Festival’s Another Chance for Some

Horses who ran sub-par races in the Breeders’ Cup are back for more as Hollywood Park runs its Turf Festival this weekend.

With the defection of expected favorite Greek Sun, who has an ankle injury, Blackdoun’s chances improve for Sunday’s $500,000 Hollywood Derby.

Blackdoun, after sweeping Del Mar’s three grass races for 3-year-olds, lacked running room late and finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Still, trainer Julio Canani’s gray colt was beaten by only 3 1/2 lengths at Lone Star Park.

Others entered in Sunday’s Derby are Hendrix, Big Squeeze, Whilly, Good Reward, Timo, Terroplane, On The Acorn, Fight Club, Joursanvault, Fast And Furious, Laura’s Lucky Boy and Imperialism.

Good Reward, who’ll be ridden by Jerry Bailey, winner of the 1997 Hollywood Derby with Subordination, will be trying to give Shug McGaughey, the Hall of Fame trainer from New York, his first stakes win at Hollywood in 20 years.

Nothing To Lose and Special Ring, who finished 11th and 13th, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, are the co-high weights, at 120 pounds, in Saturday’s $400,000 Citation Handicap.

Sunday’s $500,000 Matriarch has drawn nine fillies, including Island Fashion, who ran fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and Musical Chimes, who was sixth in the Mile at Lone Star. Musical Chimes and Island Fashion were second and fourth, respectively, in last year’s Matriarch. Island Fashion, 87-1 that day, has since won a pair of Grade I races and one Grade II stake.

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Azeri, who ran fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and then skipped Thursday’s $300,000 Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs after being handed a 126-pound assignment, is headed back to California, perhaps to run in Hollywood Park’s $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap on Dec. 12.

Wayne Lukas, who trains Azeri, finished second with Susan’s Angel in the Falls City, which was won by favored Halory Leigh, the Dale Romans-trained filly who has won four of six starts at Churchill.

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At Aqueduct, where racing was canceled after two races Thursday because of a deteriorating, rain-soaked track condition, California shippers Pico Central and Kela will be running Saturday in the $350,000 Cigar Mile.

The $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap, which was to have been run Thursday, has been rescheduled for Sunday.