COWBOY CAL (Giant’s Causeway), who faded to ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile
(G1) earlier this month after dueling through fast splits, could have an easier
time of things in Friday’s $300,000
Citation H. (G1), the 1 1/16-mile feature which kicks off the annual
Hollywood Park Turf Festival. On paper, Cowboy Cal appears to be the speed of
the speed and will take some catching under Rafael Bejarano, who rides the
four-year-old for the first time.
Having knocked heads with the best horses in the division all season,
including Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) and Justenuffhumor (Distorted Humor),
Cowboy Cal finally earned his first turf win of the year two back in the Oak
Tree Mile (G2) after establishing a lead and holding steady throughout.
Generally a dangerous commodity when left alone, Cowboy Cal found the pace and
competition of the Breeders’ Cup too much to handle as he wilted inside the
final furlong. Having rebounded from similarly poor efforts in the past, Cowboy
Cal figures tough for trainer Todd Pletcher.
EVER A FRIEND (Crafty Friend), the 2008 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) victor
who was sidelined for more than 17 months following a second in that year’s
Shoemaker Mile (G1), but made a successful return in a downhill turf sprint at
Santa Anita November 5. The gray gelding has a bit of speed and should be
tracking Cowboy Cal throughout.
Two horses previously trained by the late Bobby Frankel, who won the Citation
with Al Mamoon in 1986 and Leroidesanimaux (Brz) in 2004, will be saddled by his
longtime assistant Humberto Ascanio. PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) is a
multiple Grade 2 winner who makes his first start since running third in the
June 13 Monmouth S., while FLUKE (Brz) (Wild Event) was last seen passing his
third-level allowance condition over a mile on Belmont’s Widener turf two months
ago. Another import exiting a strong score is BLUE CHAGALL (Fr) (Testa Rossa),
who coasted home by 3 1/2 lengths in the October 18 Lure S. at Santa Anita.
MONZANTE (Maria’s Mon), sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) last time, seeks
his first win since the 2008 Eddie Read H. (G1), while Harry F. Brubaker S.
winner SKYRUSH (Arg) (Orpen) will try to improve on his fourth in the Oak Tree
Mile. EL GATO MALO (El Corredor) and TIMES GONE BY (Giant’s Causeway) finished
one-two in one of the better allowance/optional claimers of the Del Mar meet on
September 9.
The outsider of the Citation field is the California-bred ENRICHED (High
Brite), who wheels back less than two weeks after a second in the On Trust H. on
the main track.