December is a bit of a dry spell in Thoroughbred horse racing. The Breeders' Cup is over, and the really interesting Triple Crown preps are still a ways off. However, Hollywood Park does its best to entertain racing fans during this long month, and on Saturday they have the grade I Hollywood Starlet Stakes for our enjoyment. As it is the only major race being run in the United States this weekend, it will be this week's feature race.
FEATURE RACE ---- Hollywood Starlet Stakes
For two-year-old fillies. 1 1/16 miles on main track.
The Hollywood Starlet Stakes is one of the more important races for two-year-old fillies in this country. Last year, the winner was Blind Luck, who went on to score victories in the Las Virgenes Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, and Alabama Stakes (all grade I). This year, there are several promising fillies heading to post, led by the undefeated Turbulent Descent.
Here are the post positions. . .
1 True Way of Grace
2 Nina Fever
3 May Day Rose
4 Luna Grande
5 Turbulent Descent
6 Big Tiz
7 Zazu
8 Tell a Kelly
We will begin our analysis of this race with True Way of Grace. The daughter of Yes It's True failed in a pair of maiden races but broke her maiden in a restricted stakes race at Fairplex Park. Sent off at 34-1 in the Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I), she ran a distant fifth of seven. However, in the Sharp Cat Stakes on November 7th, she ran a strong second to May Day Rose. Trained by Alexis Barba, she will be ridden by Paul Atkinson and will carry 120 pounds, the same as all of the other runners.
The number two horse is Nina Fever, who has had a long campaign. The daughter of Borrego has won seven of her eight starts, most recently finishing second in the Glorious Song Stakes, beaten only a head despite setting blazing fractions. Amazingly, she was competing in claiming races earlier this year. She has quite a bit of natural speed and will likely set the pace. She will be ridden by Garrett Gomez and is trained by Wesley Ward.
May Day Rose is the number three horse. The daughter of Rockport Harbor has made three starts thus far, winning two of them, including the Sharp Cat Stakes by a decisive 4 1/4 lengths. She is proven at this distance and recorded a brilliant six furlong workout in 1:11 4/5 on December 5th. Trained by Bob Baffert, she has an excellent chance at stealing this race. She will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.
Luna Grande in gate four intrigues me. She has made eight starts, winning only two of them, but last time out she won an allowance race at Calder Race Course by nearly six lengths. However, that was going 5-1/2 furlongs. In her one start at today's distance, she finished a distant second in an allowance race. The daughter of Mass Media is trained by Kristin Mulhall and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.
This brings us to Turbulent Descent. She is undefeated in two starts, breaking her maiden first time out and winning the Moccasin Stakes in sharp fashion on November 21st. She may be coming back just a bit fast, but she will probably handle it without any trouble. The daughter of Congrats appears to have an unlimited future. She will be ridden by David Flores and is trained by Mike Puype.
The number six filly is Big Tiz. The daughter of Tiznow failed in maiden races three times before breaking through with a head victory going a mile and a sixteenth at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park. Sent off as the favorite in the Sharp Cat Stakes, she chased the pace before tiring to third. Trained by Mark Glatt, she will likely be near the lead but I doubt if she will finish on the board. She will be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela.
Zazu is the number seven horse. Owner by Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Moss, she finished second to Turbulent Descent in the Moccasin but will get a chance to turn the tables here. She turned in a strong five furlong workout on December 6th and has an excellent chance at pulling off an upset. She is trained by John Sadler and will be ridden by Mike Smith.
Finally, we come to Tell a Kelly. The daughter of Tapit looked like a potential superstar when she rocketed past Wickedly Perfect to win the grade I Darley Debutante Stakes by 4 1/2 widening lengths, but could only manage a second in the Oak Leaf Stakes to Rigoletta. Well bet in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, she was never a factor while finishing seventh of twelve, beaten thirteen lengths. However, a return to the synthetic Hollywood Park main track could be just the thing she needs to turn in her best performance. She is trained by John Sadler and will be ridden by Joel Rosario.
It is a fairly difficult race to handicap, as there are many fine fillies in this race, but here are my picks. . .
1 Turbulent Descent
2 Nina Fever
3 Tell a Kelly
4 Zazu
5 May Day Rose
6 Big Tiz
7 Luna Grande
8 True Way of Grace
As much as Luna Grande intrigues me, I'm afraid that I don't think she will pull this off. I believe that Turbulent Descent could be a future star and that she will win impressively on Saturday. Nina Fever has a lot of early speed and may get to set a slower pace this time. Tell a Kelly may be the best horse in the race, but she may be better at seven furlongs than a mile and a sixteenth.
OTHER RACES OF NOTE
At Remington Park on Saturday, there is the $250,000 Springboard Mile Stakes for two-year-olds. As the name implies, the distance is one mile on the main track. It has drawn a field of twelve, with the morning line favorite being Caleb's Posse, winner of the Clever Trevor Stakes by five and a half lengths last time out. He also finished third in the Washington-Arlington Futurity (gr. III) earlier this year.
Chipshot, the 9-2 second choice, drew the far outside but should not be ignored. He has proven to be a solid stakes competitor, finishing third in the Sapling Stakes (gr. III), second in the Dover Stakes, and third in the Clever Trevor Stakes.
12-1 on the morning line is Aces N Kings. The gelding won his first five starts before finishing second in the Sunday Silence Stakes, beaten a nose. However, he lost his jockey last time out in the $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) and didn't finish the race. However, he deserves recognition here as a solid young horse and could run better than expected.
On the west coast, there is the Gold Rush Stakes, a $75,000 stakes race for two-year-olds. A one mile race at Golden Gate Fields, it has drawn a field of eight. The favorite may end up being King Cola, who has never finished worse than third in six starts. Last time out, he ran third in an allowance race at this track, but was running well in stakes races earlier this year.
Also vying for favoritism will be Grand Maneuver, winner of three straight races. He won the allowance race in which King Cola finished third.
Finally, although this is "Triple Crown Countdown", I must at least briefly mention the spectacular card of Cathay Pacific International races at the Shat Tin Racecourse on Sunday in Hong Kong. There are many great international horses running in the four races, including Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes winner Winchester, Canadian International winner Joshua Tree, Northern Dancer Stakes winner Redwood, Melbourne Cup winner Americain, as well as Beethoven, Good Ba Ba, Vision d'Etat, Snow Fairy, Reggane, Stacelita, Paco Boy, Mastery, and others. Good Ba Ba will attempt to win the Hong Kong Mile for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time.
Enjoy the races!
-Keelerman
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