Bayakoa Handicap Preview and Top Contenders

by Patricia Woo | Nov 30 2009

Our race of the week takes place at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., this Saturday, Dec. 5 - it's the 28th running of the Bayakoa Handicap for fillies and mares 3 years old and up. This 1 1/16th mile test has a Gr. 2 title and a purse of $150,000 up for grabs.

2009 has been an incredible year for trainer John Shirreffs - and not only because of the huge success in the Breeders' Cup Classic of his most well-known trainee, Zenyatta. Zenyatta's stablemate, Life is Sweet, finally came into her own at the Breeders' Cup as well, taking the Ladies' Classic by 2 ¼ lengths. At a glance, the 4-year-old mare's racing record bears a string of mid-season losses after kicking off the year with three consecutive wins, including the Gr. 1 $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap in March at Santa Anita Park. But after considering that three of those mid-season losses were against Zenyatta, and one was against males, this Kentucky-bred daughter of Storm Cat has performed admirably. In her eight starts this year, she is 4-1-1 and has earned $1,620,000. Though winless so far at Hollywood Park, Life is Sweet should be the race favorite. And should owners Pam and Martin Wygod decide to race Life is Good in Saturday's Bayakoa, regular rider Garrett Gomez should get the call.

Also pointing towards the Bayakoa Handicap is Argentia-bred Teamgeist, who is trained by Kenneth McPeek. This 6-year-old mare last ran sixth in the Las Palmas Handicap, a Gr. 2 turf race at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 6. Looking for her first win this season, Teamgeist's best finish so far has been a show finish in the Gr. 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 1 - she has a 2009 record of 4-0-0-1 and has earned $56,370. The third-place runner from the Las Palmas Handicap has also been nominated for the Bayakoa: Cat by the Tale, by Tale of the Cat, is a Neil Drysdale trainee who finished that race strongly and was just beaten for second. She is 5-2-1-2 on the year with $104,960 in earnings.

Last year's Bayakoa winner Briecat has also been nominated and could return to defend her title. She was a 13-1 longshot in 2008, beating older females for her first graded stakes score. Since then, however, the Vladimir Cerin –trained 4-year-old has not been able to find that winning touch against the same level of competition; her only win this year has been in the $85,000 Adoration Stakes, an ungraded stakes race at Del Mar in September. A return to the site of her greatest career victory so far could be just what Briecat needs to get back in the winner's circle.

Also among the nominated include Brazil-bred Zardana, daughter of Benchmark Smooth Performer and Bruce Headley's Silver Swallow.

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