(from Hollywood Park report)
Runway Rosie goes for her third successive victory with the services of the country's leading money-winning jockey in Garrett Gomez when she faces her toughest career test in Sunday's $459,250 Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) at Hollywood Park.Runway Rosie, who came from off the pace under Gomez to win the Sharp Cat at the Starlet distance of 1 1/16 miles last out, faces much stronger opposition in Sunday's 2-year-old filly event.The lightly raced Starlet field of 13 juvenile fillies includes five stakes winners and four stakes-placed horses. Not to be deterred, trainer Bobby Frankel entered maiden Down, a fast-closing second after breaking slowly in her only career start.David Hofmans, who sent out Balance to a second-place finish in the 2005 Starlet, trains Runway Rosie. She broke her maiden on turf in her third career start, then was shifted to Hollywood Park's synthetic surface for the Sharp Cat, looking right at home while moving to the lead three-wide in the final furlong.Several horses have successfully shifted from turf to Cushion Track during the Hollywood Park meeting, a trend others will try to duplicate in the Starlet. Mystic Soul, second in the Miesque Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Hollywood grass Nov. 25, will starts for the first time on the main track after making each of her three previous efforts on turf. She was claimed while winning her career debut at Belmont Park Oct. 5, then finished second in the Miss Grillo on a yielding course before arriving in the barn of Jeff Mullins.Hucking Hot, fifth in the Miesque and winner of the Hidden Light on turf at Santa Anita Oct. 27, will also try Cushion Track for the first time as she makes her third North American start. She ran second in her career debut on a synthetic surface in Great Britain before being shifted to turf.Quick Little Miss enters the Starlet following an impressive come-from-behind victory in the seven-furlong Moccasin Stakes over the surface Nov. 19. After the race, trainer Mel Stute said he erred in running Quick Little Miss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, where she finished 10th. Winner of the Barretts Debutante and third-place finisher in the Oak Leaf (gr. I) before the trip east, she enters the Starlet with a race-high $164,230 in earnings.She's Included, third-place finisher in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) in September, also made a trip to the Breeders' Cup, finishing sixth in the Juvenile Fillies. Christopher Paasch, who sent out Diplomat Lady to an upset win in the 2005 Starlet, believes he has She's Included back on track."It would be nice to repeat," said Paasch, attempting to become the first trainer to do so since D. Wayne Lukas in 1997. "I have a good filly. She'll show up, she's been training very well."Mistical Plan, owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill, won the Cover Gal by 7 ½ lengths Oct. 8 at Santa Anita, then finished second in the Pocahontas (gr. III) over one mile at Churchill Downs on Oct. 29. Down has trained well for Frankel since shipping from New York.$459,250 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I, Race 9, 4:35 p.m.), 2-Year-Old Fillies, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey
1. Baroness Thatcher (KY), Julien Leparoux
2. Tizthen (FL), Kent J. Desormeaux
3. Betrluckythangood (KY), Richard Migliore
4. Super Freaky (FL), Martin Garcia
5. Hucking Hot (GB), Jose Valdivia, Jr.
6. Quick Little Miss (KY), Jon Court
7. Romance Is Diane (CA), David Flores
8. Down (MD), Alex O. Solis
9. She's Included (KY), Victor Espinoza
10. High Cholesterol (CA), Michael Baze
11. Runway Rosie (KY), Garrett Gomez
12. Mistical Plan (CA), Corey Nakatani
13. Mystic Soul (FL), Aaron Gryder
Each assigned 120 pounds.
