Monday, December 21 2009
ASCANIO VOTED TRAINER OF THE MEET, VENTURA HORSE OF THE MEET
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2009) — Ventura, who gave Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel his last wish with a victory in The Matriarch, was voted Horse of the Meet by media as the 27-day Autumn Meet closed Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Humberto Ascanio, assistant to Frankel for 35 years, took over the Hall of Fame trainer’s Hollywood Park stable following his death from lymphoma on Nov. 16 and was voted trainer of the meet as he saddled three graded stakes winners.
BLIND LUCK ROLLS TO SEVEN-LENGTH VICTORY IN HOLLYWOOD STARLET
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2009) — Second-choice Blind Luck made her own luck Sunday in the $405,250 Hollywood Starlet, making an explosive move early in the stretch and drawing away under a hand ride by jockey Rafael Bejarano to win the Grade I event by a widening seven lengths.
The chestnut daughter of Pollard’s Vision was well back much of the way while running along the rail, but easily moved into contention when moved outside on the far turn by Bejarano. The Starlet seemed wide open for a split second as the field turned for home, but Blind Luck quickly put the issue to rest with her exhilarating move.
Sunday, December 20 2009
BAFFERT CAPS FOUR-WIN DAY WITH RECORD FIFTH FUTURITY VICTORY
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 19, 2009) — Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert capped a four-win day with a record fifth victory by probable 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky in Saturday’s $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park.
Baffert, who saddled eventual Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile to win his fourth Futurity in 2008, broke the record he shared with D. Wayne Lukas as Lookin At Lucky covered 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track in 1:43.30 under jockey Garrett Gomez to finish three-quarters of a length clear of Noble’s Promise.
Saturday, December 19 2009
RED SUN IMPRESSIVE UNDER BEJARANO IN SECOND STRAIGHT VICTORY
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 18, 2009) — Pacesetter Red Sun, making his first start against winners, shook off Aquicksting at the top of the stretch and drew off with little urging from jockey Rafael Bejarano to win Friday’s $40,000 allowance/optional claiming feature at Hollywood Park by four lengths.
The victory was the second straight for Red Sun, who finished second in his career debut in January and returned ten months later to break his maiden. He was so full of run, Bejarano had trouble pulling him up after the finish as he missed the gap om the backstretch and was a little late getting back to the winner’s circle.
Thursday, December 17 2009
COMPARI RETURNS TO HOLLYWOOD PARK IN EXCELLENT FORM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 17, 2009) — Odds-on favorite Compari, making his first start since scoring a mild upset in the Snow Chief Stakes here in April, cruised to a two-length victory under jockey Garrett Gomez in the featured seventh race Thursday at Hollywood Park.
Sidelined by quarter cracks after the Snow Chief, Compari showed no signs of tender feet while covering six furlongs on turf in 1:08.38 to win for the third straight time after finishing third in his career debut in February at Santa Anita.
BEAUTICIAN, BLIND LUCK RENEW ACQUAINTANCES IN STARLET
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 17, 2009) — Beautician and Blind Luck, second and third, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, head a talented field of seven fillies in Sunday’s $405,250 Hollywood Starlet as the 27-day Autumn Meet concludes at Hollywood Park.
The two will be joined by two other Breeders’ Cup starters in the Grade I Starlet — Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Rose Catherine and Juvenile Fillies tenth-place finisher Bickersons, who won the Moccasin Stakes here in her most recent start.
Wednesday, December 16 2009
LOOKIN AT LUCKY AIMS TO REGAIN WINNING WAYS IN CASHCALL FUTURITY
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 16, 2009) — Lookin At Lucky, an unlucky second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will try to solidify his credentials as the best 2-year-old in the country with a victory in Saturday’s 29th running of the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park.
The son of Smart Strike suffered his lone defeat in five starts when he drew the 13-post in the Juvenile and was forced to run wide while falling just a head short of Vale of York. Prior to that he won four straight races including three graded stakes — the Best Pal, the Del Mar Futurity and the Norfolk.
Monday, December 14 2009
GAME SHE’S FUNOMENAL GETS JOB DONE IN THE STRETCH DRIVE
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 13, 2009) — Favorite She’s Funomenal gamely ran down pacesetter Excellent News in the final furlong to win Sunday’s $52,735 Ifyoucouldseemenow Stakes by a three-quarters of a length at Hollywood Park.
She’s Funomenal, who made a splash in her career debut when she drew off to win by 5 ½ lengths here Nov. 15, found herself in a tough spot early in the stretch when Excellent News began to pull away and Seriously made a bid to her outside.
Hollywood Park: STABLE NOTES Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009
MAIDEN HOPES TO MAKE MUSIC IN CASHCALL FUTURITY
Make Music for Me, a maiden who finished a closing second to Lookin at Lucky in both the Best Pal Stakes and Del Mar Futurity, will start in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity Saturday, trainer Alexis Barba said Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Make Music for Me, a son of Bernstein, is winless in five starts and comes off a disappointing sixth-place finish as the 2-to-5 favorite in a maiden race at the Futurity distance of 1 1/16 miles here Nov. 22.
Sunday, December 13 2009
MAST TRACK ENDS NINE-RACE WINLESS STREAK WITH FRONT-RUNNING VICTORY IN NATIVE DIVER
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2009) — Mast Track, whose last win came here in the 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup, used the same tactics as he scored a front-running victory under jockey Rafael Bejarano in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Diver Handicap on a rainy afternoon at Hollywood Park.
Mast Track, previously owned by Bobby Frankel, gave the late Hall of Fame trainer his third Gold Cup victory in 2008 as he led all the way to post a 10-1 upset. Frankel, who died from lymphoma on Nov. 16, became the first person to breed, own and train a Gold Cup winner when Mast Track connected.
Saturday, December 12 2009
ROSARIO EQUALS HOLLYWOOD PARK RECORD WITH SIX-WIN DAY
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 11, 2009) — Joel Rosario equaled the Hollywood Park record originally set by the great Bill Shoemaker in 1953 with six wins on a soggy afternoon Friday at The Track of Lakes and Flowers.
Rosario, a 24-year-old native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, connected with his six remaining mounts after finishing second in the first race on the eight-race program. Cadillac, his scheduled mount in the seventh race, was scratched Friday morning.
Friday, December 11 2009
BEJARANO TAKES OVERLAND ROUTE TO WIN ON CRISP
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 10, 2009) — Rafael Bejarano, fresh from a four-win day, came right back with a victory he won’t soon forget aboard Crisp on Thursday at Hollywood Park.
The 2-year-old filly bolted on the turn for home, dropped back and seemed to be out of contention, but regained her stride and rallied to catch Fashion Trend in deep stretch to register her first victory in her second start.
