HOLLYWOOD PARK: CONGAREE DECLARED FAVORITE.Byline: Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer Free from the shadow of his heralded stablemate Noun 1. stablemate - a horse stabled with another or one of several horses owned by the same person stable companion Equus caballus, horse - solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times , Congaree headlines the final weekend of Hollywood Park's spring/summer meet as the likely favorite in Sunday's $500,000 Swaps Stakes The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run at Hollywood Park Racetrack each year. The race is open to horses, age three. willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $400,000. , the track's top race for 3-year-olds. Congaree, known as trainer Bob Baffert's ``other horse'' during Point Given's Triple Crown quest, has not run since the May 19 Preakness Stakes Preakness Stakes One of the three classic U.S. horse races making up the Triple Crown. It is held annually in mid-May at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. The course distance is 1³⁄₁₆ mi (1.9 km). The field is limited to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. but went six furlongs in a quick 1:11 Tuesday at Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
Baffert, who trained last year's Swaps winner, Captain Steve Captain Steve (foaled 1997 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Roger Laubach, owned by Michael E. Pegram, and trained by Bob Baffert. A bay foal by Fly So Free out of Sparkling Delite (by Vice Regent), he started 25 times, and earned the exceptional , said 1 1/8 miles could be Congaree's preferred distance. The horse's victory at the Wood Memorial in April was at that distance. Congaree, to be ridden by Gary Stevens for the first time, leads an expected field of seven that includes Until Sundown (Chris McCarron), Bayou The Moon (Alex Solis), Jamaican Run (Eddie Delahoussaye), Top Hit (Garrett Gomez), Hoovergetthekeys (Ron Warren, Jr.) and Speedy Pick (Victor Espinoza). Two horses likely to get strong support, Hoovergetthekeys and Until Sundown, a winner in three of five starts, will be shipped to Hollywood Park this weekend. The $200,000 Sunset Handicap (at 1 1/2 miles on turf) and the $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship (at six furlongs) also highlight Sunday's card. The Hollywood Juvenile, for 2-year-olds, features an intriguing field that includes first-time-out winner Came Home, imports Tim's Talent (Kentucky) and A Major Pleasure (Kentucky). Two other contenders, Sleeping Weapon and Expected Program, will miss the race because of training setbacks. Kudos, ridden by Delahoussaye and winner of four consecutive races since being gelded geld 1 tr.v. geld·ed or gelt , geld·ing, gelds 1. To castrate (a horse, for example). 2. To deprive of strength or vigor; weaken. , leads the field for the Sunset, which also includes San Luis Rey Stakes winner Blueprint with Stevens aboard. The meet closes Monday with the $100,000-added Estrapade Stakes and the $70,000-added Answer Do Stakes, both on turf. The Del Mar meet will open Wednesday and conclude Sept 5. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion