Hollywood Park: Turbulent Descent's work has Puype confident

Turbulent Descent, the winner of two Grade 1 races earlier this year, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 at Hollywood Park on Saturday, leading trainer Mike Puype to predict a victory for her next start, the $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 31.

“She’ll redeem herself on the 31st,” Puype said. “I have no doubt about it.”

Owned by a partnership, Turbulent Descent finished fifth as the 7-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4. In that seven-furlong race over a track rated good, Turbulent Descent was bumped at the start and raced four wide. She led in the stretch, but faded to finish 4 1/4 lengths behind race winner Musical Romance.

“The trip was murderous in the Breeders’ Cup,” Puype said. “She’ll have good conditions here. She’s the fastest 3-year-old filly out here.”

Saturday, Turbulent Descent worked in company with a stablemate, who provided a target for the first five furlongs. “I always have someone for her to follow,” he said. “If she doesn’t have something to follow, she won’t focus on it.”

Turbulent Descent has won six of nine starts and $858,350. In 2010, she won the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes. Earlier this year, she won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes over a mile at Santa Anita and the Grade 1 Test Stakes over seven furlongs at Saratoga.

Turbulent Descent will have another workout this Saturday before the Grade 1 La Brea. Her competition in the La Brea will include Tiz Flirtatious, the undefeated winner of the Cat’s Cradle Handicap for statebred fillies and mares at Hollywood Park on Dec. 11.

Puype will have stakes runners in three sprints for fillies and mares in the first few weeks of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which begins on Dec. 26.

In the $100,000 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course on Jan. 2, Puype will start Mizdirection, who won the Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar in August. For the $75,000 Kalookan Queen Handicap over 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track Jan. 1, Puype has Saint Isabelle, who has not started since winning the Time to Leave Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 1.

“We should get off to a good start,” he said.