Get Funky, winner last year of the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT), heads a field of eight headed to the post Saturday in the Inglewood Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park.
The $100,000 race is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the southern California track’s grass course.
By Straight Man, 4-year-old Get Funky has won half of his six starts on turf including the Del Mar Derby by 1 ½ lengths last September. He ended the year with a sixth place finish, though beaten only three lengths, in the Sir Beaufort (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita.
Trainer John Sadler sent Get Funky out for the first time this year in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park and he ran a dull race on the dirt. Returned to California, Keith Abrahams’ runner won an allowance race over the Santa Anita turf a month ago.
Jose Valdivia Jr. gets the return mount on Get Funky, who carries co-highweight of 117 pounds.
Interestingly, another Del Mar Derby winner, Willow O Wisp, is in the field. The son of Misnomer won the race in 2005, a year in which he won three graded stakes on turf for owner Robert Alexander and trainer Vladimir Cerin.
Willow O Wisp has made only one start this year, returning from a layoff of more than 10 months to run third April 7 in the Arcadia Handicap (gr. IIT) after making the lead in his typical fashion but giving it up late to be beaten a half length.
Red Fort, who has placed in the grade I Whittingham Memorial Handicap the past two years and is making his first start of 2007, and Sound Breeze, won was beaten just a neck in his North American debut after not having run since the fall of 2005, could both offer stiff competition.
The field, in post order, with jockey assignment and weight:
Railroad, 116, Aaron Gryder
Courtly Jazz, 113, Clinton Potts
Get Funky, 117, Jose Valdivia Jr.
Stormin Away, 116, Martin Garcia
After Market, 115, Alex Solis
Willow O Wisp, 117, David Cohen
Red Fort, 117, David Flores
Sound Breeze, 114, Joseph Talamo