Washington Bridge will try to become the third filly to go
back-to-back in the $100,000 Bayakoa Handicap when she takes on six opponents
Sunday at Hollywood Park.
A Grade II at 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track, the Bayakoa is
the eighth of nine races. Post time is 12:30 p.m.
Owned by Mark DeDomenico and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer,
Washington Bridge rallied from last to win the 2010 Bayakoa, defeating Sister
Dawn and five others.
If she is successful Saturday, Washington Bridge, a
4-year-old daughter of Yankee Gentleman and the Prized mare Stirling Bridge,
will join Manistique (1998-1999) and Starrer (2001-2002) as a two time winner
of the Bayakoa.
An earner of $273,502 with five victories in 26 starts,
Washington Bridge is winless in eight races since her Bayakoa success. In her
most recent outing, she was third in the restricted Swingtime Stakes on the
Santa Anita turf Oct. 8, defeated by 1 ½ lengths by eventual Las Palmas winner
All Star Heart.
DeDomenico and Hollendorfer’s other representative will be City
to City.
A 4-year-old daughter of City Zip and the Storm Cat mare
Stormhow, City to City has won six of 21 and banked $401,491. The Bayakoa will
be her first race on a synthetic surface since she finished fifth in the Corte
Madera Dec. 5, 2009 at Golden Gate Fields. She is also owned in part by William
DeBurgh.
Sixth in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, Champagne d’Oro will stretch out again for trainer
Eric Guillot and owners Southern Equine Stable and Mike Smith.
The 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro and the Saratoga
Six mare Champagne Glow is 3-for-21 with earnings of $619,940. She has lost
nine in succession since winning the Grade I Test Aug. 7, 2010 at Saratoga and is 0-for-5
around two turns.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will aim for his first
Bayakoa win when he saddles Ellafitz.
Owned by D&E Racing, the 4-year-old Tiznow filly out of
the Dixieland Band mare Skat Girl has won three of 11 while banking $140,857.
In her only previous start in a graded race, Ellafitz was third in the Grade
III Santa Ysabel Jan. 10, 2010 at Santa Anita in what was her first outing for
Baffert.
Love Theway Youare and Bauble Queen are the lone 3-year-olds
in the field and sophomore fillies have fared very well in this event in recent
years. Five of the last seven winners were 3-year-olds, including Hollywood
Story (2004), Foxysox (2006), Romance Is Diana (2007), Briecat (2008) and Washington Bridge.
Owned by trainer Myung Kwon Cho, Love Theway Youare has won
two of 12 and earned $119,720. The Arch filly out of the Tabasco Cat mare
Diversa posted her most recent win at Hollywood Park,
taking an optional claimer at the Bayakoa distance April 22.
Trained by Eric Kruljac for Class Racing Stable, Bauble
Queen returns to synthetic after three consecutive races on turf. She is
1-for-1 locally, having earned her maiden victory by 5 ¼ lengths June 12.
A daughter of Arch and the Storm Cat mare Muneta, Bauble
Queen has won two of six. Her bankroll is $110,257.
Miss Mittagong enters off a 14-1 upset in an optional
claimer Nov. 12 for owners Kristina Cecil and Zillah Reddam and trainer Ben
Cecil. The 4-year-old Pleasantly Perfect filly out of the Falstaff mare Go Go
has won three of 14 and earned $95,324.
From inside out, the field for the 30th Bayakoa
Handicap: Love Theway Youare, Alonso Quinonez rides, 113 pounds; Washington
Bridge, Joe Talamo, 116; Ellafitz, Martin Garcia, 116; Miss Mittagong, Joel
Rosario, 115; Champagne d’Oro, Victor Espinoza, 118; Bauble Queen, Rafael
Bejarano, 113 and City to City, Garrett Gomez, 121.