Cajun Beat, the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) champion who has raced on grass only once, helps lead off trainer Bobby Frankel's assault on Hollywood Park's Turf Festival in the $150,000 Turf Express Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 5 1/2 furlongs.Friday's start to the Turf Festival, a three-day series of six graded stakes races on the grass that Frankel has dominated in the past, will include two $75,000 divisions of the Miesque (gr. IIIT) for 2-year-old fillies going a mile.Cajun Beat heads a field of nine set for Friday's Turf Express at 5 1/2 furlongs. In the Miesque, originally carrying a purse of $100,000, attracted 16 entrants. French import Louvain will represent Frankel.Beaten three lengths when fifth in his bid for a second Breeders' Cup Sprint victory last month at Lone Star Park – his second start for the Frankel barn – Cajun Beat will be switched to turf in something of an experiment. The 4-year-old gelding was second, losing by a neck, in his only grass start at Churchill Downs for previous trainer Steve Margolis. Cajun Beat will carry high weight of 122 pounds and jockey Ramon Dominguez while breaking from post position No. 3.The Turf Express will go as the eighth race on a ten-race card that gets underway at 12:30 p.m.Cajun Beat (6-3-0 in 16 starts for earnings of $1,069,100) will face two other dedicated speeders: Australian-bred De Valmont (8-3-0 in 18 races for $280,064) and Hombre Rapido (5-4-8 in 24 races for $372,580). Those two should vie for the early lead with Cajun Beat in close proximity.$150,000 Hollywood Turf Express (gr. IIIT, Race 8, 4:05 p.m.), 3 & up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf)
PP. Jockey, Weight
1. Golden Arrow, Rene Douglas, 115
2. Mighty Beau, Garrett Gomez, 117
3. Cajun Beat, Ramon Dominguez, 122
4. Hombre Rapido, Tyler Baze, 117
5. Only the Best, Alex Bisono, 113
6. Geronimo, Corey Nakatani, 117
7. Coded Message, Jon Court, 111
8. De Valmont, Victor Espinoza, 115
9. Worldwind Romance, Ryan Fogelsonger, 118The second division of the Miesque (race 6) is topped by 121-pound high weight Paddy's Daisy, who hails from the stable of Todd Pletcher, the nation's leading trainer in earnings this year. Paddy's Daisy has won three of four starts on grass including the Jesamine County in her last at Keeneland.
Paddy's Daisy's opposition includes French-import Witten, winner of a listed stakes at Le Bouscat in her last start following a maiden victory, and Conveyor's Angel, coming off a victory in the Hidden Light Stakes at Santa Anita in her last start.$75,000 Miesque, 2nd Division (gr. IIIT, Race 6), 3:05 p.m., 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)
1. She Sings, Goncalino Almeida, 116
2. Lady Le Quesne, Tony Farina, 114
3. Wise Investor, Jose Valdivia Jr., 114
4. Conveyor's Angel, Gary Stevens, 118
5. Mac Rhapsody, Garrett Gomez, 114
6. Paddy's Daisy, Corey Nakatani, 121
7. Kenza, Victor Espinoza, 116
8. Witten, Tyler Baze, 114Louvain, never worse than third in five starts in France, will have to contend with another highly regarded French import, Royal Copenhagen, in the first division of the Miesque (race 3). Royal Copenhagen, now with Laura de Seroux, won her first two starts in France before losing by a neck when favored in the Prix du Calvados (Fr-III) at Deauville in August.Lady Truffles is the 121-pound high weight. The California-bred daughter of Candi's Gold will be making her first start on turf for trainer John Sadler after winning the California Cup Juvenile Fillies in her last start at Santa Anita on Oct. 16.$75,000 Miesque, 1st Division (gr. IIIT, Race 3, 1:34 p.m.), 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)
1. Louvain, Ramon Dominguez, 114
2. Kachina Dream, Omar Figueroa, 116
3. La Maitresse, Jon Court, 114
4. Culture Clash, Gomez, 114
5. Royal Copenhagen, Rene Douglas, 114
6. Crystal House, Victor Espinoza, 114
7. Lady Truffles, Martin Pedroza, 121
8. Lunar Flight, Felipe Martinez, 114