Jeranimo Seeks Repeat in Citation Handicap

Photo: Cynthia Lum/Eclipse Sportswire

Jeranimo will try to become the third repeat winner of the $250,000 Citation Handicap when the Grade II is run for the 35th time Friday at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the grass, the Citation helps kick off the three-day Turf Festival. The Festival features five graded stakes, topped by a pair of $250,000 Grade I events Sunday – the Matriarch for older fillies and mares at one mile and the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 ¼ miles.

The Citation is the ninth of 10 races. Post time is 12:30 p.m. and track gates at Betfair Hollywood Park will open at 10 a.m.

Owned by B.J. Wright and trained by Mike Pender, Jeranimo won by nearly three lengths as the 17-10 favorite in the 2011 Citation. If he wins Friday, the 6-year-old son of Congaree and the Jeblar mare Jera will join Forlitano (1987-1988) and Good Journey (2001-2002) as a two-time winner of a race first run in 1977.

When he defeated War Element and seven others a year ago, Jeranimo entered off a seventh place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The Florida bred will try to win in 2012 after finishing sixth in the BC Mile Nov. 3 at Santa Anita, beaten by 4 ½ lengths by probable Horse of the Year Wise Dan.

A winner in three of four starts over the Betfair Hollywood Park grass, Jeranimo has won eight of 30 and earned $1,092,400.

Wright and Pender will also be represented by 2011 Hollywood Derby winner Ultimate Eagle.

Idle since finishing 10^th as the 2-1 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap March 3, Ultimate Eagle led throughout at 14-1 in the Grade I Derby, prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Imagining.

A 4-year-old son of Mizzen Mast out of the Captain Bodgit mare Letithappencaptain, Ultimate Eagle has won five of 10 and banked $467,800. He could become the first to complete a Hollywood Derby-Citation double.

Owner-breeder Stuart S. Janney III and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will be represented by Data Link.

A 4-year-old War Front colt out of the Known Fact mare Database, Data Link has won six of 14 and earned $523,835. He’s a double graded stakes winner in 2012, capturing the Grade I Maker’s 46 Mile April 13 at Keeneland and the Grade II Monmouth June 10 at Monmouth Park.

Doubles Partner, who was fourth in the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 6 at Keeneland, a race in which Data Link was fifth, will make his Southern California debut for WinStar Farms LLC and trainer Todd Pletcher.

A 5-year-old son of Rock Hard Ten and the Rahy mare Serena’s Sister, Doubles Partner has five wins in 15 attempts and earnings of $537,850. His lone victory in four 2012 starts came in the Grade III Canadian Turf March 3 at Gulfstream Park.

Betfair Hollywood Park will become the ninth different track at which the Florida bred has competed, following Saratoga, Belmont Park, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream, Turfway Park, Colonial Downs and Tampa Bay Downs. Pletcher has five Turf Festival wins, trailing only the late Bobby Frankel (17) and Richard Mandella (6).

Interaction will shorten up from 10 furlongs for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and owner Pozo de Luna, Inc. The 6-year-old son of Easing Along and the Ride the Rails mare Inter Rails has won six of 18 while earning $535,463.

McAnally has won the Citation twice, most recently with Brave Act in 1999. An Argentine bred, Interaction is 1-for-1 over the Betfair Hollywood Park grass. The bay won an optional claimer by a nose June 16 in his first start for McAnally, who, like Pletcher, has five Turf Festival victories.

Calimonco stretches out after finishing 11^th of 12 in the Grade III Eddie D. Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs Sept. 28 at Santa Anita. Owned by breeder Marty Wygod and Ballena Vista Farms, Inc. and trained by John Sadler, the 6-year-old Storm Cat horse out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life is 5-for-34 with a bankroll of $380,286. His best finish in three starts over the Betfair Hollywood Park grass was a third in the 2011 Citation.

Seventh in the Grade II John Henry Turf Classic Sept. 30 in his only previous start in a graded race, Temple’s Door steps up after finishing third in the restricted Lure Stakes Oct. 28 at Santa Anita.

Jeff Mullins trains the 4-year-old son of Leroidesanimaux and the Halling mare Chetak for owner Ingrid Truman. The Kentucky bred has won three of nine and earned $117,296.

No better than fifth in three outings in California – all graded stakes – Tale of a Champion will make his first start beyond a mile in the Citation. Owned by Kretz Racing and trained by Kristin Mulhall, the 4-year-old Tale of the Cat colt out of the Seattle Slew mare If Angels Sang has won four of eight and banked $104,740.

All of Tale of a Champion’s wins – including the Bob Umphrey Sprint Stakes July 7 - came in Florida when he was owned by Chester Bishop and trainer Christos Gatis.

Data Link, Doubles Partner and Ultimate Eagle were not among the early nominees to the Citation, so their connections paid a $5,000 late nomination fee.

The supporting feature on the Friday card is the $65,000 Cool Air Stakes for older fillies and mares at six furlongs on turf. The Cool Air, which will go as the third race, attracted Madoffwiththemoney, Schiaparelli, Broken Dreams, Kindle, Journaliste and Givine.

From inside out, the field for the 35^th Citation Handicap: Ultimate Eagle, Martin Pedroza rides, 119 pounds; Doubles Partner, Julien Leparoux, 119; Data Link, Garrett Gomez, 120; Tale of a Champion, Rafael Bejarano, 114; Calimonco, Martin Garcia, 115; Jeranimo, Jose Valdivivia, Jr., 122; Temple’s Door, Tyler Baze, 114 and Interaction, Victor Espinoza, 117.