Fifteen 3-year-olds, including Travers Stakes (gr. I) dead-heat winner Golden Ticket , are entered in the $250,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Nov. 25 at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Fourteen are to start, with Groovin' Solo on the also-eligible list. The Hollywood Derby, the final race of this year's Turf Festival, is part of a grade I grass stakes doubleheader with the Matriarch, for fillies and mares at one mile. The 10-furlong Hollywood Derby is race 9 on the 10-race card and is set for a 4:35 p.m. PST post.
Golden Ticket, who finished in a dead heat with Alpha in the Travers Stakes Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course, would make only his second start on turf.
A son of Speightstown and the Deputy Minister mare Business Plan owned by Magic City Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Ken McPeek, Golden Ticket has won two of 11 while earning $648,335. He was second behind Finnegans Wake in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on New Year’s Day in his prior race on grass.
Golden Ticket has not raced since finishing third in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) Sept. 22 at Philadelphia's Parx Racing, a race won by another Hollywood Derby entrant, Handsome Mike . The dark bay colt drew post 6 and will be handled by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
The Irish-bred Rjwa will try to become the first filly to win the Derby since Royal Heroine in 1983. Owned by Sheikh Joann Bin Hamad Al Thani and trained by Francois Rohaud, the 3-year-old daughter of Muhtathir was most recently fifth in the Prix de l'Opera Longines (Fr-I) Oct. 7 at Longchamp. In June, Rjwa was third in the group I French Oaks. She gets a three-pound weight break here.
Trainer Graham Motion, in search of his first Hollywood Derby win, will send out a pair in Lucky Chappy and General Logan.
Owned by Team Valor International, Lucky Chappy, an Irish-bred son of High Chaparral, seeks to snap an eight-race losing streak. He was seventh in the Kent Stakes (gr. IIIT) in his most recent try Sept. 22 at Delaware Park.
Bred in Kentucky and owned by Jack Swain III, General Logan arrives having won three in a row at Presque Isle Downs and Keeneland. The Exchange Rate gelding will be making his initial appearance in a graded race.
Lewis Lakin's Unbridled Command has won four in a row for and trainer Tom Bush, including a grade III victory in the Saranac Sept. 2 at Saratoga. A New York-bred son of Master Command, Unbridled Command is 5-for-9 in his career with earnings of $319,040. He hasn’t lost since finishing third in a state bred allowance May 26 at Belmont Park.
In his second start since springing a 19-1 upset in the Pennsylvania Derby, Handsome Mike will try to rebound from a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita. A Scat Daddy colt trained by Doug O'Neill for Reddam Racing, Handsome Mike has won twice in 11 starts and earned $756,780.
Handsome Mike broke his maiden on turf Oct. 16, 2011, at Santa Anita when trained by Melody Conlon for owner John Liviakis. He was also second behind Stoney Fleece over the local turf in the Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT) six weeks later. To be ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Handsome Mike will race without blinkers.
Grandeur and Speaking of Which, the 1-2 finishers in the Twilight Derby (gr. IIT), Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, will tangle again Sunday.
Owned by Yvonne Jacques and trained by Jeremy Noseda, Grandeur finished a half-length in front of Speaking of Which in the Twilight, formerly the Oak Tree Derby, his United States debut.
Dermot Weld trains Speaking of Which for owner-breeder Moyglare Stud Farm. The Invincible Spirit colt, bred in Ireland, has two wins in five starts.
Like Unbridled Command, Summer Front is shipping from New York. The War Front colt has won five of nine for Waterford Stable and trainer Christophe Clement. The lone graded win for the Kentucky-bred came in the Hill Prince (gr. IIT) June 16 at Belmont, but he has been third in a pair of grade I events in his last two starts.
Summer Front wound up 2 1/2 lengths behind Bayrir in the Secretariat Aug. 18 at Arlington Park before finishing 1 1/4 lengths back of King David in the Jamaica Handicap Oct. 6 at Belmont.
Grandeur and Rjwa race without Lasix.
$250,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT, Race 9, 4:35 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/4 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Big Bane Theory (CA), J Talamo, 122, C Gaines
2. Handsome Mike (KY), M Gutierrez, 122, D F O'Neill
3. Unbridled Command (NY), J Castellano, 122, T M Bush
4. Grandeur (IRE), G K Gomez, 122, J Noseda
5. Smart Ellis (KY), C S Nakatani, 122, R E Mandella
6. Golden Ticket (KY), M E Smith, 122, K G McPeek
7. Power Foot (KY), E A Maldonado, 122, R E Mandella
8. Rjwa (IRE), T Jarnet, 119, F Rohaut
9. My Best Brother (KY), M Garcia, 122, J C Canani
10. Lucky Chappy (IRE), J R Leparoux, 122, H G Motion
11. Speaking of Which (IRE), P J Smullen, 122, D K Weld
12. All Squared Away (KY), R Bejarano, 122, P Miller
13. Summer Front (KY), R A Dominguez, 122, C Clement
14. General Logan (KY), E Castro, 122, H G Motion
Also Eligible
15. Groovin' Solo (KY), B Blanc, 122, M K Cho
Blinkers Off: Handsome Mike
Travers Stakes dead-heat winner Golden Ticket (right) is among those entered in the Hollywood Derby.
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