Comma to the Top, dominant in his past three starts on synthetic tracks, makes his turf debut as part of a field of nine juveniles in the $100,000 Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park Nov. 27.
The Generous, part of opening day of the weekend-long Turf Festival at Hollywood, goes as the seventh event on a 10-race program at 3:35 p.m. PST. It is one of two graded stakes on the program along with the Citation Handicap (gr. IIT), which is the ninth race.
A rousing 6 ½-length winner in the Real Quiet Stakes on Cushion Track in his last start Nov. 6 at Hollywood, Comma to the Top drew post 8 for the Generous, a one-mile test. Comma to the Top won two races on Golden Gate Fields' Tapeta main track before the Real Quiet by a combined 10 lengths. The Bwana Charlie gelding has won four of eight starts in 2010, all on synthetic surfaces.
“He’s got the pedigree,” said trainer Peter Miller Nov. 24 of the transition to grass. “He’s got In Excess on top and Stormy Atlantic on the bottom.
“He’s just getting better and better,” said Miller of the Florida-bred. “He just worked five furlongs in :59 2/5 and looked like he was going 1:03. I’m excited about him. Hopefully after this, he will come back in the Futurity ($750,000 CashCall Futurity, Dec. 18).”
Comma to the Top is owned by Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, and Kevin Tsujihara.
Corey Nakatani has the Generous call on Comma to the Top with high weight of 122 pounds. Rivals include two English imports, Surrey Star and Dominator.
Irish-bred Surrey Star, ridden in his United States debut by Joe Talamo for Jim Cassidy, finished second by a nose in the Somerville Tattersall Stakes (Eng-III) at Newmarket and earned a sparkling 102 Racing Post rating. The Dubawi colt started eight times in Great Britain with a maiden win, two seconds, and two thirds.
Dominator, one of three horses entered by Doug O’Neill, won a maiden stakes at Ayr by a neck in his only start on Aug. 7. He is a British-bred gelding by Motivator.
“Dominator has been here a few weeks,” said O’Neill, who also plans to saddle Boxeur des Rues and Divine Child in the Generous.
J. Paul Reddam's Boxeur des Rues, a son of Smart Strike, is to be reunited with jockey Rafael Bejarano. He bolted with Bejarano aboard at the far turn and unseated him in his United States debut in Oak Tree's Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) at Hollywood Oct. 2.
“Boxeur des Rues has been working with Rafael and has been looking like the horse we hoped he was,” said O’Neill. Boxeur des Rues won his debut over a synthetic track at Kempton in September.
Divine Child, a Pleasantly Perfect colt owned by O'Neill and his brother Dennis, finished fourth in the Real Quiet Nov. 6, but was more than 12 lengths behind Comma to the Top.
Also part of the the field is Irish-bred Moment of Weakness, who split the field in the Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) over the Keeneland turf in his last start Oct. 10, and two-time sprint winner Gab Power.
$100,000 Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 7, 3:35 p.m.), 2-Year-Olds, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Tappin Tough (CA), V Espinoza, 116, W Solis
2. Mazarron (KY), J Rosario, 118, A Kitchingman
3. Moment of Weakness (IRE), B Blanc, 116, J Lloyd
4. Surrey Star (IRE), J Talamo, 116, J M Cassidy
5. Gab Power (CA), P A Valenzuela, 116, P Eurton
6. Boxeur des Rues (KY), R Bejarano, 118, D F O'Neill
7. Dominator (GB), M A Pedroza, 116, D F O'Neill
8. Comma to the Top (FL), C S Nakatani, 122, P Miller
9. Divine Child (KY), D R Flores, 116, D F O'Neill
Real Quiet winner Comma to the Top tries turf in the Generous.
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