Riviera
Cocktail, who has yet to lose on the Hollywood
Park turf course, will
step into graded company against nine others in the $150,000 American Handicap
on Sunday.
Owned
by a partnership that includes breeder Joseph Allen and Gallagher Equine LTD
and trained by Neil Drysdale, the 4-year-old Giant’s
Causeway colt out of the Rubiano mare Starry Dreamer is 3-for-3 on
the local grass. Two of the wins have come during the current meet.
He
won an optional claimer by three-quarters of a length going one mile on May 15,
then scored by a nose in an allowance contest at 1 1/16 miles on June 6.
A
winner of four of 13 with earnings of $171,629, Riviera Cocktail will be
looking for his first win at the American distance of 1 1/8 miles and his
initial victory in a graded stakes.
In
his most recent appearance in a graded race, Riviera Cocktail was third behind
Loup Breton and High Court Drama in the San
Marcos, which, like the American, is a Grade II, on
Jan. 24 at Santa Anita.
A
win by the Kentucky
bred would be the fourth for Drysdale in the American. The most recent for the
Hall of Famer was with Labeeb in 1996.
One
of the other entrants is Compari, who is also being considered for the $500,000
Hollywood Gold Cup on July 10.
Trained
by Marty Jones for owner-breeders John Harris, John Nicoletti and Don Valpredo,
Compari has won five of six on turf. He suffered his first loss on the surface
when a troubled seventh in the Shoemaker Mile, a Grade 1, on May 31.
A
4-year-old gelded son of Redattore and the Dixieland Band mare Southern Charm,
the California
bred has won six of eight and $442,640. He won at nine furlongs on Cushion
Track, taking the $250,000 Snow Chief in the spring of 2009.
Sixth
in the Shoemaker Mile, Global Hunter will be making his second start of the
year for owners Monte Pyle and L-Bo Racing. Trained by A C Avila, the
7-year-old Jade Hunter horse and the Telescopico mare Griffe de Paris has won
seven of 29 and earned $521,365.
His
biggest win came in the 2009 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar, a Grade 1 at the American distance.
Glowing
Praise is back in California after finishing
third in the Dallas Turf Cup on May 31 at Lone Star Park. Trained by Eoin Harty for owner
John Fretwell, the 4-year-old Fantastic Light gelding and the Polish Precedent
mare Beading has three wins in 13 starts. His bankroll is $56,098.
In
his lone start at Hollywood
Park, Glowing Praise was
third in the Inglewood Handicap on April 25.
Hyades
will cut back a bit after finishing second to Acclamation in the Charles
Whittingham Memorial Handicap at 1 ¼ miles on June 5.
A
4-year-old Aldebaran colt out of the Shirley
Heights mare Lingerie,
Hyades has two wins in 12 tries while earning $113,710. He is owned by Triple B
Farms and trained by Ben Cecil, who won the 1998 American with Magellan.
Completing
the field are Oil Man, Quindici Man, Red
Door Drive, Meteore and Temple City.
A
5-year-old son of Sky Mesa and the Sandpit mare Sheza Nasty Lady, Red Door Drive will
be making his graded stakes debut for owner Arnold Zetcher.
He
is a nose away from entering the American with a three race win streak and has
improved since joining trainer Bob Baffert’s barn. In nine starts for Baffert, Red Door Drive has
four wins and has been worse than third only once.
Both
Oil Man and Meteore own a victory over the Hollywood Park
turf course. Trained by John Sadler for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, who teamed to
win this race in 2008 with longshot Whatsthescript, Oil Man, a 4-year-old
Pyrus colt and the Batshoof mare So Precious won the 2009 Cinema here. He has
three wins in 15 attempts. His earnings stand at $153,214.
Meteore,
who is owned and was bred by the Wertheimer brothers, won an optional claimer
over this course on June 11, 2009. In his 4-year-old debut on June 6, Meteore
finished third, a half-length behind Riviera Cocktail.
The
son of Pulpit and the Twining mare Meteor Miracle has won three of 13 and
earned $194,276. He is trained by Richard Mandella, who has won the American
three times, including twice with The Tin Man (2002, 2006). His first victory
in the race came with Mister Wonderful II in 1989.
Here
is the lineup, from inside out, for the 71st American Handicap:
Riviera Cocktail, Tyler Baze rides, 115 pounds; Compari, Joe Talamo, 119;
Hyades, Victor Espinoza, 114; Glowing Praise, David Flores, 115; Global Hunter,
Brice Blanc, 118; Quindici Man, Christian Santiago Reyes, 114; Temple City,
Alonso Quinonez, 113; Red Door Drive, Martin Pedroza, 114; Meteore, Rafael
Bejarano, 115 and Oil Man, Joel Rosario, 115.
The
American is the seventh race on the program. Post time is 1 p.m.