Hollywood Derby Now a Field Day for Bettors

With the connections of War Chant having decided not to participate in the $500,000 Early Times Hollywood Derby, a possible Eclipse award won’t be on the line this afternoon in Inglewood.

However, like many times in the past, the Derby is wide open and, best of all for bettors, it attracted a full field of 12.

The last of six races in Hollywood Park’s Turf Festival, the Derby is one of two Grade I races on the card. Two races earlier, a quality field of nine fillies and mares will get together in the $500,000 Matriarch.

Purchased earlier this year by Tom Van Meter, Brahms is the 7-2 favorite in the Derby, the morning-line odds a testament to how contentious the 1 1/8-mile grass race is.

Trained by Elliott Walden, Brahms has won all three of his turf races in this country, including a victory against older horses earlier this month in the River City Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Pat Day, who rode Paradise Creek to a nose win over Bien Bien in the 1992 Derby, has the mount on the son of Danzig.

In the Matriarch, which is also run at 1 1/8 miles, defending champion Happyanunoit is the 2-1 favorite. Trained by Bobby Frankel, the 5-year-old mare will be trying to end a three-race losing streak.

Tout Charmant, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf three weeks ago, is the 5-2 second choice. She will race coupled with Caffe Latte, as both are owned by Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable.

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Charge d’Affaires, a 14-1 shot, made it four wins in seven American starts with a nose victory over 5-2 favorite Ladies Din in the $500,000 Citation Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

An English-bred trained by Christophe Clement, the 5-year-old rallied along the rail under jockey Jose Santos to win in 1:40 1/5 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

The Citation was the second graded stakes win for Charge d’Affaires in less than a month and earned him a trip to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Mile on Dec. 17. In his first start in nine months on Oct. 28, he won the Knickerbocker Handicap at Aqueduct.

Manndar, who was trying to stake a claim to the Eclipse award as the nation’s top male turf performer, was a close fifth as the 5-2 second choice.

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Verifying some recent solid workouts, Startac scored a $19 upset in the $200,000 Generous Stakes. A 2-year-old son of Theatrical ridden by Alex Solis for the Allen Paulson Trust and trained by Simon Bray, Startac accelerated away from pacesetter and 23-1 shot Broadway Moon late to win by a length in 1:34 3/5 for the mile on turf.

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El Corredor, the 2-1 favorite, inched clear late to win the $350,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Ridden by Jerry Bailey for owner Hal Earnhardt and trainer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old son of Mr. Greeley completed the distance in 1:34 3/5 in the final Grade I race of the year in New York. He has won five of seven lifetime.

Notes

Wing Arrow, a horse based in Japan, won the $2.25-million Japan Cup Dirt in Tokyo. Sanford City was second and locally based Lord Sterling, who was ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. for owners Ron and Susie Anson and trainer Alfredo Marquez, was third, 6 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Euchre, trained by Bobby Frankel for Frank Stronach and ridden by David Flores, was eighth. . . . Two Item Limit, the 5-2 second choice, won the $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. A race later, 7-1 shot Windsor Castle won the $200,000 Remsen Stakes.