Bogie steps up for Will Rogers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - In April, jockey Alex Solis moved from California to Kentucky in an effort to boost his career. The 3-year-old colt Bogie is keeping him on airplanes and in touch with California racing.

Bogie makes his graded stakes debut in Sunday's $100,000 Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood Park, and Solis has flown in for the mount on the Irish-bred colt, who has already shown ample promise in two starts this spring for owner Jon Kelly and trainer Paddy Gallagher.

Bogie was third in the La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita on April 10 in his U.S. debut and returned to win an optional claimer at Hollywood Park on May 19. Those races left Solis impressed with the colt's progress.

"Paddy and I thought it would take a few races for him to get the hang of it," Solis said. "He really moved forward in the first race at Santa Anita. He's very talented. He's one of those horses that the longer he goes, the better."

The Grade 3 Will Rogers Stakes is run over 1 1/16 miles on turf, the same distance as Bogie's win in the optional claimer on May 19. Solis climbed off the colt sporting a broad grin, impressed by the way Bogie closed from last in a field of sixth to win by a half-length.

"The race at Hollywood Park didn't look like there was that much pace," Solis said. "He just kept going and coming on."

The Will Rogers has a field of nine, including the turf stakes winners Dream Nettie, Hudson Landing, Macias, and Who's Up. Dream Nettie won the La Puente in his turf stakes debut and returned to finish second to Hudson Landing in the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on May 15, the last start for both.

Macias won two minor turf stakes at Santa Anita in December and February, but has lost his last three starts. He was fourth in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes here May 22.

Who's Up is making his second start of the year, having finished ninth in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Last fall, he won the Grade 3 Generous Stakes on turf here.

The Will Rogers will be Who's Up's first start for trainer Jorge Periban.

"He may show something on the grass" this year, Periban said. "I think he can be 1-2-3."