Tres Borrachos returns to his favorite venue when he seeks
second win of 2011 in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap Saturday at Hollywood
Park.
A Grade III at 1 1/8 miles on Cushion Track, the Native
Diver is the eighth of nine races. Post time is 12:30 p.m.
Trained by Marty Jones for George Hicker and Button Stable,
Tres Borrachos, who ended a 13 race losing when taking the Grade II San Diego
Handicap July 30 at Del Mar, has earned three of his four lifetime victories at
Hollywood Park.
The biggest of those wins came when he defeated Two Step
Salsa and Colonel John in the Grade II Swaps Stakes July 12, 2008. In 34 career
races, the 6-year-old Ecton
Park gelding out of the
Peteski mare Pete’s Fancy has earned $864,257.
Five of those starts have come since he was purchased
privately by his current connections and moved to the Jones stable. In his most
recent appearance, Tres Borrachos was third at 30-1 in the Grade I Breeders’
Cup Mile Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. He finished 5 ¾ lengths behind winner
Caleb’s Posse.
Eldaafer, the winner of the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Marathon,
will make his California debut and first start for trainer Brian Koriner in the
Native Diver.
Owned by E-Racing.com and Kevin Jacobsen, the 6-year-old
gelded son of A.P. Indy and the Habibti mare Tabasco Cat has won 11 of 32 and
banked $753,132. He finished sixth Nov. 5 when attempting to repeat in the BC Marathon.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who finished second
with 13-1 outsider Imagining in the Grade I Hollywood Derby Nov. 27, will be
represented by Rescue Squad Saturday.
Owned by breeders Stuart S. Janney III and Phipps Stable,
the 5-year-old Dynaformer horse out of the Seeking the Gold mare Search Party has
won three of 16 and earned $197,252.
Rescue Squad is 2-for-2 on synthetic. Both wins have come
over Keeneland’s Polytrack, including a one-length score as the 2-1 favorite in
a $53,975 allowance Oct. 21.
Kettle Corn will step into graded company for the first time
in his career as he seeks his second win of the Autumn meet. Owned by Lee and
Susan Searing’s C R K Stable and trained by John Sadler, the 4-year-old Candy
Ride colt out of the Lil E. Tee mare Somethingbeautiful won an optional claimer
Nov. 17.
The Kentucky bred is 2-for-4 since being purchased privately
by Sadler for the Searings. His first California win came in an optional
claimer Sept. 3 at Del Mar. Overall, Kettle Corn has won five of 11 and earned
$111,891.
Tweebster will try to provide Hall of Fame trainer Bob
Baffert his second Native Diver win over a surface on which the ridgling has
picked up two of his three victories.
Owned by Kaleem Shah, the son of Tapit and the Open Forum
mare H.R.H. Doodle is 3-for-14 with a bankroll of $204,290. He was a distant
second behind stablemate Racing Aptitude in the restricted Yo Eleven Stakes
Nov. 11, a race that followed a layoff of more than eight months.
Baffert, the leading trainer at the Autumn meet with 11
victories through 12 days, won the 1999 Native Diver with General Challenge.
Away since Aug. 25, Massone will be trying to end an
extended losing streak.
A 5-year-old Menifee horse out of the Damascus mare
Stoneleigh’s Hope owned by Frankfurt Stable and trained by Tim Yakteen, Massone
has lost 13 in a row. His last victory came in an optional claimer over the Del
Mar Polytrack Aug. 16, 2009. Massone has two lifetime wins in 27 starts and
earnings of $507,342.
Formerly trained by Ron McAnally and Steve Specht, Massone
will be making his first start at Hollywood Park since he finished fourth in
the 2009 Swaps won by the Baffert-trained Misremembered.
Summer Movie ended a nine race losing streak when taking an
optional claimer by a neck Oct. 20 at Santa Anita.
Owned by George Krikorian, who won the Grade I Matriarch
with homebred Star Billing Nov. 25, and trained by Art Sherman, the 4-year-old
gray son of Holy Bull and the Summer Squall mare Crazy Summer Fling has won
three of 14 and banked $132,860.
From inside out, the field for the 33rd Native
Diver Handicap: Kettle Corn, Garrett Gomez rides, 114 pounds; Eldaafer, Joe
Talamo, 118; Tweebster, Rafael Bejarano, 117; Rescue Squad, Mike Smith, 115;
Summer Movie, Agapito Delgadillo, 114; Tres Borrachos, Joel Rosario, 119 and
Massone, Martin Garcia, 114.