Thanksgiving Weekend Feast of Graded Stakes Races

by Bodog Racebook | Nov 25 2011

Horseplayers from coast to coast are in for a real treat this Thanksgiving weekend. On Friday at Hollywood Park, there's a pair of one mile turf races - the G-1 Matriarch, a $250,000 race for fillies and mares, and the G-2 $100,000 Miesque for 2-year-old fillies. Then on Saturday there's the $100,000 G-3 Vernon Underwood for 3-year-olds and up at 6 furlongs, and the G-2 $250,000 Citation Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/16 miles on the grass. Want more? This fall festival will conclude on Sunday with the G-3 $100,000 Generous Stakes for 2-year olds at one mile on the grass, and the $250,000 Hollywood Derby, a G-1 stakes for 3-year-olds at 1-1/4 miles, also on the grass.

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Among a few other intriguing horses set to run in the Citation at Hollywood on Saturday are JERANIMO - seventh in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs  three weeks ago - and the improving LEROY'S DYNAMEAUX, who could be a value play in this nine furlong turf race.

That same day, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will run EUROEARS and possibly two others in the Underwood. Euroears probably is the best horse based on his having won 10 races from his first 19 starts before two straight failures in the $400,000 Vosburgh at Belmont and the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.  Those two failures are hard to dismiss, however, so a close look at the rest of the field would be wise.

For Sunday's Hollywood Derby three shippers from Kentucky and New York - CASINO HOST, WILCOX INN and IMAGINATION - will merit some attention against an international field that includes British invaders SLUMBER and WESTERN ARISTOCRAT.

There's more horse racing action back East throughout the weekend, with three additional Graded stakes at Churchill Downs and five more at Aqueduct.

The most important of these are both highly competitive Grade-1 races for 3-year-olds and up.

At Churchill Downs, it's the $500,000 Clark Handicap at 1-1/8 miles, in which FLAT OUT will seek redemption after a disappointing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. In New York, the $250,000 Cigar Mile will feature TO HONOR AND SERVE, who was an equally disappointing seventh in the Classic behind his winning stablemate DROSSELMEYER.

The intriguing thing about Flat Out, is that his trainer Charles 'Scooter' Dickey is ignoring the fact that Flat Out failed to run well in the Classic on the same Churchill Downs racing surface he trained so well over and failed to fire despite getting an ideal pace scenario that should have set up a stronger rally.
 
Flat Out has had a very good year; but he has run poorly in his three previous starts at Churchill. This negative history may open the door for RULER ON ICE, who was third in the Classic as well as some other contenders who have good CD form and/or good form at the nine furlong distance.

To Honor and Serve's task may seem easier on paper, but he is turning back in distance from the 1-1/4 mile Classic which is not the easiest thing to do. Moreover there are several good horses in the field with sharp recent form at 6-1/2 and 7 furlongs in addition to the G-1 stakes winner HAYNESFIELD, who was a sharp second in this race last year and is on the comeback trail after a strong recent win over New York breds.

So by all means take the time to enjoy your turkey, your sweet potatoes, your bread stuffing and cranberry sauce, your friends and family… and by all means catch some of the football action on TV. But, if you are like me and you enjoy looking for your own action, there are a lot of good horses running in a lot of good races and I did not even stop to mention the opening of the Fair Grounds in New Orleans… Happy Holidays.

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