Hollywood Hit Ready for Kennedy Road

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Photo: Coady Photography

Hollywood Hit

Hollywood Hit, Canada’s defending champion sprinter, will try for his third stakes win this year as he takes on five rivals in the Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-III) over Woodbine’s synthetic surface Saturday, Nov. 19. The son of Cactus Ridge will carry co-top weight of 124 pounds.

The six-furlong stakes is for 3-year-olds and up and is scheduled for 3:27 p.m.

Hollywood Hit, who will have the return services of jockey Jim McAleney, has run in nothing but stakes this year and sports wins in two of his four starts. He captured the Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine over four of the Kennedy Road contestants (Signature Red, Essence Hit Man, Fatal Bullet, and Paso Doble) and the Karl Boyes Memorial Stakes at Presque Isle Downs after starting the year with a fourth-place finish in the Vigil Stakes (Can-III). He goes into the Kennedy Road off a third-place effort in the King Corrie Stakes at Woodbine in September.

Fatal Bullet, the 2008 Canadian Horse of the Year and sprint champion, is headed into the Kennedy Road with a single win from six starts, all at Woodbine, and that triumph came in an optional claimer. The son of Red Bullet finished third, beaten a head, in the Play the King Stakes (Can-II) at Woodbine two races back and then ran 10th in the Nearctic Stakes (Can-IT) in mid-October. He was ridden in both races by Emma-Jayne Wilson, who will ride him in the Kennedy Road.

Essence Hit Man, who has sprinted to the lead in all but two of his 17 lifetime starts, started the year on a positive note when winning the Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine in April. His best efforts after that have come in runner-up finishes in the Vigil and in an Oct. 30 allowance. J.M. Campbell will ride the son of Speightstown   for the second straight time.

Like Hollywood Hit, the three remaining members of the field are multiple winners this year. Paso Doble is the lone member of the threesome with two stakes triumphs. He won the New Providence Stakes and the Shepperton Stakes, both of which were held at Woodbine, and managed to win two other races at the Toronto track. Patrick Husbands will ride the son of Bold n' Flashy for the fourth straight time.

Signature Red, who was a close second in the Bold Venture, recorded his lone triumph this year in the Highlander Stakes (Can-IIT), a race he also won last year. The son of Bernstein will be ridden again by Luis Contreras.

Gypsy Ring, by Where's the Ring, finished third last out in the Nearctic, beaten a neck. He sports wins this year in the Overskate Stakes and in an optional claimer, both at Woodbine.  Justin Stein rides.

$150,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-III, Race 6, 3:27 p.m.), 3-Year-Olds and Up, 6 Furlongs
Post  Horse  Jockey  Weight  Trainer
1. Hollywood Hit  J McAleney  124  T Jordan
2. Paso Doble  P Husbands  124  M E Casse
3. Gypsy Ring  J Stein  119  P M Buttigieg
4. Signature Red  L Contreras  119  S C Allard
5. Essence Hit Man  J M Campbell 124 A Cappuccitti
6. Fatal Bullet  E Wilson  124 R Baker 
 

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