Santa Anita: Hollendorfer doubles his chances in San Pasqual

ARCADIA, Calif. – Blueskiesnrainbows and Rousing Sermon finished first and third in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14, part of a sweep of the first three positions by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

For Saturday’s $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita, Hollendorfer has only two runners with Blueskiesnrainbows and Rousing Sermon. They may be all he needs to complete the exacta.

“I can’t predict that,” Hollendorfer said Thursday. “I hope they’ll run well.”

Both Blueskiesnrainbows and Rousing Sermon approach the Grade 2 San Pasqual with excellent credentials. They are part of a field of seven in the race over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The Hollendorfer-trained Hear the Ghost, second in the Native Diver, will run in the $200,000 Strub Stakes on Jan. 18.[bc_video_id:313833:]

Blueskiesnrainbows was second in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon over 1 3/4 miles at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, leading in the stretch before finishing a length behind English invader London Bridge. The San Pasqual will be his first start at 1 1/16 miles since a fourth in an allowance race on turf last July. He won an allowance race over a mile last March.

“We think he can run a mile and a sixteenth or whatever we want him to do,” Hollendorfer said. “He’s had two good races. He’s a horse that is doing good right now.”

Blueskiesnrainbows often races near the lead. He led throughout the Native Diver, but closed from fourth in a field of 10 in the BC Marathon.

“Our horse doesn’t have to have the lead,” Hollendorfer said. “He can lead or come from off the pace.”

The San Pasqual distance should suit Rousing Sermon, who won the On Trust Handicap over 7 1/2 furlongs for California-breds at Hollywood Park on Nov. 24. Cyclometer, second in the On Trust, returned to win the Midnight Lute Stakes for sprinters last weekend at Santa Anita.

Rousing Sermon was beaten a length by Blueskiesnrainbows in the Native Diver after a wide trip.

“He’ll run very well,” Hollendorfer said.

Last October, Rousing Sermon was second to Majestic City in the Big Bear Stakes over a mile. Majestic City led throughout the Big Bear and is part of the San Pasqual field. Trained by Ron Ellis, Majestic City is expected to race near the pace, which would give Rousing Sermon a target.

The San Pasqual field includes Blingo, Drill, Majestic Harbor, and Spud Spivens.

Blingo, trained by John Shirreffs, won the I’m A Banker Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park in October, which was his second start of 2013. Blingo won the La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf here in 2012.

Drill, trained by Bob Baffert, is best known for winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in 2011, but was winless in nine starts in 2013. Drill was fourth in the Native Diver.

Majestic Harbor, trained by Sean McCarthy, has not raced since finishing fourth in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs last May. Spud Spivens is unraced since finishing fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup in July 2012.