New faces might have upper hand in Hollywood Turf Cup

An unassuming California turf division routinely provides entertainment without outside interference, but an invasion is underway this week at Del Mar, where the entries for all seven stakes races are riddled with shippers.

The assault may continue Friday in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup, a mile and one-half race with three prominent interlopers. Arklow (Kentucky), Laccario (Maryland) and Say the Word (formerly Canada) give the $200,000 race a bicoastal flavor.

The crashers continue a weeklong theme. Orglandes shipped for the Grade 3 Red Carpet on Thursday; Gufo and Decorated Invader arrived for the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Saturday; shippers Sharing and Tamahere run in the Grade 1 Matriarch on Sunday. Every stakes race closing week at Del Mar, including the Turf Cup, includes prominent ship-ins.

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However, a travel glitch threatened Arklow’s participation. An airplane equipment malfunction postponed departure from Kentucky, and on Wednesday trainer Brad Cox said, “I’m not sure we’re coming.” Arklow later was unloaded from the plane. Cox later said travel is “not looking good.”

Arklow and Laccario would be well backed in the $200,000 Turf Cup. Laccario already arrived at Del Mar this week.

Neither Arklow nor Laccario would be a cinch against a deep local cast. Phil D’Amato entered four, including Grade 2 winner Red King and recent arrival Say the Word, a Grade 1 winner in Canada. Richard Baltas trains 2019 Turf Cup winner Oscar Dominguez, who enters with the same pattern as last year.

Arklow would be the third horse in six years to win the Turf Cup while dropping from the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Beyond the travel snafu, another challenge for Arklow is the quick turnaround. He wheels back 20 days after finishing sixth in the BC Turf.

Arklow would be making his first start at Del Mar but the Grade 1 winner has won seven races and more than $2.5 million, and five of his wins were on courses he had not previously raced on. Arklow, who improved since adding blinkers two starts back, would be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Laccario, second in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Belmont in his U.S. debut, is accustomed to travel complications. He won four of eight starts in Germany, including a Group 1, but his first U.S. start could have been thwarted according to trainer Graham Motion.

“He literally got out of quarantine and ran,” Motion said. “The plane coming here was delayed and delayed. We just rode him under the shedrow for three days. He never got on the track once at Belmont before the race.”

Laccario finished second by 2 1/4 lengths to Channel Maker, who then finished third in the BC Turf. Motion expects Laccario to reproduce his form on Friday.

“He’s done great since,” Motion said. “He’s a cool horse, pretty straightforward. He’s had plenty of time to get over that race.”

Manuel Franco rides Laccario, who arrived at Del Mar on Tuesday.

Red King is the most recognizable of the D’Amato quartet. He won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap prior to finishing ninth in the BC Turf.

“I had no expectations of running him [in the Turf Cup] unless he told me he was doing really good, and he has,” D’Amato said.

Say the Word won the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine in October, and shipped a week later to California.

“He trains like a really, really nice horse,” D’Amato said. “He’s got a big, giant stride and kind of floats around there effortlessly. He’s trained as good as any horse I’ve had here at Del Mar.”

Say the Word will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

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D’Amato is taking a shot with front-runner Acclimate and Gregorian Chant. Acclimate led gate to wire in the 2019 Del Mar Handicap and finished ninth in the BC Turf, but has not raced in a year. Although his last two works are listed as five furlongs, D’Amato said both works were longer.

“He’s had back-to-back stamina drills, he’s fresh and happy,” D’Amato said.

Acclimate is expected to set the pace under Tyler Baze, while Gregorian Chant stretches out from a third in a minor stakes race and should be forwardly placed.

Oscar Dominguez is making his first start in two months, the same pattern he employed winning the Turf Cup one year ago.

“He’s the horse to worry about, because he’s got plenty of speed to run at,” Baltas said, adding that Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride. “He’s doing very well and he’ll make one run.”

Others in the field include second-level allowance winner North County Guy, Ward ’n Jerry, Proud Pedro, Marckie’s Water, and Another Mystery. The two on the also-eligible list are Tartini and Fivestar Lynch.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman