Citation J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES
PREVIEWS

Friday’s $400,000 Citation H. (G1), the first marquee event of Hollywood
Park’s Turf Festival, has attracted a field of nine to travel 1 1/16 miles. Only
two entrants have already succeeded at the Group 1 level, and the more
compelling of the pair is PALACE EPISODE (Machiavellian).

After capturing the Racing Post Trophy (Eng-G1) as a juvenile, the dark bay
was snapped up by Godolphin. He raced only once at three and was sidelined for
13 months. Reappearing in New York this summer, Palace Episode won his second
start back. Next time out, he was a troubled third to Trippi’s Storm (Trippi) in
the Kelso H. (G2), finishing just 1 1/2 lengths adrift of the classy After
Market, who would have been a prohibitive favorite here if he hadn’t been
hustled off to stud. We’re throwing out Palace Episode’s only subsequent start,
an uncharacteristic seventh in the Knickerbocker H. (G3) on soft ground, and
look for him to rebound on the Hollywood turf. Jose Valdivia Jr. picks up the
mount on the lightly raced four-year-old, who will try to give Godolphin
back-to-back Citation scores, following Ashkal Way (Ire) (Ashkalani) in 2006.

PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) looms as a major threat for Bobby Frankel.
The bay just missed by a nose when making his American debut in the 2006
Arlington Classic (G3), and in his sophomore finale, he powered to a decisive
victory in the Bay Meadows Derby (G3). Proudinsky did not race again for a year,
but he proved that he retains plenty of ability when landing an allowance at Oak
Tree in his return. Rafael Bejarano will pilot the likely improver.

VISA PARADE (Arg) (Parade Marshal) was a multiple Group 1 hero on the dirt in his native
Argentina, and he twice placed in top-level events on the turf. We strongly
suspect that the four-year-old is better than his three U.S. starts suggest,
especially considering that two have come over Del Mar’s Polytrack. The John
Sadler charge is entitled to show much more when switching to the grass, and
he’s eligible to spring an upset beneath Joel Rosario.

INDEPENDENT GEORGE (Cozzene) is a progressive type who ships in for Graham
Motion. A sharp winner of the Presque Isle Mile S. on the Tapeta, the gray
gelding is exiting a decent fourth versus a deeper group in the Shadwell Turf
Mile (G1) at Keeneland. If he continues his upward curve, Independent George can
crack the top three. Corey Nakatani will be back aboard.

ZANN (Dynaformer) will likely garner a great deal of support in the wake of
his photo-finish loss to Out of Control (Brz) (Vettori) in the Oak Tree Mile
(G2). We’re not entirely sold on him, though, since that race was a bit of a
mess, and the dark bay has yet to win a stakes. The key rider switch to Garrett
Gomez may make all the difference, but Zann could be vulnerable at short odds.
SILENT NAME (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) is another that we’re ambivalent about. When
he’s on his game, the talented bay is very good, but he’s maddeningly
inconsistent, and he seems to run better over Santa Anita’s turf. In his first
start for Frankel, Silent Name wound up 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) on
the Monmouth bog. Back on firm turf here, the five-year-old is capable of
turning in a more representative effort.

WILLOW O WISP (Misnomer), the likely pacesetter, hasn’t raced since his poor
last-of-six performance in the American Invitational H. (G2) in June. We’ll give
him a race off the shelf. CRESTED (GB) (Fantastic Light) is exiting a near-miss
in the Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3) at Hawthorne. The Wally Dollase charge
is a genuine sort, but he finds life tougher at a higher level. This isn’t the
strongest Citation ever, so his best effort may earn him a piece of the purse.
LANG FIELD (Langfuhr) has been beaten by lesser.