He’ll Try to Be the King After Lengthy Layoff
On most Friday nights at Hollywood Park, the fifth race is for cheap claiming horses, whether they be maidens or veterans who never could run much or have seen better days.
Not tonight. The first leg of the pick four is a $62,000 optional claimer on the turf that attracted a 10-year-old Cal bred who has earned almost $1.8 million, the horse that gave Chris McCarron his 7,000th victory, a multiple-graded stakes winner on grass, and, for good measure, the 2002 Hollywood Gold Cup winner.
Of course, this is California, so whether all of those horses actually run won’t be a certainty until the gates open, but it will be a treat if the 1 1/16-mile contest stays intact.
A 7-year-old gray gelding owned and bred by Rene and Margie Lambert and trained by Doug O’Neill, Sky Jack, who edged Momentum by a nose to win the Gold Cup last July 14, will be making his first start since he finished 11th of 14 in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic almost nine months ago.
A winner of half of his 12 races on dirt, Sky Jack also is proven on the grass. He has won two of three on the Hollywood Park course, although it has been a while since he tried the lawn. He won an allowance race by half a length over Chatting on July 16, 2000.
His opponents include Native Desert, the 10-year-old who has won 21 of 68 and is six for 18 on the Hollywood Park turf; Spinelessjellyfish, who won the Khaled Stakes here in 2001 to give the now-retired McCarron his milestone win, and Decarchy, who has been first, second or third in 11 of 15 on the grass.
Race of the day: Just Too Too, who has won all three of her starts, and Grant Marty A Wish, who has won five of eight, will meet in tonight’s seventh at Hollywood Park, a $51,000 optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
One for the road: Hyder, a winner of nine of 39, will make his first start in New York in today’s fourth at Belmont Park for owner Roddy Valente and trainer Bruce Levine, who have done well in the past with California shippers.
Exotically speaking: A trifecta in the third keying Flying Heart on top with Valmer and Called To Order in the two hole and all in the third spot.
Winners: Previous day/meet total: 1/98. Money: Previous day/meet total: $3.80/$537.60. Total money bet: $636.