Turning
Top, who has won three in a row at shorter distances, will try more ground and
step into graded company for the first time in the $100,000 Beverly Hills
Handicap on Saturday at Hollywood
Park.
Seven
other older fillies and mares were entered in the Grade III at 1 ¼ miles on
turf. It is the eighth of nine races.
Owned
by Michael Tabor and trained by Simon Callaghan, Turning Top, a 4-year-old
daughter of Pivotal and the Cadeaux Genereux mare Pietra Dura, was defeated in
her first two starts in the United
States.
The
Irish bred was sixth in a first level allowance on the Pro Ride at Santa Anita
on Feb. 5, then improved when switched to grass, finishing third behind
Medaglia d’Amour, who has since won the Wilshire Handicap, on March 14.
Turning
Top is since perfect, winning three consecutive races in photo finishes. She
won by a nose going a mile in an optional claimer on April 10 at Santa Anita,
then added two more victories at Hollywood
Park.
In
her initial local appearance, Turning Top won by a neck going 1 1/16 miles on
May 13, then won the restricted Redondo Beach Stakes by a head – at one mile -
on June 5.
A
winner of five of 14 overall with earnings of $111,943, Turning Top will be
racing beyond 8 ½ furlongs for the first time in the Beverly Hills. Brice Blanc, who won the race
in 2000 aboard Happyanunoit, will ride.
Trainers
Ben Cecil and Paddy Gallagher will both have two starters.
Cecil,
who captured the Beverly Hills
with Squeak in 1998, will send out Lady Francesca and Restless Soul. The
representatives for the Gallagher barn are General Consensus and Princess
Taylor.
Owned
by Triple B Farms, Lady Francesca, a 4-year-old Montjeu filly out of the
Mountain Cat mare Purring, has won once in 13 starts, earning $57,330. She has
been third and fourth in her first two races in the U.S. She finished 1 ¼ lengths
behind Turning Top on April 10.
The
English bred will be looking for her first win on turf. She is 0-for-12 on the
surface. Her lone victory in England
came on the Polytrack at Wolverhampton last Sept.
17.
Owned
in partnership that includes Cecil and James McCalmont, Restless Soul has three
wins in 25 tries. She has earned $182,488.
She
has started twice in 2010. After finishing seventh of 10 in an allowance race
on March 3 at Santa Anita, the 6-year-old daughter of Singspiel and the Prince Rupert mare
Seasonal Splendor finished third in the Santa Barbara Handicap, a Grade II, on
April 17.
The
English bred mare has succeeded at the Santa
Barbara distance. She won a first level allowance at
10 furlongs on Jan. 28, 2009 at Santa Anita.
A
5-year-old Giant’s Causeway mare out of the Seattle Slew mare Shootforthestars,
General Consensus will be making her second start of the meet for owner Sierra
Farm. She was fifth of seven behind Tuscan Evening in the Gamely, a Grade 1, on
May 29.
Prior
to that, she was runner-up to Tuscan Evening in the Santa Barbara, her lone try at 1 ¼ miles. She
has won four of 17 while banking $248,494.
Princess
Taylor, a 6-year-old daughter of Singspiel and the Mille Balles mare Tapas En
Bal, will be making her first start for Gallagher. She finished ninth of 10
against males in the San Juan Capistrano Handicap on April 18 at Santa Anita.
She was still trained by Dermot Weld in what was her U.S. debut.
She
is hoping to end a lengthy losing streak. The English bred’s last victory came
at Haydock in her homeland in a $33,200 handicap on Sept. 27, 2008. Princess
Taylor has lost 16 subsequent starts.
Although
Tuscan Evening is bypassing the Beverly
Hills, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will still have a
starter in Pretty Katherine.
Owned
by William De Burgh, John Sikura and George Todaro, the 4-year-old Vindication
filly and the Deputy Minister mare Indigene is fresh off her first turf
victory. She won a $53,400 allowance at nearly 17-1 on May 19. Overall, Pretty
Katherine has four wins in 18 attempts and has earned $160,401.
Completing
the field are Catsalot and Princess Haya.
Trained
by Leonard Powell and owned by Magdalen O. Bryant, Catsalot has won four of 19
while earning $170,260. A 4-year-old Momentum filly out of the Kendor mare
Clerical Error, Catsalot is trying to become only the third California
bred to win the Beverly Hills.
She would join Hill Circus (1972) and Memorette (2006).
Owned
by breeder Eileen Hartis and trained by Carl O’Callaghan, Princess Haya has yet
to threaten in a pair of starts in California.
She
was fifth in the Wilshire and last of seven in the Gamely. The 5-year-old
daughter of Street Cry and the Slew City Slew mare Sally Slew has won four of
16 and earned $414,901.
Her
biggest score came as a 15-1 outsider when she defeated Forever Together by a
nose in the E.P. Taylor last Oct. 17 at Woodbine.
From
the inside out, the field for the 45th Beverly Hills Handicap:
Princess Taylor, Joe Talamo rides, 113 pounds; Turning Top, Brice Blanc, 116;
Princess Haya, Christian Santiago Reyes, 117; Pretty Katherine, Tyler Baze,
116; General Consensus, Rafael Bejarano, 116; Restless Soul, Victor Espinoza,
115; Lady Francesca, Alonso Quinonez, 112 and Catsalot, Julio Garcia, 113.