Hollywood Park: So Brilliant will miss CashCall Futurity

So Brilliant, the undefeated winner of the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes on Nov. 24, will miss Saturday’s $750,000 CashCall Futurity because of an elevated temperature, trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday.

“He left a little feed,” Baffert said.

The absence of So Brilliant still leaves Baffert with three probable starters in the CashCall Futurity, the final Grade 1 race of the year for 2-year-olds.

Baffert plans to run Drill, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7; Sky Kingdom, the winner of a maiden race over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park on Nov. 24; and Liaison, the winner of the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 12.

Sunday, Liaison and Sky Kingdom worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 in company, the fastest of 37 recorded works at the distance. An hour later, Drill worked five furlongs in 1:00.

Drill has the most to prove in the CashCall Futurity, which is run over 1 1/16 miles. Since the Del Mar Futurity, Drill was second in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, and seventh in the Delta Downs Jackpot on Nov. 19.

Baffert said he was happy with Drill’s half-mile workout in 47 seconds on Dec. 5 and satisfied with Sunday’s workout. Martin Garcia is scheduled to ride Drill in the CashCall Futurity, which had 13 probable starters as of Sunday.

The top candidates include Basmati and Longview Drive, the second- and third-place finishers in the Delta Jackpot Stakes in Louisiana on Nov. 19; Rousing Sermon, the runner-up in the Real Quiet; and Brother Francis, the runner-up in the Prevue Stakes.

Other probable starters are Cozzetti, Desormais, Empire Way, Groovin’ Solo, Lucky Chappy, and Majestic City. Stoney Fleece, the winner of the Grade 3 Generous Stakes on turf on Nov. 27, will be pointed for the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, trainer John Sadler said on Sunday.