Prevue, Moccasin put juveniles in spotlight
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Talk about a preview of coming attractions. Last fall at this meet, Lookin At Lucky won the Hollywood Futurity and Blind Luck took the Starlet, the biggest races of the season for 2-year-olds at Hollywood Park. Both went on to be division leaders this year.
The Futurity and the Starlet are next month, but some of the horses hoping to take a step toward those important Grade 1 races will be in action this weekend in seven-furlong prep races.
On Saturday, it’s the Futurity’s prep, the Grade 3, $100,000 Hollywood Prevue, which features several unbeaten promising youngsters. And on Sunday, it’s the $100,000 Moccasin Stakes, a prep for the Starlet, in which the impressive debut winner Turbulent Descent will jump right into stakes company.
Turbulent Descent, favored at 8-5 against 10 rivals in her debut here Oct. 3 during the Oak Tree meeting, earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 under jockey David Flores, who will be back aboard Sunday.
“David never turned her loose,” said Mike Puype, who trains Turbulent Descent. “She’s the real deal. She’s got a beautiful way of going. I’m expecting big things out of her.”
The Moccasin is likely to have a small field. Also pointing to the race are Sugarinthemorning (Patrick Valenzuela the rider), Tales In Excess (Joel Rosario), and Zazu (Mike Smith).
Indian Gracey, nominated to the Moccasin after being scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is “still not 100 percent” and will pass the race, according to Dan Ward, the local assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
The Prevue is headed by High Level Jeff, who won both his starts at Calder before being transferred to trainer Doug O’Neill after a majority interest was purchased by owner Paul Reddam. Rosario has the mount.
Industry Leader (Rafael Bejarano) and Premier Pegasus (Alonso Quinonez), both unbeaten, are definite for the Prevue. Hollywood Fierce could run here or the same day at Golden Gate Fields, trainer Dan Hendricks said.
Classic Legacy and Clubhouse Ride, both nominated to the Prevue, will instead go to Louisiana for the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Saturday. Joe Talamo rides Classic Legacy, while Valenzuela will be on Clubhouse Ride.
Garcia plans to return next month
Jockey Martin Garcia is out of action and will not be back until next month. According to his agent, Jim Pegram, Garcia is taking care of personal business in his native Mexico and also was a bit sore following the roughly run Breeders’ Cup Marathon.
In the Marathon, Garcia was dislodged from the saddle but somehow managed to land back on his mount when interfered with by Prince Will I Am, who was ridden by Javier Castellano. That incident sparked the widely seen fight between Castellano and jockey Calvin Borel.