Beverly Hills Is Not Too Classy for Moscow Burning

A year ago today, Moscow Burning was less than two weeks removed from finishing a well-beaten fourth in a $20,000 claiming race at Bay Meadows.

How things have changed. Seven victories and more than $480,000 in purse earnings later, the daughter of Moscow Ballet will be trying to add another graded stakes victory to her resume Sunday.

One of the top claims of recent years, the California-bred is one of six fillies and mares scheduled to go 1 1/4 miles over the Hollywood Park turf course in the $200,000 Beverly Hills Handicap.

Owned by Jeffrey Mariani, Michael Nentwig and Dallas Van Kempen and trained by Jim Cassidy, Moscow Burning, who began her career by winning a $12,500 maiden claimer at Bay Meadows on May 14, 2003, has developed into one of the most consistent female turf performers in the country.

Since being taken for $25,000, Moscow Burning has been worse than second only twice in nine starts.

In her last race, she also demonstrated she travels well. She went wire to wire under jockey Mike Smith over yielding turf in the Sheepshead Bay Handicap on May 29 at Belmont Park.

Moscow Burning is back home to try for consecutive Grade II wins and her second victory of the Hollywood Park meet. On April 24, she rallied from sixth in a field of seven to take the Fran’s Valentine by 2 1/2 lengths.

Don Van Kempen, Dallas’ father and a longtime horse owner, is Moscow Burning’s manager. He and trainer Casey Doyle claimed the filly last sum- mer.

“Casey and I saw her make a left turn and hit the rail in a race she was leading at Solano [last July 9],” Van Kempen said. “She went on to win by five lengths and only a decent horse could do that.”

When Moscow Burning surfaced about a month later for double the $12,500 she had run for at Solano, Van Kempen, after some initial reluctance, decided to claim the filly.

She won by 3 1/2 lengths over the Bay Meadows grass that day. It was the last time she was seen in Northern California.

In her lone start for Doyle, Moscow Burning proved she could compete in this section of the state. On Aug. 22, she finished a troubled second at 19-1 in an allowance race on the Del Mar turf, then was turned over to Cassidy.

Three consecutive victories followed, including a mild 6-1 upset in the California Cup Distaff. All told, Moscow Burning has won five of nine for Cassidy.

“Jim has done a remarkable job with this horse, getting her to settle down,” Van Kempen said. “There’s no telling how good she is. I guess we’ll find out how good on Sunday. I expect her to run well.”

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Hollywood Park will present the first Laffit Pincay Award on July 10, the day of the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, a race the sport’s winningest jockey won a record nine times during an illustrious career that concluded a little over a year ago.

The award will be presented to a person who, according to a statement issued by the track, has served the sport with integrity, dedication, determination and distinction.