Hollywood Park: Majestic Stride goes from Breeders' Cup to Vernon Underwood

[bc_video_id:311060:]INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The idea that horses are vulnerable first start after the Breeders’ Cup sounds clever. If only it were true.

Majestic Stride is favored in the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood on Thanksgiving at Betfair Hollywood Park, where he faces easier foes than the BC Sprint rivals he met early this month.

Majestic Stride finished fourth by 1 1/2 lengths in the BC Sprint. Conventional wisdom says to bet against him Thursday because he ran in the Breeders’ Cup and might regress. Based on 2012 Breeders’ Cup runbacks, the concept is not valid.

There were 32 next-out winners from 133 BC starters that ran back last year. Seven of 25 BC runbacks during Hollywood fall won, including Smiling Tiger. He finished third in the BC Sprint and wheeled back to win the six-furlong Underwood for trainer Jeff Bonde.

Bonde returns this year with two for the Underwood – Majestic Stride, who is expected to start favored after a close fourth in the BC Sprint, and Anillo, who will keep the pace honest. Those two and Roman Threat are the key starters in the six-furlong Underwood on a Thanksgiving program that starts early. First post Thursday is 11 a.m. Pacific.

Bonde knew Majestic Stride was bucking the odds in the BC Sprint. It was only his third start after an 18-month layoff and he was meeting tougher after winning two allowance races. Majestic Stride started at 30-1 in the BC Sprint.

“A fresh horse is always dangerous,” Bonde said. “Some of those others, they campaigned all year.”

Majestic Stride outran expectations despite a trip that was out of character. A front-runner/pace-presser in his five previous starts, Majestic Stride was buried inside and behind early in the Sprint, shuffled back on the turn, re-rallied inside, and finished fourth.

The effort confirmed Majestic Stride’s early form. In 2011 he was a promising 3-year-old at Oaklawn Park, but was sidelined after finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Southwest when he took ill, Bonde said.

“He had an internal problem; he got real sick down there,” Bonde said. “His white count went out of whack, and then he had stomach problems. It took a long time to get over.”

Now 4, Majestic Stride has returned as an improved horse. A three-time winner from six starts, he won allowance races at the Los Angeles County Fair and at Santa Anita prior to his fourth in the BC Sprint.

Edwin Maldonado rides Majestic Stride.

Martin Pedroza rides Bonde-trained Anillo, third last out behind Malibu Stakes-bound Zeewat and Flashback. Anillo will face older stakes runners for the first time on Thursday.

“He’s been a real honest horse,” Bonde said. “It’s a step up. We’ve got two swings.”

Bob Baffert-trained Roman Threat will make his third start back from a long layoff. He has won 2 of 5, and earned triple-digit Beyer Figures his first three starts before being sidelined from May 2012 until September 2013.

“He’s been off a long time because of a foot issue,” Baffert said. “That’s what has been plaguing him.”

Roman Threat will be ridden by Martin Garcia.

The three other starters are Handsome Mike, Chosen Miracle, and Color of Courage.

The Underwood is race 4 on an eight-race Thanksgiving card. Post time for the Underwood is 12:30; post time for the final race is 2:30.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen