Veterans meet in Hollywood Turf Cup

Seeing that the marathon turf specialists Bigger Picture and Ashleyluvssugar have been around practically forever, you’d think they would have met by now. Better late than never.

The veteran millionaires face each other for the first time Friday at Del Mar in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup, a 1 1/2-mile race in which senior citizens take center stage.

Bigger Picture, Ashleyluvssugar and longshot Can’thelpbelieving – 7-year-old geldings that are graded winners – are among eight in the $200,000 race. Krewe Chief will scratch, leaving seven runners including unlucky Ya Gotta Wanna, Beach View, Chicago Style, and Marckie’s Water.

Bigger Picture and Ashleyluvssugar, with 21 combined wins and $2.7 million in collective earnings, are meeting only by fate. Bigger Picture, based in the East and Midwest, entered a Grade 2 last Saturday at Aqueduct. Rain forced the turf race to dirt, Bigger Picture scratched, and trainer Mike Maker looked west.

“The next logical step was Del Mar, so we supplemented him and flew him out to California,” Maker said this week from Kentucky. “He should be very competitive. He’s an old pro, so I don’t think the traveling will have an effect on him.”

Bigger Picture made his career debut in December 2013, and has won at six racetracks under various conditions. Recently competitive against good company, he is the 5-2 program favorite.

California-based Ashleyluvssugar has been around longer – his debut was in August 2013. It took a year and a half for trainer Peter Eurton to unlock his potential. “We were trying to figure out how far he wanted to go,” he recalled.

In winter 2015, he won a 1 1/8-mile allowance.

“That’s when we kind of figured we had something, at age 4,” Eurton said. “He showed so much athleticism and stamina.”

From there, Ashleyluvssugar went up the ladder – that winter at Santa Anita he scored his first two of five Grade 2 victories.

Although he has not won since May 2017, Ashleyluvssugar finished second in a Grade 2 last out, and enters in solid form. His tactical speed should translate to a comfortable trip setting or pressing easy fractions.

KEY CONTENDERS

Bigger Picture, by Badge of Silver

Last 3 Beyers: 96-99-94

◗ He was claimed away from Maker for $25,000 in summer 2014. Maker reclaimed him for $32,000 in fall 2015 on behalf of Three Diamonds Farm.

◗ He won the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth in 2017. He also has won three Grade 3’s. Mike Smith rides.

Ashleyluvssugar, by Game Plan

Last 3 Beyers: 98-94-93

◗ He will have a different jockey; regular rider Gary Stevens announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Ya Gotta Wanna, by Proud Citizen

Last 3 Beyers: 96-83-97

◗ There is no shortage of confidence from trainer Phil D’Amato. “He’s been the victim of a couple [bad] trips,” D’Amato said. “In my eyes, he’s the horse to beat.” Grade 2-placed Ya Gotta Wanna was blocked through the stretch last out, misfired on dirt two back, and had a nightmare trip three back.

◗ Flavien Prat rides him Friday for the first time.