HOLLYWOOD PARK : Bayakoa Gets High Weight for the Hawthorne

Eclipse Award-winner Bayakoa has been assigned high weight of 125 pounds for Saturday’s Hawthorne Handicap (Grade II) at Hollywood Park. The one-mile event for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up carries an added purse of $100,000.

The 6-year-old champion won nine of 11 starts last year, including several Grade I events and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Whitham and trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, Bayakoa most recently posted a runner-up decision to arch-rival Gorgeous in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

Second in the weights at 119 pounds is Stormy but Valid, who recently won the A Gleam Handicap. The Brian Mayberry trainee, who campaigns in the colors of Jan, Mace & Samantha Siegel, defeated Hot Novel and Tis Juliet in the A Gleam Handicap.

Third in the weights is John G. Sikura’s Dearly Loved. Trained by Charlie Whittingham, the Raise A Native daughter was assigned 116 pounds. On the board in 11 of 18 trips to the gate, Dearly Loved was most recently third in the Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita.

The list of nominees and their weights are: Bayakoa (125), Casa Patrone (109), Cascading Gold (111), Dearly Loved (116), Fantastic Look (115), Hot Novel (115), Nikishka (115), Rosadora (111), Russian Royal (112), Sexy Slew (112), Stormy But Valid (119), Sugarplum Gal (112), T.V. Of Crystal (114), and Tis Juliet (113).