By Hank Wesch
IN SHERMAN’S EYE, CALIFORNIA CHROME LOOKS AT HOME ON THE TURF
Trainer Art Sherman eschewed his usual mezzanine-tier viewing spot in the grandstand for a ground-level one on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course as California Chrome went through a gallop on the grass Thursday morning just prior to 7 a.m.
The purpose of the drill for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, with exercise rider Willie Delgado up, was to reaffirm Sherman’s thoughts that his star was ready for his first grass race, Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I, 1 1/8 mile Hollywood Derby.
Reaffirmation accomplished.
“They had a hard time pulling him up (on the backstretch), he was on the bit pretty good,” Sherman said as he turned to cross the track back to the grandstand. “Now I feel a lot better. I liked it. It was just what I wanted.”
California Chrome drew the No. 5 post position in a field of six. The Hollywood Derby goes as the eighth on a nine-race program, with a post time of around 4 p.m. First post is 12:30 p.m.
From the rail out the field is: Talco (Drayden Van Dyke), Lexie Lou (Corey Nakatani), Flamboyant (Mike Smith), Sawyer’s Hill (Rafael Bejarano), California Chrome (Victor Espinoza) and Cabral (Kent Desormeaux).
Asked about the post position, Sherman said: “Well, I won the Derby from the No. 5 hole, so that’s a lucky number for me.”
California Chrome is the only Hollywood Derby runner that has not raced on the grass. Special permission was granted for the Thursday morning exercise and only one other horse, Matriarch Stakes entrant La Tia, went over a turf course that was otherwise closed.
“I’m excited to see him run on the grass, it’s a different scenario for me,” Sherman said. “We should have a few Chromies (California Chrome fans) out here for it.”
Sherman’s early assessment of a likely race scenario: “It looks to me like there’s speed to the inside. I don’t think he’ll be far off the pace. If somebody wants the lead, they can have it. They can’t be going too slow, though; this time he’ll come away from there running.”
HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP FIRST IN LINE OF STAKES TO CLOSE THE MEET
A field of 10 is set to go postward in Thursday’s $250,000 Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup, the first of seven stakes races in the Fall Turf Festival encompassing the final four days of the inaugural Bing Crosby season.
The other six stakes in order of appearance are: $250,000 Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap, Friday, November 28; $150,000 Grade III Jimmy Durante Stakes, $200,000 Grade III Native Diver Handicap and Grade I $300,000 Hollywood Derby, Saturday, November 29; $150,000, Grade III Cecil B. De Mille Stakes and $300,000 Grade I Matriarch Stakes, Sunday, November 30.
Five in the Hollywood Turf Cup field have graded stakes victories on their resumes. Holiday Star, coming in off a Grade III score in the Sycamore at Keeneland on October 16 is the 7-2 favorite in oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line with Finnegans Wake, winner of the Grade III Arlington Handicap in July at Arlington Park next at 9-2.
From the rail out, the field is: Stoney Fleece (Tiago Pereira, 20-1), Holiday Star (Mike Smith, 7-2), Finnegans Wake (Victor Espinoza, 9-2), Mystery Train (Joe Talamo, 8-1), Patrioticandproud (Corey Nakatani, 12-1), Irish Surf (Elvis Trujillo, 8-1), Bench Light (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1), Little Jerry (Martin Pedroza, 15-1), Power Foot (Tyler Baze, 20-1) and The Pizza Man (Florent Geroux, 5-1).
Trainer H. Graham Motion’s Alakazan Alakazan was scratched Thursday morning.
WHAT'S IN A NAME -- HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP
Inaugurated in 1981 and run at the same distance as the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf, the Hollywood Turf Cup will be the first 1 1/2-mile grass race in Del Mar history. John Henry's win in 1983 put him over the $4 million mark in earnings. In 1991, Miss Alleged became the only filly to win the race.
TOM’S TRIBUTE MAKES DEL MAR RETURN IN FRIDAY’S SEABISCUIT
Tom’s Tribute, voted top grass horse of the summer meeting off wins in the Eddie Read Stakes and the Del Mar Mile Handicap, is set to make his Del Mar return in Friday’s $250,000 Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap. At 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, the Seabiscuit is smack in the middle of the distances Tom’s Tribute negotiated in winning the Read (1 1/8 miles) and Del Mar Mile Handicap.
The field, from the rail out is: Lil Bit O’Fun (Aaron Gryder, 20-1), Za Approval (Victor Espinoza, 5-1), Boozer (Kent Desormeaux, 15-1), Mr. Commons (Brice Blanc, 8-1), Pure Tactics (Rafael Bejarano, 5-1), Kaigun (Corey Nakatani, 6-1), Skyring (Tyler Baze, 20-1), Tom’s Tribute (Mike Smith, 5-2), Avanzare (Gary Stevens, 12-1) and Big Bane Theory (Joe Talamo, 7-2).
JOCKEY, TRAINER RACES TIGHT ENTERING FINAL WEEK
Don’t look now, but that’s Rafael Bejarano, the winner of most every Southern California meet riding title in recent years, lurking near the top of the standings and looking ready to strike again.
Bejarano entered last weekend looking like a potential also-ran for the Bing Crosby Season. Then the native of Peru put a four-win day together on Sunday and, with six wins total, he’s only two behind leader Victor Espinoza and one behind Kent Desormeaux, Elvis Trujillo and Tyler Baze in the standings.
The trainer standings appears to be a match race between Peter Miller and Mike Puype, who start the final four programs with nine wins each, four ahead of John Sadler.
Miller has a numerical advantage. The co-champion, with Jerry Hollendorfer, of the Del Mar summer meeting has 21 horses entered over the next four days to 10 for Puype.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BING
For the inaugural Bing Crosby Season at Del Mar, we offer a daily note, quote or anecdote about the track’s founding father for whom the fall meeting is named.
While better known for his Christmas television specials, Bing Crosby also did several Thanksgiving radio specials in the 1940s and ‘50s which can still be heard through the miracle of YouTube. The featured guest for the one on this date, November 27, in 1946 was Judy Garland.
DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Sunday, November 23, 2014 Inclusive)
|
Jockey |
Mts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
Money Won |
|
Victor Espinoza |
33 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
24% |
$309,798 |
|
Kent Desormeaux |
49 |
7 |
11 |
7 |
14% |
$307,330 |
|
Elvis Trujillo |
54 |
7 |
11 |
6 |
13% |
$349,624 |
|
Tyler Baze |
51 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
14% |
$240,110 |
|
Drayden Van Dyke |
54 |
6 |
16 |
8 |
11% |
$357,816 |
|
Rafael Bejarano |
33 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
18% |
$333,784 |
|
Fernando Perez |
37 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
16% |
$212,820 |
|
Joseph Talamo |
33 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
18% |
$264,770 |
|
Martin Pedroza |
33 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
15% |
$207,394 |
|
Edwin Maldonado |
34 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
15% |
$164,748 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Sunday, November 23, 2014 Inclusive)
|
Trainer |
Sts |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
Win% |
Money Won |
|
Peter Miller |
39 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
23% |
$327,758 |
|
Mike Puype |
28 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
32% |
$347,320 |
|
John W. Sadler |
25 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
20% |
$206,100 |
|
Robert B. Hess, Jr. |
25 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
16% |
$152,280 |
|
Peter Eurton |
13 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
31% |
$162,460 |
|
Leandro Mora |
38 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
8% |
$155,914 |
|
Bob Baffert |
10 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
30% |
$175,920 |
|
Philip D'Amato |
18 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
17% |
$99,578 |
|
Richard Baltas |
15 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
20% |
$148,000 |
|
Vladimir Cerin |
9 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
33% |
$70,010 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Sunday, November 23, 2014 Inclusive)
Winning favorites -- 32 out of 95 -- 33.68%
Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 20 out of 61 -- 32.79%
Winning favorites on turf -- 12 out of 34 -- 35.29%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 2 out of 12 -- 16.67%
In-the-Money favorites -- 63 out of 95 -- 66.32%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 7 out of 12 -- 58.33%
Thursday, November 27, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793