The late Charlie Whittingham won his first Hollywood Derby back in 1967 with Tumble Wind and the last of his four victories in the race in 1989 with Live The Dream. Chad Brown added his name to the list of Hollywood Derby winners courtesy of Annals of Time (Temple City) in 2016 and followed up with Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in 2018 and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) two years later. In Saturday's renewal of the nine-furlong event, Brown will send out a pair of lightly raced sophomores while looking to draw even with the 'Bald Eagle.'
Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who will try to give Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables a record-breaking three wins in the race. The ridgling made rapid progress this season, capping a three-race winning streak with a head defeat of Webslinger (Constitution) in the GI Saratoga Derby over yielding turf Aug. 5. Accordingly made the 7-10 chalk for the Sept. 9 GIII Virginia Derby, the bay led into the final furlong only to be upstaged by Integration (Quality Road), who franked the form in the GII Hill Prince S. in his next appearance.
“He was a little close to a fast pace,” Brown said of the Virginia Derby. “It might have did him in in the end where he got caught by a good horse. Hopefully he'll work out a better trip this time.”
Brown also sends out Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for Klaravich, who exits a two-length Aqueduct allowance victory Oct. 28.
“He finished well,” Brown said, “and I think he's ready to step back up into a big race like this.”
Webslinger has been out of the top three just once in his eight starts this term and was a luckless third when last seen in the GII Twilight Derby on the Breeders' Cup undercard Nov. 4.
The two horses that finished ahead of him also line up here. Seal Team (GB) (War Front) came from worse than midfield to upstage Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by a half-length, but might need a touch of luck from the widest alley in this field of nine.
Two-year-old fillies head to the post in the co-featured GIII Jimmy Durante S. Brown looks set to saddle the favorite in the one-mile test in the form of Lady de Berry (Practical Joke), a debut sixth to future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I (Justify) on Saratoga debut Aug. 26 before graduating impressively going two turns over the Keeneland turf course Oct. 27. Go With Gusto (Medaglia d'Oro), third in the GI Summer S., failed to draw into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and was a mildly troubled second in the Qatar Gold Mile in the Breeders' Cup Friday lidlifter. She tries sex-restricted company for the first time in her career.
Cigar Mile Anchors Big Weekend at the Big A
Downgraded though it has been and lacking a standout runner, Saturday's GII Cigar Mile H. still offers a half-million dollar purse and a full field of 12 to challenge handicappers.
Trainer Todd Fincher makes a rare appearance on the New York circuit, but he brings in a horse with a big chance in the form of Joe Peacock Jr.'s Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). Two-for-three over this distance, including the GIII Ack Ack S. going Churchill's one-turn configuration last October, the 5-year-old entire took advantage of a strong pace up ahead to upset the GII San Diego H. at Del Mar this past July. Fourth in the GI Pacific Classic and third in the GI Awesome Again S., he ran on decently to finish seventh, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4.
“He ran really good in the Breeders' Cup,” Fincher said. “He just got way, way back–almost 19 lengths back. I think he started his run too early. He made up a ton of ground down the backside and he actually flattened a little down the lane, which I've never seen him do.”
Senor Buscador worked a best-of-27 five furlongs over the Belmont training track in 1:00 4/5 Nov. 25 in preparation for the Cigar Mile.
Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous (Into Mischief) looks the main danger as he goes for his fourth straight victory and fifth from seven starts. Picked up for just $85,000 at last year's Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale, the bay broke his maiden at second asking and has not tasted defeat in five months, including wins in the Sept. 23 Harrods Creek S. at Keeneland and the GII Forty Niner S. over this course and distance Oct. 28, where he had the re-opposing Dr Ardito (Liam's Map) and Accretive (Practical Joke) in his wake.
Dornoch (Good Magic), the full-brother to recently retired GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, looks a handful facing nine other juvenile males in the GII Remsen S. The $325,000 KEESEP acquisition was second in his first two trips to the races, including the Aug. 26 Sapling S. at Monmouth, and was an impressive 6 1/4-length maiden winner at Keeneland Oct. 14. Moonlight (Audible) matched Dornoch's 90 Beyer Speed Figure when airing by eight in a local rained-off maiden Sept. 28, but was fractionally disappointing when runner-up to Liberal Arts (Arrogate) in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill Sept. 29. Rick Dutrow, Jr. has won with eight of his last 24 starters dating back to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The following afternoon he sent out Where's Chris (Twirling Candy) to upset the previously unbeaten Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the Nashua S.
The fillies' counterpart, the GII Demoiselle S., is topped by Repole Stable's Life Talk (Gun Runner), third in the local GI Frizette S. Oct. 7 ahead of an even fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Shimmering Allure (Enticed) is the most experienced of this group, having made six previous racetrack appearances. A maiden winner at fourth asking in a restricted event at Churchill in September, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton July grad was a midpack fourth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland Oct. 6, but bounced back to best Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) by three convincing lengths in the Nov. 5 Tempted S.
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