It’s Either ‘Song or Bashert

Five 2-year-olds are scheduled to participate in the $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship today at Hollywood Park, but the Grade III stakes event is basically a match race between What A Song and Bashert.

Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis and trained by Bob Baffert, What A Song, a son of Songandaprayer, was purchased for a hefty $1.9 million earlier this year at Barretts. The 3-10 favorite in his debut on June 18, What A Song did not disappoint, winning by 3 1/4 lengths against a so-so field.

Co-owned by trainer Bill Currin, Bashert has had two races. A son of Tiger Ridge, who is a son of Storm Cat, Bashert was third in his initial outing on May 14, then returned three weeks later to win by five lengths over next-out winner Dark Nose and five others. Rene Douglas again will ride Bashert and Victor Espinoza retains the mount on What A Song.

For the record, the other three entrants in the six-furlong Juvenile are Stevie Wonderboy, who was second to What A Song last month, and maiden claiming winners Blaze It and Double Parked.

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Race of the day: Desert Boom, who has won five of seven starts since being claimed by trainer Art Sherman for owner Bob Bone, is among six older horses set to go 1 1/8 miles in the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, the main event in Canterbury Park’s annual Claiming Crown. The other contenders in the Jewel are Lord Of The Game, who has won seven of eight, Habaneros and Morine’s Victory.

The other races in the Claiming Crown are the $50,000 Express, the $75,000 Glass Slipper, the $100,000 Tiara, the $100,000 Rapid Transit and the $125,000 Emerald. Canterbury Park is located in Shakopee, Minn.

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One for the road: English Channel has won four of five on turf and is proven over the Colonial Downs turf course, so take the 3-year-old Smart Strike colt in the $750,000 Virginia Derby at 1 1/4 miles. John Velazquez will be in New Kent, Va., to ride English Channel for owners James Scatuorchio and trainer Todd Pletcher in the Grade III stakes race. English Channel won the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup by 3 1/2 lengths on June 25.

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Exotically speaking: A pick four using Bangled Song, Buck, The Daddy and Wheaton Hall in the sixth, Grand Miss and Cotopaxi in the seventh, Dee Dee’s Diner in the eighth and Mango Escapade, Ahuriri Hikawai and Too Much To Love in the ninth.

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Winners (through Thursday): Previous day/meet total: 2/158. Money: Previous day/meet total: $6.20/$857.30. Total money bet: $1,054.