Comma to the Top will seek his third win of the year and fifth stakes victory at Betfair Hollywood Park against six opponents in the $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III) on Memorial Day May 27.
Trained by Peter Miller for owners Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, and Kevin Tsujihara, Comma to the Top enters off a win as the 2-1 favorite in the Cool Frenchy Stakes May 4. He won the Tom Fool Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack March 2 as well.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Bwana Charlie has won 13 of 30 starts in his career and earned $1,233,406. HIs local wins include the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) as a 2-year-old, when he put together three stakes victories in a span of six weeks during the 2010 Hollywood autumn meet.
Comma to the Top is the 121-pound highlight in the six-furlong Los Angeles, which lured a field of seven to the Cushion Track. It is race 4 on the Monday program, which also includes the Gamely Stakes (gr. IT) for fillies and mares on the turf. The Los Angeles is scheduled to go off at 2:30 p.m. PDT.
Camp Victory will be making his third consecutive start in the Los Angeles for owners Roger Featherston, Gordon Jacobsen, Tom Miller, and Lux Frost. The Forest Camp gelding won the race in 2011 due to the disqualification of Amazombie, then was third behind Roman Threat and Centralinteligence a year ago.
The Virginia-bred 6-year-old has won eight of 27 and earned $550,986, including the Triple Bend Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood June 30 for trainer Mike Mitchell, who claimed him for $40,000 Feb. 13, 2011.
Fourth in the Cool Frenchy in his return after more than 10 months on the sidelines, Centralinteligence will be aiming for his fourth win for a partnership that includes Amerman Racing, Bongo Racing Stable, and Gary Finder. Ron Ellis, who won the 1990 Los Angeles Handicap with Timeless Answer, trains the 5-year-old Smarty Jones gelding.
Ellis is also scheduled to start Jeffrey Bloom's comebacking Majestic City , who hasn’t won since taking the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III) July 17, 2011. The 4-year-old City Zip colt began his career with three consecutive victories—all at Hollywood Park— but finished his 2-year-old campaign with four losses in a row and was 0-for-3 as a 3-year-old while trained by Miller.
Majestic City was last seen finishing sixth in the second division of the Oceanside Stakes last July on grass at Del Mar.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who won last year's L.A. Handicap with Roman Threat, sends out the duo of Apriority and Fast Bullet.
Owned by breeder Don Dizney, Apriority has lost eight in a row since winning the Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III) Dec. 31, 2011 at Gulfstream Park.
Fast Bullet has won his two races over Cushion Track by a combined 11 lengths for Zayat Stables. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown has just four starts, winning three, but has been idle since winning an optional claimer locally by 7 1/4 lengths Dec. 6.
$100,000 Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III, Race 4, 2:30 p.m.), 3 & Up, 6 furlongs (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Majestic City (KY), D R Flores, 114, R W Ellis
2. Fast Bullet (KY), M Garcia, 116, B Baffert
3. Comma to the Top (FL), E A Maldonado, 121, P Miller
4. Tiz Tee Time (KY), G L Stevens, 113, C Autrey
5. Camp Victory (VA), J Talamo, 118, M R Mitchell
6. Centralinteligence (KY), V Espinoza, 115, R W Ellis
7. Apriority (FL), R Bejarano, 117, B Baffert