Hollywood Turf Cup, Hollywood Derby draw big fields

DEL MAR, Calif. – Large fields were the norm for the stakes drawn for Friday and Saturday at Del Mar, with 14 – including two also-eligibles – in the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Friday, and 13 in all three stakes Saturday.

Shippers Arklow and Laccario are among those in the Turf Cup.

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Saturday’s premier race, the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf, includes shippers Decorated Invader, Gufo, Domestic Spending, and Get Smokin, and locals Smooth Like Strait, Scarto, and champion Storm the Court.

The Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf includes shippers Flavius, Spirit Animal, and Imperador, and the California-based horses One Bad Boy, Next Shares, Anothertwistafate, and My Boy Jack.

The Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante at one mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies lured shippers Bay Storm, Fluffy Socks, and Invincible Gal, and locals Pizzazz and Plum Sexy.

◗ Abel Cedillo heads into the final four days of the meet with an 18-10 edge over Flavien Prat in the race for leading rider. Umberto Rispoli is next with nine.

◗ Among trainers, perennial Del Mar leader Peter Miller heads into closing week with nine wins, two more than Richard Baltas and Mandella. Mandella has had a particularly strong meet, with his seven wins from just 15 starters.

◗ Rispoli was fined $100 by Del Mar stewards for overuse of the whip Nov. 15, and an additional $200 for a second violation Saturday. Drayden Van Dyke was fined $200 for overuse of the whip in a race Nov. 15. As with Rispoli, the $200 amount reflects a second violation within 60 days.

◗ Alexis Centeno has withdrawn his appeal of a riding suspension issued in October and will miss the final four days of the meet.

◗ Git on Your Pulpit finished second in a maiden-claiming race at Los Alamitos in June for trainer Kathy Walsh, but has been disqualified after testing for a metabolite of acepromazine, a commonly used sedative, Del Mar’s stewards said in a ruling issued Friday.