Frankel Deals Solid Hand in Citation

Bobby Frankel appears to have Saturday's $400,000 Citation Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park surrounded with three entrants in the 1 1/16-mile grass event.

Frankel, who entered this year's Turf Festival with an unrivaled 11 victories in the three-day series of stakes worth $1.75 million, takes aim at the Citation with co-high weight Nothing to Lose, track record-setter Leroidesanimaux and British import Three Valleys, a top-ranked juvenile in England.

The Citation, which drew a solid field of 11, attained grade I status this year. It heads a 10-race card that marks the Turf Festival's second day, which includes the $100,000 Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 2-year-olds at one mile over the Lakeside Turf Course.

Nothing to Lose will be making his first start at Hollywood Park and be ridden for the first time by Eastern-based Edgar Prado. He was the second choice in last month's Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT), but a lost shoe and wide trip contributed to an eleventh-place showing at Lone Star Park.

The 4-year-old colt, owned and bred by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, previously had won Keeneland's Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) by 4 1/2 lengths and has won half of his 12 grass starts while earning $809,210.

Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux set a Hollywood Park course record of 1:38.45 at the Citation distance when taking the Inglewood Handicap (gr. IIIT) on May 1. He subsequently won the Morvich Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita Park. He is riding a four-race winning streak in this country and will be handled by Jon Court.

Three Valleys, who will have Ramon Dominguez aboard for his U.S. debut, was England's high-weighted 2-year-old colt of 2003 for owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms. He finished first in last year's Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket but was disqualified for a clenbuterol violation while trained by Roger Charlton. He lost the Dewhurst Stakes (Eng-I) by a head at Newmarket.

Special Ring, who shares high weight assignment of 120 pounds, has won the last two runnings of the Eddie Read Handicap (gr. IT) at Del Mar for trainer Julio Canani. He, too, had a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup Mile when finishing 13th after stumbling at the start.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has dispatched Mingun, a son of A.P. Indy, to Hollywood Park for the Citation. Mingun won three straight races as a 2-year-old in Ireland including the Meld Stakes (Ire-III) at Leopardstown.

$400,000 Citation Handicap (gr. IT), 3 & up, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight
1. A to the Z, Garrett Gomez, 114
2. Leroidesanimaux, Jon Court, 117
3. Nothing to Lose, Edgar Prado, 120
4. Tsigane, Martin Pedroza, 116
5. Buckland Manor, Rene Douglas, 116
6. Gondolieri, Gary Stevens, 115
7. Mingun, Kent Desormeaux, 115
8. Three Valleys, Ramon Dominguez, 113
9. Fairly Ransom, David Flores, 114
10. Mananan McLir, Jose Valdivia Jr., 112
11. Special Ring, Corey Nakatani, 120

The Generous attracted a field of 13 including standout juveniles from the East and from Europe. The 121-pound high weight and likely favorite is Dubleo, who has won four of his last five starts in the East for co-owner and trainer Todd Pletcher, the nation's training leader in earnings.

Frankel trains a pair of the entrants: Vitruvian, who broke his maiden by 10 3/4 lengths in his last start at Belmont Park, and Chattahoochee War, who won his debut by a nose at Santa Anita on Oct. 15.

Imported runners Moth Ball and Sunny Sky won listed stakes in their previous starts in England and France, respectively.

$100,000 Generous (gr. IIIT), 2-year-olds, 1 mile (turf)
1. Forzeen, Jose Valdivia Jr., 114
2. Generalist, Jon Court, 114
3. Quiet Money, Tony Farina, 116
4. Moth Ball, Kent Desormeaux, 114
5. Littlebitofzip, Paul Atkinson, 116
6. Vitruvian, Edgar Prado, 116
7. Chattahoochee War, Ramon Dominguez, 114
8. Petrus, Mike Smith, 116
9. Doctor Kananga, Felipe Martinez, 114
10. Dubleo, Corey Nakatani, 121
11. Sunny Sky, Rene Douglas, 116
12. Veiled Speed, David Flores, 116
13. Lucky Bid, Gary Stevens, 116