(Edited Hollywood Park release)
Meal Penalty, an unbeaten 2-year-old from the barn of the nation’s leading trainer, will try to stretch his streak to three when he faces 12 rivals in the $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) on Thanksgiving Day at Hollywood Park.
Todd Pletcher, whose horses have earned a nation-leading $26 million in 2007, sent Meal Penalty west following victories at Meadowlands and Keeneland. The colt will be ridden by recent eastern arrival Rafael Bejarano, fifth-leading jockey in North America.
Meal Penalty, a son of Tale of the Cat , has worked well since arriving at Hollywood. His latest win came at the Prevue distance of seven furlongs when he prevailed by a nose under Bejarano in an allowance race on Keeneland’s synthetic track.
The Prevue is an important stepping-stone to the $750,000 CashCall Futurity (gr. I) here Dec. 22. Four Prevue winners have gone on to win the Futurity, which has produced six Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winners in 26 years.
Bob Baffert, trainer of three straight Prevue winners from 1996 to 1998, will saddle Massive Drama. In his lone start, the son of Kafwain won over six furlongs on a muddy track at Monmouth Park Oct. 26 under Kent Desormeaux, who will ship west to accept the mount.
Into Mischief, a son of Harlan's Holiday trained by Richard Mandella, also won his lone start, connecting at 6 ½ furlongs Oct. 21 at Oak Tree. Espinoza, aiming for his third Prevue victory, retains the call.
Run Brother Ron, a son of Perfect Mandate, has started at different tracks in each of his six starts and boasts two stakes scores. Trained by Jeff Bonde, he enters the Prevue with three wins in six starts and a race-high $102,007 in earnings.
Irish-bred Spinning Sound, a winner on an all-weather surface in Europe, is expected to be entered in Friday’s Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT); D. Double You aims for his third win in four starts; Sky Cape returns to a synthetic surface after finishing second on turf in the Pinjara; Drewthegentleman has one win in four starts; Courageous Son is two-for-four at Emerald Downs; Bob Black Jack broke his maiden in his second start at Del Mar; Larry Revenge enters following a win at Oak Tree in his second career start; Reel Prime finished third in the Beau Brummel before breaking his maiden in his seventh start; and Red Hot Flame won his lone start here over 4 ½ furlongs in May.
Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) Race 7
Time 2:00 (Pacific Time)
Post Horse Weight Jockey
1 Spinning Sound 118 Patrick Valenzuela
2 D. Double You 118 Mike Smith
3 Meal Penalty 118 Rafael Bejarano
4 Massive Drama 116 Kent Desormeaux
5 Sky Cape 116 Corey Nakatani
6 Drewthegentleman 116 Alex Solis
7 Into Mischief 116 Victor Espinoza
8 Courageous Son 118 Tyler Baze
9 Run Brother Ron 120 Carlos Silva
10 Bob Black Jack 116 David Flores
11 Larrys Revenge 118 Martin Garcia
12 Reel Prime 118 Jose Valdivia Jr.
13 Red Hot Flame 118 Brice Blanc
