Hollywood Park: No firm plans for CashCall Futurity runner-up Rousing Sermon

Rousing Sermon was a fast-closing second in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park, beaten a neck by Liaison. Tenth on the turn, Rousing Sermon raced six-wide entering the stretch after jockey Joe Talamo opted to go around a wall of horses instead of trying to find room between runners. Rousing Sermon trailed leader Drill by about seven lengths with a furlong remaining.

“I don’t think there was a seam there,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said of the stretch run. “We think he can improve.”

Hollendorfer said that Rousing Sermon will race at Santa Anita this winter, but that a 2012 debut race has not been selected.

Brother Francis, third in the CashCall Futurity, is likely to start in the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 4. Trained by Jim Cassidy, Brother Francis had a rough trip in the Futurity, getting bumped at the start and on the first turn and racing five-wide into the stretch.

“He’s tired, but leg-wise he looks good,” Cassidy said. “We’ll get a clean trip sooner or later.”

Brother Francis could appear in a maiden race. He is winless in three starts, but has been second or third each time. On Nov. 24, Brother Francis was second in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes over seven furlongs after a slow start.