King Robyn will need best run yet

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - King Robyn has had a perfect campaign in Southern California this year - he has won a stakes at all five of the circuit's race meetings.

To stretch that streak to six, King Robyn will need a career-best performance in Friday's $100,000 Hollywood Turf Express at Hollywood Park.

The 120-pound topweight, King Robyn has eight opponents in a competitive running of the Grade 3 Turf Express, run over 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. The other leading candidates are Full Moon Madness, the winner of the Robert Kerlan Handicap here in July; Geronimo, third to King Robyn in the Morvich Handicap at Santa Anita on Oct. 24; and Needwood Blade, a stakes winner in England earlier this year.

Run as the ninth race, the Turf Express is the feature race on a 10-race program that includes the $100,000 Miesque Stakes for 2-year-old fillies over a mile on turf.

King Robyn has won 7 of 10 starts and $346,990 this year. He is owned by Cornejo Racing and trained by Jeff Mullins. He won the Baldwin on dirt at Santa Anita in March, the Harry Henson against turf sprinters here in April, the Green Flash on turf at Del Mar, the Foothill Stakes on dirt at Fairplex Park, and the Morvich on the hillside turf course during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

"He's probably as good now as he's ever been," Mullins said. "He's pretty steady."

King Robyn, offered for an $80,000 claiming price in January, typically races near the front. He was third early in the Henson Stakes and Green Flash Handicap but raced on or near the lead in the other wins.

In the Turf Express, he will have company on the front from Apache Wings, who faded to finish sixth in the Morvich; Full Moon Madness, who faded to finish fifth in the California Cup Sprint; and Lydgate, a maiden winner on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.

The Turf Express is Lydgate's stakes debut and first start against winners.

The unknown quantity is Volterromo, a winner of 5 of 27 starts in Argentina. Now trained by Doug O'Neill for Cees Stable, Volterromo won a Group 2 stakes over five furlongs on dirt in June and was third in a Group 1 stakes over five furlongs on turf in Argentina in late June, his last start in South America.

Even with his best effort, Volterromo faces a difficult task in upsetting King Robyn.

"He's a trier," Mullins said. "He just keeps running."