Tuff Kid the star of Will Rogers Handicap
If the names of the new stakes races on Saturday’s card at Will Rogers Downs look familiar, it’s because both the $55,000 Cinema Handicap and $55,000 Will Rogers Handicap drew their inspiration from races run at the shuttered Hollywood Park near Los Angeles.
“We took them out of the stakes-history scrap pile,” said John Lies, the racing secretary and announcer at Will Rogers who is from Southern California.
Lies said the stakes names that were not carried over to either Del Mar or Santa Anita ended up being a perfect fit for Will Rogers because of the track’s name and that Will Rogers himself was associated with the cinema. Will Rogers, near Tulsa, Okla., needed names for a new pair of 3-year-old routes for Oklahoma-breds that received Oklahoma Racing Commission approval in April.
Will Rogers Handicap (Race 6)
KEY CONTENDERS
Tuff Kid, by Don’t Get Mad
Last 3 Beyers: 66-76-75
◗ He is the 124-pound highweight for this mile-and-70-yard race for colts and geldings after an Oaklawn season in which he won a $30,000 optional-claiming route and ran third in a pair of optional $62,500 claiming routes.
◗ Erik McNeil has the mount for owner Patrick DaSilva and trainer Jearl Hare.
Oliver G, by Magna Graduate
Last 3 Beyers: 70-68-50
◗ He is weighted at 122 pounds following a 9 1/2-length win in an entry-level allowance April 11. The start came against Oklahoma-breds at Will Rogers.
◗ Curtis Kimes has the mount for trainer Austin Gustafson.
Cinema Handicap (Race 4)
Chaparella, by Service Stripe
Last 3 Beyers: 63-53-46
◗ She is co-highweighted with Konawa Kween at 122 pounds for this mile-and-70-yard race for fillies.
◗ Chaparella comes off a 10 1/4-length maiden special weight win Dec. 5 at Remington Park.
◗ Bryan McNeil has the mount for trainer Roger Engel, who is winning races at a 42 percent clip at this meet.