Trainer Jeff Mullins and owner Michael House watched intently from trackside
Sunday as three of their horses worked over the firm grass at Hollywood Park in
advance of the track’s Turf Festival next weekend.
Multiple Grade 2 victor BATTLE OF HASTINGS (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]),
most recently second by a head in the Oak Tree Derby (G2), worked five furlongs in a
bullet 1:00 3/5 on the firm sod under Felipe Valdez for the $300,000 Hollywood
Derby (G1) next Sunday.
House, a San Diego resident, wore a baseball cap with the name Battle of
Hastings in the front and 1066 — the year the famous English battle was fought
— on the back.
“He worked really good,” said Mullins, and reviewing the three-year-old
gelding’s record, added in understatement, “He’s pretty honest.”
Battle of Hastings was imported from England last year to launch his United
States career in the Generous S. (G3), where he ran seventh. The three-year-old
has since captured the Baldwin S. (G3), Virginia Derby (G2) and Colonial Turf
Cup (G2), scoring in the latter two by a gutsy head.
Battle of Hastings, who has earned more than $1 million for House since the
purchase, will be ridden for the first time by Garrett Gomez, replacing regular
rider Tyler Baze, who had a broken finger reset last week. The Hollywood Derby
is at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Virginia Derby.
A pair of European imports later worked five furlongs in tandem for their
United States debuts. Juvenile miss IN THE SLIPS (More Than Ready) was clocked
in 1:03 2/5 under Valdez for the $100,000 Miesque S. (G3) next Sunday, while ACE
OF ACES (Ire) (Antonius Pius) was timed in 1:03 4/5 under Joel Rosario for the
$100,000 Generous S. (G3) for two-year-olds on Saturday.
Mullins and House have high hopes for their two newcomers.
“I’ve had Ace of Aces about two months,” said Mullins of the Irish-bred
gelding who finished second in his only start in Ireland. “The filly just came
in three days before the Breeders’ Cup. They both just needed maintenance works
today.”
Bloodstock agent Niall Dalton found Ace of Aces while Richard Duggan and
Jamie Lloyd collaborated In the Slips, who won her last two starts in England,
the last at a mile under 133 pounds on September 24.
“She got a high (92) Timeform number in that race and I was very disappointed
that she did not get into the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf, in which she
failed to draw in from the also-eligible list),” said Duggan, also watching the
works.
“I watched her tape and bought her as soon as I could,” said Duggan, who
later transferred her to Lloyd. “She may replace Magical Fantasy (Diesis [GB]).”
Duggan also found Magical Fantasy in Europe and imported her to the United
States to Paddy Gallagher, where she became a multiple Grade 1-winning
millionaire who was sold to Japanese interests for $1.8 million at the recent
Keeneland November sale.
“That filly is really level-headed,” said Mullins after In the Slips’ drill.