Multiple Grade 1 winners DAYTONA (Ire) (Indian Ridge) and INTANGAROO
(Orientate) highlight a strong Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) undercard. Shoemaker Mile
(G1) hero Daytona will meet seven rivals in the $250,000 American Invitational
H. (G2) over nine grassy furlongs, and Humana Distaff (G1) queen Intangaroo will
face 10 distaffers in the seven-furlong, $150,000 A Gleam Invitational H. (G2).
The Dan Hendricks-trained Daytona wrapped up his sophomore campaign with
victories in the Oak Tree Derby (G2), Hollywood Derby (G1) and San Gabriel H.
(G2), and he’s kept the momentum going in 2008, winning the Fair Grounds H.
(G3), Arcadia H. (G2) and Shoemaker most recently. His only setback in his last
seven starts was a close third in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2) three starts back
over yielding ground. Daytona has firmly established himself as the best grass
horse based in California, and the classy chestnut gelding is on the verge of surpassing
$1 million in career earnings. Alex Solis will return to the saddle aboard the
123-pound highweight.
HYPERBARIC (Sky Classic), third and second in the Shoemaker and Arcadia,
respectively, will line up once again against Daytona. Trained by Julio Canani,
the lightly raced gelding is a threat to break through with his first stakes
victory. BECRUX (Ity) (Glen Jordan) will return to action for conditioner Neil
Drysdale. Winner of the 2006 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), the six-year-old was last
seen finishing eighth in the Mile Championship (Jpn-G1) at Kyoto, Japan, in
November.
Grade 3 victor WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]), who will make his
four-year-old debut in the American, has drawn the rail under a 114-pound impost
that includes Isaias Enriquez. Next in post order comes STORM MILITARY (Arg)
(Bernstein), Rafael Bejarano, 115; WORLDLY (GB) (Selkirk), Victor Espinoza, 118;
HEROI DO BAFRA (Brz) (Royal Academy), Aaron Gryder, 115; Hyperbaric, Garrett
Gomez, 116; Becrux, David Flores, 118; Daytona; and ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (Albert the
Great), Corey Nakatani, 113.
Intangaroo will square off against the highly promising MAGNIFICIENCE (Stormy
Atlantic) in the A Gleam. Trained by Gary Sherlock, Intangaroo exits a gutsy
victory in the Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard, knocking off
Hystericalady (Distorted Humor) in the process, and showed her prowess over
synthetic tracks when capturing the Santa Monica H. (G1) three starts back.
Alonso Quinonez will retain the mount on the four-year-old lass.
Unbeaten Magnificience, who returned from a 13 1/2-month layoff with a game
allowance win on May 18, will return to graded stakes competition for Bruce
Headley. The thrice-raced chestnut is lightly raced, but she showed her class
last year when recording a superb five-length tally in the Santa Paula S. (G3).
The four-year-old has displayed a strong late kick in the past, and she figures
to come charging from just off the pace under Flores.
Other contenders include La Brea S. (G1) victress DEAREST TRICKSKI (Proudest
Romeo), Grade 1 winner ROMANCE IS DIANE (In Excess [Ire]) and Grade 3 heroine
TIZ ELEMENTAL (Cee’s Tizzy).
The A Gleam contestants are PETITE CHERIE (Ire) (Fasliyev), Martin Garcia,
114; ASHLEY’S KITTY (Tale of the Cat), Joe Talamo, 116; POLITICAL WEB
(Petionville), Martin Pedroza, 115; DAWN AFTER DAWN (Successful Appeal), Gomez,
116; Romance is Diane, Bejarano, 116; Tiz Elemental, Espinoza, 122; MISSVINSKI
(Stravinsky), Solis, 116; SPENDITALLBABY (Unusual Heat), Joel Rosario, 116;
Intangaroo, 122; Magnificience, 118; and Dearest Trickski, Mike Smith, 118.
The $100,000
Landaluce S. for juvenile fillies will kick off the stakes action at
Hollywood on Saturday. TRIFECTA KING (Peace Rules) and ATKA (Swiss Yodeler), the
top two respective finishers in the Cinderella S., will both return for the
six-furlong event. COSMIC QUEEN (Stormy Atlantic), who established a new track
record on Cushion Track when capturing her career bow last time out, will make
her stakes debut for conditioner Christopher Paasch.