Hollywood Park notes: Admiral Kitten to head west for Hollywood Derby

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The $250,000 Hollywood Derby at Betfair Hollywood Park next Sunday is the last chance of 2013 to gather the 3-year-old turf division for a lucrative race.

For Admiral Kitten, a multiple stakes winner owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Mike Maker, the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby could be his second win at the highest level. Admiral Kitten won the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park in August. He was a fast-closing second in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park on Oct. 5.

Those results have Maker eager for the Hollywood Derby – and 2014, when Admiral Kitten is likely to start in distance races.

“I think he’ll be a major force next year,” Maker said Saturday. “He’s matured a lot through his 3-year-old year.”

Admiral Kitten had his final workout for the Hollywood Derby on Saturday, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.60 at the Churchill Downs training center.

The Hollywood Derby is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf, the same distance as the Secretariat Stakes. In the Jamaica Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf, Admiral Kitten rallied wide to finish a half-length behind Up With the Birds.

“Maybe if we saved some ground, we could have gotten the job done,” Maker said.

Julien Leparoux will ride Admiral Kitten in the Hollywood Derby. He was aboard Admiral Kitten for a second, by a head, in the Grade 3 American Derby at Arlington Park in July and a $50,000 claiming race for maidens that Admiral Kitten won at Keeneland in October 2012.

A lot has changed since then.

Cassidy suspended

Trainer Jim Cassidy has been fined $3,000 and suspended 15 days for a clenbuterol positive found in a post-race test taken from race winner Van Dien Avenue at Del Mar in August, according to a ruling released by Hollywood Park stewards Thursday.

The penalties were part of a stipulated agreement Cassidy reached with the California Horse Racing Board.

Cassidy was suspended for 30 days, with 15 days of the suspension stayed provided Cassidy does not have any violations for medications listed in classes 1, 2, or 3 through Nov. 21, 2014. Clenbuterol, a bronchodilator, is a class 3 medication.

Cassidy’s suspension will run from Dec. 2-16.

Cassidy said Saturday that he does not administer clenbuterol to his horses and has not done so in the last two years. As a result of the positive test, Cassidy said he has hired a day watchman to oversee his barn. The stable has a night watchman, he said.

Cassidy said it was unclear how the positive occurred, but he does not suspect any wrongdoing by his employees.

“I don’t use the stuff,” Cassidy said. “The level was so high that it had to be given within 24 hours. If it was an honest mistake, it would have been one of us. I don’t have security cameras at Del Mar. I have them at Santa Anita.”

Clenbuterol is permitted for use in training but cannot appear in post-race tests. The racing board advised trainers in a 2012 memo to withdraw the medication 21 days before a race.

Van Dien Avenue won a maiden special weight race on turf. Thursday, the stewards ruled that the $45,000 winner’s share of the purse be forfeited.