Grade II winner Well Monied will make her first start in 11 months in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT) April 30 over the turf at Hollywood Park.
The one-mile Wilshire, which kicks off the three-race grass series at Hollywood for older fillies and mares, drew a field of 11. It is the eighth of nine races on the program with an expected start of 4:35 p.m. PDT.
Well Monied, now 5, was at or near the top the Southern California filly grass division in the summer of 2009, winning three consecutive races capped by Hollywood's Honeymoon Stakes (gr. IIT) as the 7-5 choice in her stakes debut. She followed that with a runner-up effort in the American Oaks (gr. IT) and a third as the favorite in the Del Mar Oaks (gr. I).
Sidelined until last April, Well Monied won a top-level allowance before finishing a game fourth in the Gamely, 1 1/2 lengths behind Tuscan Evening May 29. She is returning this time after being retired following the Gamely.
The gray daughter of Maria’s Mon, owned by C.T. Grether and trained by Howard Zucker, has won four of 10 with earnings of $386,300.
“She came back last year off a long layoff to win,’’ said Zucker. “She’s training better than ever.’’
Well Monied, the 119-pound high weight, faces several up-and-coming challengers in the Wilshire. A couple of them have been knocking on the door for a graded stakes win.
Six-year-old Lilly Fa Pootz has won more than $250,000 for Team Green and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer since being claimed for $16,000 in December 2009, although she has lost her past eight starts. The Gilded Time mare has finished in the money in 13 of her 17 starts for her current connections. She ran third in the nine-furlong Santa Ana Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita March 19 and won over the Hollywood turf in an allowance last June.
First or second in four of five on the Hollywood Park turf, Burg Berg enters off a second-place finish in the restricted Santa Lucia March 27 at Santa Anita. Trained by Paco Gonzalez for owner-breeders John and Cheryl Toffan, the 5-year-old daughter of Johannesburg has four wins in 19 attempts.
Burg Berg’s last victory came in the restricted Swingtime Stakes at the Wilshire distance Oct. 10 during the Oak Tree meet at Hollywood.
Dubawi Heights has won two in a row for trainer Simon Callaghan, who owns the British-bred filly in partnership, after failing in her initial two races in the United States. The 4-year-old, who placed in a group II event at York, is 2-for-10 lifetime with a bankroll of $449,146.
Callaghan also entered Smart Striking, who has a second and a third in her first two races in this country. Owned by Clodagh McStay, the 4-year-old Smart Strike filly had two wins in Ireland.
Blue Maiden, whose lone win since arriving from England came on the Hollywood Park turf course last Oct. 3, will be trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella his third Wilshire victory. Owned by Earle Mack, Blue Maiden, a 4-year-old Medicean filly, has a win and three seconds from five U.S. starts.
Mandella’s second entrant is Diamond A Racing's Miss Pleasant. The 5-year-old Pleasantly Perfect mare hasn’t been out since trailing in the Adoration last Sept. 5 at Del Mar.
Talktoomuch, a 7-year-old daughter of Royal Academy, has won six of eight starts on the Hollywood grass. A $32,000 claim by Mike Mitchell for Indizguys Stable last November, Talktoomuch is making her first graded stakes start,
Trainer Neil Drysdale will send out Chilean-bred Vamo a Galupiar, a grade I winner in her native country. Owned by Robert S. Evans, the 4-year-old Proud Citizen filly makes her North American debut.
Saanneen, from the Leonard Powell barn, attempts two turns for the first time after posting two wins and two seconds in four tries on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita this year.
$100,000 Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT, Race 8, 4:35 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Burg Berg (KY), M A Pedroza, 117, J P Gonzalez
2. Blue Maiden (GB), M Garcia, 114, R E Mandella
3. Givine (FR), A Quinonez, 115, J C Canani
4. Lilly Fa Pootz (KY), M E Smith, 117, J Hollendorfer
5. Miss Pleasant (KY), C Sutherland, 114, R E Mandella
6. Well Monied (KY), R Bejarano, 119, H L Zucker
7. Dubawi Heights (GB), J Rosario, 113, S Callaghan
8. Saanneen (KY), V Espinoza, 113, L Powell
9. Vamo a Galupiar (CHI), D R Flores, 118, N D Drysdale
10. Smart Striking (KY), L Medina, 114, S Callaghan
11. Talktoomuch (KY), J Talamo, 115, M R Mitchell
Well Monied will make her first start in 11 months in the Wilshire Handicap at Hollywood Park.
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