; Sharp Point (s), no rider, and Silver Kite (s), no rider.
NORCLIFFE DANCER REWARDS OWNER'S PATIENCE
It took her nearly three years to do it, but Norcliffe Dancer has earned back the
$50,000 Ron Charles spent to claim her back on Christmas Eve, 1992.
Actually, Norcliffe Dancer has earned it back over three-fold. She's won four of eight starts this year and over $174,000 in purses. In her latest start, Wednesday's $60,000 Flawlessly Stakes, Norcliffe Dancer finished second to the graded stakes winner Twice The Vice, rallying from far back to edge Reau Perrault for the place.
It's safe to say the 6-year-old New York bred now is probably worth substantially more than the $50,000 Charles paid for her. It's a remarkable development. Norcliffe Dancer raced only twice in 1993 -- earning nothing -- and was sidelined all of 1994.
"After we claimed her, we basically had to put her away for a year-and-a-half," said trainer Sandy Shulman. "There was no question about it, either. She had a major problem.
"In this business, sometimes you've got to have patience. Or else a bad investment can become a horrendous one."
In this instance, the patience paid off. Norcliffe Dancer began the year as a non-winner of two lifetime, but has since used up all of her conditions. Shulman thus has had to be creative in finding spots for the mare to run. In October, he shipped her to Belmont Park for the $150,000 Ticonderoga Handicap, where she had the misfortune to catch a razor-sharp Irish Linnet. Still, the second-place check was worth $30,000. Ironically, Irish Linnet is trained by Leo O'Brien -- the same Leo O'Brien whom Shulman claimed Norcliffe Dancer from nearly three years ago.
And Wednesday, Norcliffe Dancer ran a winning race. Problem was Twice The Vice -- sold to Martin and Pam Wygod for a reported $1 million last year -- literally ran like a million bucks, and Norcliffe Dancer had to settle for second.
"All we can do is wait and look for another restricted overnight race," Shulman said. "There's always the chance of catching a real buzzsaw in one of those races, but at this stage of the game I'm not going to complain. Norcliffe Dancer has had a heckuva year."
HOLLYWOOD REPLAYS VIA SATELLITE
Hollywood Park replays can be seen around the country by home satellite dish
users. The shows are transmitted unscrambled via satellite on most race days. The race
replays are transmitted each evening. Friday evening replays can be seen after the
Saturday replays.
Following is the Autumn Meeting satellite and transponder schedule:
Day...........Time...............................Galaxy..........Transponder
Wed....9:00-9:30 p.m. (PST)..................6.....................24
Thur....9:00-9:30 p.m. (PST)..................6.....................16
Fri.....12:30-1:00 a.m. (PDT)*................6.....................22
Sat......9:00-10 p.m. (PDT).....................6.....................16
Sun......9:00-9:30 p.m. (PDT).................6.....................16
* On Friday, Nov. 24, when first post is 12:30 p.m., the replays will be transmitted from 9:00-9:30 p.m. on Galaxy 6, Transponder 16. All other Fridays will have a first post time of 7:00 p.m. and those replays can be seen at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, or following Saturday's replays that evening.
HAWTHORNE, TURF PARADISE SIMULCASTS THIS WEEKEND
Saturday's card will feature two simulcasts:
The $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup (Gr. II) from Hawthorne in Chicago, post time 1:36 p.m. (between races three and four at Hollywood).
The $50,000 Queen of the Green Breeders' Cup Handicap from Turf Paradise in Phoenix, post time 3:25 p.m. (between races six and seven at Hollywood).
Sunday's card features one simulcast:
The $100,000 Hawthorne Juvenile Stakes, post time 1:53 p.m. (between races three and four at Hollywood).
The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com/alauck)