Hollywood Park notes: Let Em Shine pointing to Woody Stephens at Belmont

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Let Em Shine, winner of the Came Home Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Hollywood on May 11, will make his graded stakes debut in the $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs at Belmont Park next Saturday.

Trainer Adam Kitchingman confirmed the plans after Let Em Shine worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds Friday. Kitchingman timed Let Em Shine in 58.60.

“He’s training as good as he can be,” Kitchingman said.

Owned by William Peeples, Let Em Shine has won 3 of 4 starts and $116,910. The Came Home Stakes was Let Em Shine’s stakes debut. He led throughout and won by 4 3/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 111.

Slim Shadey among Whittingham possibles

Saturday’s program at Hollywood Park includes two important turf stakes – the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap over 1 1/4 miles and the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/8 miles.

Slim Shadey, winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita in January, is among the 11 nominees for the Grade 2 Whittingham.

Interaction, winner of the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita on April 21, will miss the Whittingham. The 7-year-old horse will be given “a little rest,” trainer Ron McAnally said Saturday.

The Grade 2 Honeymoon, a key prep for the $350,000 American Oaks on July 13, is expected to include Charlie Em, Scarlet Strike, and Kyriaki, the first three finishers of the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes over a mile on turf May 11.