The complexion of Saturday’s $150,000
Bayakoa
H. (G2) changed when the connections of Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) winner
Life is Sweet (Storm Cat) decided to bypass it following a short rest. Her
absence hurts the star quality of the 1 1/16-mile event at Hollywood Park, but
it generated more appeal at the entry box, providing a much more interesting
handicapping puzzle for bettors as a well-matched field of 11 distaffers will
head to the starting gate.
Spinster S. (G1) third-placer TEAMGEIST (Arg) (Mutakkdim) is the 117-pound
highweight. A multiple Group 2 queen in her native Argentina, the
six-year-old mare will be looking for her first victory stateside in her fifth
attempt. She’ll switch back to a synthetic track following a fast-closing sixth
in the grassy Las Palmas H. (G2) on the Breeders’ Cup Friday undercard, and Alex
Solis will pick up the mount for Kenny McPeek.
BRIECAT (Adcat), who posted a 13-1 wire-to-wire upset in the 2008 edition,
will defend her title in the Bayakoa. Conditioned by Vladimir Cerin, the
four-year-old finished second to Horse of the Year hopeful Zenyatta in the
Vanity H. (G1) this summer and captured the Adoration S. at Del Mar two starts
back. Martin Garcia will retain the mount on the 116-pound co-second highweight.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out a pair of potentially dangerous runners
in LUCKY COPY (Unbridled’s Song) and FLOATING HEART (Giant’s Causeway). The
former recorded a close second in the grassy Pucker Up S. (G3) last
season and exits an 8 1/2-length allowance romp at Keeneland. The speedster will
have to overcome the far outside post with new rider Rafael Bejarano. Floating
Heart, the lone three-year-old filly in the line-up, will make her stakes debut
off of a pair of allowance scores at Keeneland and Turfway Park. Joe Talamo
will take over the reins.
Other contenders include stakes heroine SMOOTH PERFORMER (Benchmark), who
exits a second over the Cushion Track in the November 15 Cat’s Cradle H.; Grade
1-placed SILVER SWALLOW (Alphabet Soup), who will make her second start back off
a freshening following a non-threatening sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare
Sprint (G1); multiple stakes queen ZARDANA (Brz) (Crimson Tide); and Las Palmas
third-placer CAT BY THE TALE (Tale of the Cat).
Six three-year-olds will square off in the $50,000
Contested Bid S. earlier on the program. La Jolla H. (G2) third-placer
GRETSKY (Toccet) and multiple stakes-placed GOLDEN MEXICO (Ire) (Daggers Drawn
[GB]) are top contenders in the one-mile turf affair.