Favorite May Be Eclipsed

When Fantastic Light won the Breeders’ Cup Turf nearly a month ago at Belmont Park, the consensus was he had wrapped up the Eclipse award as the top male grass performer.

If Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Val Royal is able to pull off the double planned for him in the next three weeks, voters may have a reason to change their minds.

Owned by David Milch, the successful television producer and writer who counts “NYPD Blue” and “Hill Street Blues” among his credits, and trained by Julio Canani, Val Royal will run twice more before the year ends.

Originally scheduled to conclude his 5-year-old season in the $2.3-million Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 16, Val Royal will make his Hollywood Park debut in Saturday’s $500,000 Citation Handicap before he takes his long plane ride.

Idle for more than 17 months because of a tendon injury after making a successful U.S. debut in the 1999 Del Mar Derby, Val Royal finished second in his first start of the year in the Kilroe Handicap at Santa Anita in March, then was sidelined for six more months because of foot problems.

Obviously, all is well now. Since returning, the French-bred son of Royal Academy has won the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile, the Breeders’ Cup Mile and he will be heavily favored to win the Citation, one of the six events in Hollywood Park’s annual Autumn Turf Festival.

The decision to run in the Citation, a Grade II at 11/16 miles, was made early Tuesday morning and his presence caused trainer Christophe Clement, who was going to send Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Forbidden Apple to Hollywood Park for the race, to change his plans. Forbidden Apple will wait for next month’s $1.3-million Hong Kong Mile.

“David and I talked about it,” said Canani, who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile two years ago with Silic. “I was going to have to work the horse six or seven furlongs a couple of times before he went to Hong Kong, so we might as well run him.

“It was David’s idea, but I agree with him. The horse is doing great, he’s got all his weight back [after New York] and, knock on wood, he’s very healthy. He’s only run three times this year and the earliest he’ll run next year would be in March.

“He’s very lightly raced. It’s almost like he’s a 3-year-old. He’s the kind of horse who only runs the last quarter of a mile. He doesn’t have to run hard every step of the way.

“The possibility of an Eclipse award did enter our minds. I think he has a good chance already, but he would really have to be considered if he was to finish the year by winning these two races.”

A winner of seven of 10 in his career and worse than second only once--he finished 11th of 16 in the 1999 Epsom Derby--Val Royal had an easy half-mile work in 492/5 Tuesday morning at Santa Anita. He will carry top weight of 124 pounds in the field of 13; no horse has won the 25-year-old Citation carrying that much weight. Al Mamoon (1986) and Text (1979) each won under 122.

“This is the most talented horse I’ve ever had,” said Canani, 63, who has had such stakes winners as Tranquility Lake, Silic, Ladies Din, Martial Law, Tuzla, Regal Thunder and Silver Circus during his long career.

“Actually, his hair looks better now than when he went to New York for the Breeders’ Cup. His coat was a little dull when he got there, but it is really shining now. He couldn’t be doing any better. He’s got a lot of pep.”

Canani said he doesn’t know if Milch, who is in New York, will be at Hollywood Park on Saturday. If he is not, it wouldn’t be the first time the owner hasn’t seen Val Royal in person.

In fact, Milch, who had a Breeders’ Cup victory with Gilded Time in the 1992 Juvenile, wasn’t at Belmont Park for the horse’s biggest win Oct. 27. Instead, he watched at Hollywood Park.

“I was expecting him to call me right after the race,” Canani said. “I didn’t hear from him for two hours. I was telling people I hope he didn’t have a stroke or something. When he finally called, I told him what I thought. He just laughed.”

The Turf Festival begins Friday with the $200,000 Miesque Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Express for older sprinters, continues Saturday with the Citation and the $200,000 Generous Stakes for 2-year-olds and wraps up Sunday with the $500,000 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds and the $500,000 Matriarch for older fillies and mares.

Won a year ago by 20-1 shot Fantastic Filly, the Miesque attracted 11.

Topping the field are the Team Valor-owned entry of La Martina, who won the Hidden Light at Santa Anita in her first American start; Stylelistick, who won the Green River at Keeneland last month, and Miss Grillo winner Riskaverse.

Among the 11 entered in the Turf Express were Texas Glitter, who was beaten by a neck by El Cielo in last year’s race; and Swept Overboard, who was fourth, a length behind Squirtle Squirt, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

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Off to the Races

Autumn Turf Festival at Hollywood Park. 12:30 p.m. first posts for the days listed:

FRIDAY

* $200,000 Miesque Stakes, a mile on the turf for 2-year-old fillies. Trainer Bobby Frankel will go for his second consecutive win in the Grade III with European newcomer Nunatall. Frankel won the race last year with 20-1 outsider Fantastic Filly.

* $200,000 Hollywood Turf Express, 51/2 furlongs for older horses. Swept Overboard, who was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and beaten by only a length by Squirtle Squirt, heads a field that includes Texas Glitter, who lost by a neck in this race last year to crack sprinter El Cielo.

SATURDAY

* $500,000 Citation, 11/16 miles on the turf for older horses. Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Val Royal will have a dozen opponents as he looks for his third win in four starts this year and eighth in 11.

* $200,000 Generous Stakes, one mile on the turf for 2-year-olds. Nine were entered, headed by Miesque’s Approval, who ships from the East for trainer Bill Mott, and Paxtecum, who is perfect in two local starts for trainer Mike Machowsky. The Generous was won a year ago by Startac.

SUNDAY

* $500,000 Matriarch, 11/8 miles on the turf for older fillies and mares. Frankel, who leads all trainers in Turf Festival victories with seven, will send out Starine against a field that includes defending champion Tout Charmant, Golden Apples, Janet and Tranquility Lake.

* $500,000 Hollywood Derby, 11/8 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds. Frankel, who most recently won the Derby in 1999 with Super Quercus, is expected to have four starters--Aldebaran, Mizzen Mast, Denon and Blue Steller--in a field that will probably number 14.