Hennessy a Big Favorite in Hollywood Futurity

Wayne Lukas, who has won the Hollywood Futurity three times, has a chance to win both the Futurity and the Starlet in the same year for the first time when Hennessy, at 4-5 on the morning line, faces six rivals today in the $500,000 race for 2-year-old males.

Lukas feels that Hennessy, winless in his last three starts, could regain some Eclipse Award support with a victory today, but no matter what happens, Maria’s Mon, who defeated Hennessy in the Champagne at Belmont, will get a lot of votes. An injury prevented Maria’s Mon from running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, on a day when Unbridled’s Song beat Hennessy by a neck on a muddy track. Before the Champagne, Hennessy had beaten Maria’s Mon in the Hopeful at Saratoga.

Exetera is next on the Futurity morning line at 4-1. He was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup and his only victory in six starts was over maidens, but he was third, behind Cobra King and Hennessy, in the Hollywood Prevue a month a go.