This Race Is Wide Open

The $750,000 American Oaks isn’t the only Grade I with 14 entrants on today’s card at Hollywood Park.

The same holds true for the $300,000 Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap at seven furlongs.

Although the seven-furlong race is missing the top sprinters in the country -- Pico Central, Speightstown, Ghostzapper and Alke, to name four -- it is wide open.

Pohave, who is the starting high-weight at 116 pounds and morning line favorite at 7-2, will be looking for his second stakes win of the meet for trainer Doug O’Neill.

Pohave, a 6-year-old gelding who has won three of nine since joining the O’Neill barn, won the Los Angeles Times Handicap on May 8 by beating stablemate Marino Marini by a length.

He’s back in Inglewood today after venturing to New York last month. While there, he finished third behind Speightstown in the True North Breeders’ Cup Handicap on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Other Triple Bend contenders include Kela, Lifestyle, Taste Of Paradise, who won the Ack Ack in his last start for trainer Molly Pearson, Reba’s Gold, Revello and Nose The Trade, who is cutting back in distance for trainer Bobby Frankel.

Race of the day: Forest Music, who is two for two as a 3-year-old, will try to become a Grade I winner in the $250,000 Prioress at Belmont Park.

The six-furlong race also attracted Bending Strings, the Ed Gann-owned entry of Aspen Gal and Reforest -- although only one will start the race -- Feline Story, Why You, Frenchglen and California shipper Very Vegas.

One for the road: Generous One is improving for trainer Jim Toner and could be primed to break his maiden in his fifth career start in the fourth at Belmont Park.

Generous One, an Atticus colt, chased a pair of next-out winners -- Second Performance and Settle Up -- on June 4, and he will stretch out to 1 1/4 miles on the grass in the $44,000 race.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Anziyan Royalty in the seventh, Miss Vegas and Crozet in the eighth and all in the ninth.

Winners (through Thursday): Previous day/meet total: 2/125. Money: Previous day/meet total: $12/$713. Total money bet: $892.