A
Group 1 winner in both England
and Australia, Scenic Blast
will make his U.S. debut in
the $60,000 Robert K. Kerlan Memorial Handicap on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Owned
by Aussie Raider and trained by John Shirreffs, the 6-year-old gelded son of
Scenic out of the Delgado mare Daughter’s Charm will have six opponents in the
ungraded race at six furlongs on turf. The Kerlan is the seventh of nine races
on Sunday with post time at 1 p.m.
A
winner of eight of 21 with earnings of $1,396,843, Scenic Blast hasn’t run
since finishing last of 14 in the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin last Dec. 13.
Bred
in Australia
by Durham Lodge Thoroughbred Stud, Scenic Blast’s last win came a little over
one year ago. He captured the King’s Stand Stakes, a Group 1, at Ascot on June 16, 2009.
His
other two Group 1 victories came in his homeland. On March 7 of last year,
Scenic Blast won the Newmarket Handicap at the Kerlan distance by a head. Some
five weeks earlier, he won the five furlong Lightning Stakes by one length.
Among
those facing Scenic Blast, who will carry top weight of 123 pounds and be
ridden by Mike Smith, is the filly Unzip
Me.
A
4-year-old daughter of City Zip and the Arazi mare Escape With Me, she has won
five consecutive races - all on turf – for Per Antonsen and breeders John
Harris and Don Valpredo and trainer Marty Jones.
The
California
bred will be trying to become the second female to win the Kerlan. Cool Air,
who was trained by Jones’ father Gary, won in 1994 when the race was called the
Hollywood Park Budweiser Breeders’ Cup.
Three
of Unzip Me’s wins during her streak have come in stakes. She won the Irish
O’Brien, which is restricted to state breds, on March 20, followed by the Las
Cienegas, a Grade III, on April 11 and the Great Lady M. on May 21.
The
1 ¼ length victory in the Great Lady M. was her second in three races on the Hollywood Park turf. She’s won seven of 12 and
earned $327,430.
John
Sadler, whose three wins in the race tops all trainers, will be represented by Noble Court. Sadler
won the inaugural running with Olympic Prospect in 1988, then tallied with
Frost Free (1990) and Get Funky (2008).
Owned
by Joy Ride Racing, Noble Court,
a 6-year-old Doneraile Court
horse and the Grindstone mare Grey Dawn Grey, has been idle since finishing
fifth in the Impressive Luck Handicap on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita.
A
winner of six of 16 with earnings of $439,088, Noble Court will be looking for his
second win in five tries on turf. He was second in the Captain Squire, beaten a
neck by Zoning In, in his lone try on the Hollywood Park grass on June 29,
2007.
My
Summer Slew will be looking for his second win of the meet at the Kerlan
distance on Sunday. Owned by breeder Nick Cafarchia and trained by Craig
Dollase, My Summer Slew has won four of 12 and banked $148,502.
The
5-year-old Siberian Summer gelding and the Slewpy mare My Bouquet won an
optional claimer on May 2 in his debut on the local turf.
Trained
by Victor Garcia for owner Miguel Rubio, Cayambe will be seeking his third
consecutive win on grass since being claimed by his current connections.
Taken
for $25,000 last July 31 at Del Mar, the 6-year-old Helmsman gelding out of the
Restless Con mare Pacaya was away for nearly eight months before returning in a
$25,000 claimer on April 18 at Santa Anita.
Cayambe
won by a half-length at 30-1, then stepped up to win an optional claimer by 1 ¼
lengths at nearly 10-1 on May 27 at Hollywood
Park. The Cal bred has won eight
of 33 and earned $305,282.
Completing
the field are Kelly Leak and Stoneside. Trained by Mike Machowsky for a
partnership that includes Blahut Racing LLC and Dennis Avila, Kelly Leak has
lost six in a row since capturing the Sunland Derby on March 29, 2009 at Sunland Park.
The
4-year-old Runaway Groom gelding out of the World Appeal mare Hasty Appeal has
won three of 14, banking $739,310. He has a win and two seconds in five races
on turf.
Stonside,
a 6-year-old Marchand de Sable gelding and the Green Desert
mare Greenstone has won five of 28 and earned $413,276.
Trained
by Julio Canani for owner Marsha Naify, Stoneside was second behind Cost
Of Freedom in an optional claimer on Cushion Track in his last start on May 6.
From
the inside out, the field for the 22nd Robert K. Kerlan Memorial
Handicap: My Summer Slew, Alonso Quinonez rides, 117 pounds; Cayambe,
Martin Garcia, 114; Stoneside, Martin Pedroza, 117; Noble Court, Joel Rosario,
119; Kelly Leak, Rafael Bejarano, 116; Scenic Blast, Mike Smith, 123 and Unzip
Me, Joe Talamo, 116.