Hollywood Park: Oliver's Tale rested and ready for Friday allowance

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Oliver’s Tale was a tired colt after finishing second to Points Offthebench in an allowance race at Santa Anita last April. Owner and trainer Mark Tsagalakis had hoped to run Oliver’s Tale in sprint stakes during the summer, but abandoned those plans after the April race.

“After the race, he was off his feed and he wasn’t doing things with as much gusto,” Tsagalakis said. “He wasn’t like he was before he ran. There was no sense in butting heads with better horses. I turned him out and let the sunshine hit him.”

Oliver’s Tale returns to racing in a $48,000 allowance over six furlongs at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday. He drew the rail in an eight-horse field for his fourth career start.

“It’s time to get going again,” Tsagalakis said. “I wish I had another week or 10 days to get ready. We’ll have to go now. We’ll give it a good shot.”

Much has changed in the California sprint division since Oliver’s Tale’s last race. Points Offthebench went on to win two Grade 1 races – the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita last month. Sadly, Points Offthebench was euthanized after suffering a leg injury in a workout at Santa Anita on Oct. 26. He would have been a leading contender in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, a race won by the Southern California-based Secret Circle.

For Friday’s race, Oliver’s Tale drew the inside and will be ridden by Orlando Mojica, who spent the summer riding in Indiana and returned to California earlier this fall. Oliver’s Tale has shown speed and may need to utilize that tactic to avoid trouble. Tsagalakis said he is not thrilled with the draw.

“I’d rather not be on the rail,” Tsagalakis said. “He doesn’t have to be on the lead.”

Spirit Rules starts for trainer Paul Aguirre. A 4-year-old gelding, Spirit Rules won an allowance race for California-breds at Hollywood Park on June 15, but has not raced since finishing seventh of eight in an optional claimer on turf in July.

Bob Baffert, who trains Secret Circle, has a contender in Imperial Fortune, who was eighth in an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 27. Imperial Fortune was second in two sprints for maidens during the summer.