Jerry Durant’s Amarish, a runaway maiden winner and an easy victor in the June 16 Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes, towers over six rivals for the July 14 Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (gr. III).
The $150,000 race, for 2-year-olds going six furlongs over the Cushion Track at Betfair Hollywood Park, will go as the second race on the program with an approximate post time of 1:31 p.m. PDT.
Amarish, a bay gelding by Scat Daddy, is the second foal out of the stakes-placed mare Issue, by Awesome Again .
He broke his maiden at first asking May 26, going wire to wire at 6-5 under Edwin Maldonado, getting 4 1/2 furlongs in :44.75 and winning by 7 3/4 lengths. He returned in the 5 1/2-furlong Proctor and went off the 7-10 choice before winning by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:04.55.
Bred in Kentucky by Crown Bloodstock and Chelsea Bloodstock, Amarish is trained by Jeff Bonde. He sold for $30,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale to Crupi’s New Castle Farm, agent, then was sold by Crupi’s New Castle Farm to Hunter Valley Farm, agent, for $200,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s select 2-year-old auction earlier this year.
Fifth in the Proctor was Just Call Me Al who returns to face Amarish again. Owned and trained by Mike Harrington the Cal-bred Redattore ridgling broke his maiden first time out May 6 prior to moving to stakes company.
Breaking from the outside in post 7 is Strong Wind, a California-bred son of Tribal Rule—Chalk Face, by Memo, who broke his maiden in his third attempt June 30. Bred by Mark Tatch, Strong Wind races for the Roncelli Family Trust and Bill and Sue Tomasic. He is trained by Steve Knapp.
Trainer John Sadler has a pair for the Juvenile Championship in the form of Carson's Crown and the Iowa-bred Scherer Magic. Carson’s Crown, owned by Ike Thrash, came from just off the pace to win at first asking June 14 at Hollywood Park, getting five furlongs in :58.66.
Bred in Kentucky by Barr Inman, Carson’s Crown (Harlan's Holiday—Delicatessa, by Dare and Go) was a $55,000 Keeneland September sale yearling. Scherer Magic was claimed for $50,000 out of his winning debut at Hollywood June 14 by Sadler for Gary Barber. Scherer traveled five furlongs in :58.09 and won by 7 1/4 lengths.
Myung Kwan Cho’s homebred Dirty Swagg will break from the rail under Garrett Gomez. Dirty Swagg, from the first crop of Street Hero, closed from 11th to finish fifth in his July 1 debut. He is a half brother to Cho’s Love Theway Youare, winner of the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) earlier this year.
Street Hero was bred and raced by Cho and won the 2008 Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-olds and ran third in that year’s Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (gr. III, Race 2, post 1:31 p.m.), 2YOs, 6 Furlongs (All Weather)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Wgt., Trainer
1, Dirty Swagg, G. Gomez, 115, M. Cho
2, Confederate Recon, A. Delgadillo, 115, E. Guillot
3, Carson’s Crown, M. Pedroza, 119, J. Sadler
4, Just Call Me Al, M. Garcia, 119, M. Harrington
5, Scherer Magic, J. Talamo, 117, J. Sadler
6, Amarish, E. Maldonado, 121, J. Bonde
7, Strong Wind, K. Krigger, 119, S. Knapp
