Whatsthescript remains sharp for Citation

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - By the time Whatsthescript rolled down the outside of the Santa Anita turf course to finish third in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Oct. 25, the race was long over. The French filly Goldikova had already dusted her male rivals.

Whatsthescript's third-place finish confirmed his status as the top turf miler in California. The one thing missing from Whatsthescript's campaign is a Grade 1 win, which can be solved with a victory in Friday's $400,000 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park.

A winner of two Grade 2 races earlier this year, Whatsthescript shares top weight of 120 pounds in the Citation, which is run at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Trainer John Sadler says that Whatsthescript has not lost any condition since the BC Mile.

"He's still sharp or I wouldn't run him," he said. "We were very happy with his race in the Breeders' Cup, considering we had the worst post. We feel with a better post we could have been second."

Whatsthescript broke from the outside of 11 runners in the BC Mile. In the Citation, he has drawn post 9 in a field of 10, but the race has a lengthy run to the first turn.

Owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Whatsthescript is the only runner from the BC Mile in the Citation. He is far from the only contender in the Citation. The race has drawn Hyperbaric, the winner of the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 28; Rebellion, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Oct. 25; and Formal Decree, the three-length winner of the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Handicap at Belmont on Oct. 25.

Sadler also starts Becrux, the winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in 2006. Becrux, who joined Sadler during the summer, won a seven-furlong allowance race on the main track at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 in his debut for the stable.

"He's been training super," Sadler said. "I expect a lot from him. He's one of these horses that when he's good he can win a race."

Trainer Julio Canani skipped the BC Mile with Hyperbaric, a winner of his last three starts. After watching the BC Mile, Canani said he had no regrets.

"That was a really tough race," he said. "My horse is fresh. He's happy, that's what counts."

There is no clear front-runner in the field, but Hyperbaric and Formal Decree are likely to be close to the lead. Formal Decree has drawn the outside post, and may be ridden early to gain a forward position. Owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Formal Decree, 5, set a modest pace in the Knickerbocker before pulling clear in early stretch.

"We feel he's going the right way," said Rick Mettee, Suroor's assistant. "We thought it was worth taking a shot. Whether he's a Grade 1 horse or not, I don't know."

Formal Decree has shown big-league form in the past. He was second in a Group 1 at 1 1/4 miles on turf in Munich, Germany, in July 2007.

Rebellion won two graded stakes on synthetic tracks earlier this year, and is seeking to end a four-race losing streak. He closed from last in a field of 12 to finish second to Albertus Maximus in the BC Dirt Mile.

"He showed he can go two turns," trainer Graham Motion said. "If he can duplicate that race, I'd like to think he could be very competitive."

Motion also starts Galantas, who finished second in the Grade 3 Robert Carey Memorial Handicap at Hawthorne on Sept. 27, but was disqualified and placed third for causing interference in the stretch. The Carey Memorial was Galantas's first start since a third in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in September 2007.

After the Carey, Motion began making plans to run Galantas in the Citation.

"I wanted to give him plenty of time after his first race" off a layoff, Motion said. "I've never had any luck running them back too quickly. Quite frankly, I think he belongs in a race like this."