Hollywood Park: Jimmy Creed tops nine sprinters in Triple Bend Handicap

Jimmy Creed may be favored in Saturday's Triple Bend Handicap, which has a projected field of nine, including defending champion Camp Victory as well as Centralinteligence, Comma to the Top, Cyclometer, Drill, Morning Line, Rail Trip, and Tres Borrachos.

Jimmy Creed won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in December, and the Grade 2 Potrero Grande there in April. In the Triple Bend, Jimmy Creed must catch Comma to the Top, who was perfect in May, winning the Cool Frenchy Stakes over five furlongs on May 4 and the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap over six furlongs on May 27.[bc_video_id:296449:]

The Grade 1 Triple Bend will be the 2013 debut for Rail Trip, the 8-year-old gelding who has won 9 of 23 starts, and $1,508,790. Unraced since finishing second to Tapizar in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita last November, Rail Trip has won five stakes, including the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar last summer. The Triple Bend is a prep race for this year’s San Diego Handicap on July 27.

Owned by Samantha Siegel, Rail Trip has impressed trainer Ron Ellis with his recent exercise.

“To be honest, he’s actually better this year than last year at this time,” Ellis said. “He’s working better. He’s carrying more weight than last year. He’s getting back in the swing of things.”

Lucayan tries Obviously again in Shoemaker Mile

The Shoemaker Mile has five projected starters in a field led by Obviously, the winner of the Grade 2 American Handicap. Last fall, Obviously was third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile behind 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan and Animal Kingdom, who later won the Dubai World Cup in March.

Lucayan, the winner of the French 2000 Guineas in May 2012, was second to Obviously in the American Handicap in his United States debut, and is part of the field for the Shoemaker along with Jeranimo, Wilkinson, and Za Approval.

Trainer Neil Drysdale realizes that Lucayan may have a difficult time beating the speedy Obviously in the Shoemaker.

“He was impressive the other day,” Drysdale said of Obviously. “But our guy has come on well from his first race.”

Drysdale considers the Shoemaker a prep to the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 20 for Lucayan.

Points Offthebench will await Bing Crosby

Trainer Tim Yakteen said that Points Offthebench, a winner of 4 of 6 starts, will pass the Triple Bend in favor of the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes over six furlongs at Del Mar on July 28.

“I like the distance and the timing,” he said of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby.

Trainer Bob Baffert nominated the promising 3-year-old Declassify for the Triple Bend, but will start the three-time stakes winner Drill, who was fourth in the American Handicap.

Baffert said Declassify is a candidate for the $500,000 King’s Bishop Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 24.

“I want him in the King’s Bishop,” Baffert said. “I need a spot before then.”

Declassify is unbeaten in two starts – a maiden race at Santa Anita on April 6 and an optional claimer here on June 8.