Cozy Guy rooting for rain

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cozy Guy's appearance on Wednesday at Hollywood Park depends on the weather in Southern California.

Trainer Dan Hendricks has entered Cozy Guy in a $46,000 allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf, hoping the race will be shifted to the main track because of wet weather. Cozy Guy won the $250,000 California Cup Classic for statebreds on dirt in a 20-1 upset at Santa Anita on Oct. 16. Hendricks wants Cozy Guy to remain on that surface.

"We're dirt only," Hendricks said. "If it comes down to a three- or four-horse field, it would be a nice spot to be in."

Eight horses are entered for Wednesday's allowance race, including Bis Repetitas, who was second in two stakes in 2003, and Grafton, who was third in the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup at Calder on Nov. 13.

Hendricks has been seeking a race for Cozy Guy in recent weeks. He considered the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in November, but passed after researching travel arrangements.

If Wednesday's race remains on the turf, Hendricks said Cozy Guy will instead start in Saturday's $100,000 Native Diver Handicap. But considering that the California-bred bonus attached to Wednesday's allowance would raise the winner's share to about $36,000, Hendricks would prefer that spot.

"With a small field, this would be easier than the Native Diver," he said.

In the long term, Hendricks is pointing Cozy Guy to the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.

Cozy Guy scored his first stakes win in the Cal Cup Classic, attending the pace throughout and winning by three-quarters of a length.

"We thought he could run third or better," Hendricks said. "We were pleasantly surprised that he did."

Cozy Guy is one of four horses in the field coming off wins, joined by Bonfante, Golden Rahy, and Recordado. Those three won optional claimers for nonwinners of two-other-than in their last start. Wednesday's race is for three-other-than.

Recordado, the winner of a Group 1 stakes in Argentina in 2002, won an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Nov. 11, his first victory in the United States.

Bonfante won a turf sprint on Nov. 25 in his first start on grass. Golden Rahy has not started in 13 months, but is trained by Bobby Frankel, whose horses are effective after long layoffs.