Eight after Shoemaker glory
The Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, the 9th race at Hollywood Park on Memorial Day, is an interesting contest between Ever A Friend and Daytona.
Daytona is a proven stakes performer. He has won five of his last six graded turf routes, and his consistent early/pressing speed always gives him a leg up on the competition, but he may have met his match in Ever A Friend.
Late last year, Mike Mitchell nabbed Ever A Friend out of an an optional claiming turf sprint at Hollywood Park for $62.5k, and he has done nothing wrong since. He won a $75k downhill sprint at Santa Anita, then rolled in above par fashion in the Grade 1 Kilroe at Santa Anita. Fresh gelding sports a bullet for this event and can prove his graded mettle with a victory in this spot.
Thousand Words is the spoiler. Since arriving in the US, he has run a trio of flat races in the graded synthetic ranks. His lone turf try in this country was an excellent optional claiming score at this distance in February, and the Juddmonte/Frankel runner should appreciate the surface switch.
Hyperbaric always fires on the turf, and the fragile sort was necked by Daytona when last seen in early April. Bejarano hops aboard and should have options with Julio Canani’s versatile gelding.
Gritty veteran Perfect Drift is now under the care of Richard Mandella, and he knows how to get an old man to run (The Tin Man). He has not won in quite some time and might need the outing, but he is training well and has the right connections in his corner.
Get Funky was 2nd in this race last year, and he should improve following a needed seasonal bow. He will be pressing the pace from the outset.
Mast Track (also Frankel) could be part of the early mix, and that will only help his stablemate Thousand Words.
Notional was one of several graded winners from last year’s deep three-year-old crop. He was a fast closing 3rd in a minor downhill event in Febraury. He flopped in Dubai, then ran 4th in a synthetic start last time. Connections do not know what to do with him, and conventional dirt seems like the answer based on his past form.
Photo Credit: Newscom
Tags: Hollywood Park, Memorial Day, Shoemaker MileRelated Stories
POSTED IN: California Racing, Handicapping, Horses, Stakes Races
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