Jeranimo, Camp Victory seek repeat wins in Shoemaker Mile, Triple Bend

Jeranimo, Camp Victory seek repeat wins in Shoemaker Mile,
Triple Bend

Jeranimo rallied from last to take the 2012 Shoemaker Mile (Benoit Photos) Jeranimo will face only four rivals as he goes for a title defense run on Saturday in the Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile over Hollywood Park’s turf course. The Congaree seven-year-old captured last year’s running by 1 1/4 lengths, but has found the winner’s circle just once since. In addition to the Shoemaker Mile, Hollywood plays host to the Grade 1, $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap sending a field of nine sprinting seven furlongs on the Cushion Track. Both races are Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events, with the winner of the Mile earning a fees-waived berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and the victor of the Triple Bend receiving a fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Jeranimo will need to rebound off a subpar seventh-place run in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on May 4 if he hopes to preserve his Shoemaker Mile title. The Mike Pender trainee followed up last year with a third-placing in the Del Mar Mile Handicap two months later, but closed out his season with a pair of unplaced efforts in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Citation Handicap.

Jeranimo showed signs of his previous form with a 2 3/4-length score in the
San Gabriel in his January 13 return, but wasn’t seen in competition again until
his last-of-seven run in the Turf Classic. Rafael Bejarano has been aboard for
both those efforts and retains the mount Saturday.

The biggest challenge appears to come from the Mike Mitchell-trained
Obviously. The Irish-bred gelding has been unplaced just once in his career,
with that coming in his 2011 debut overseas. Since coming to the United States,
the five-year-old son of Choisir has racked up a 5-4-2 line from 11 starts.
Included in that scorecard are wins in a trio of Grade 2 contests, including the
American Handicap last out on May 25.

Obviously has the distinction of running third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup
Mile after leading in the early going of that event, and keeps regular rider Joe
Talamo in the saddle.

Lucayan is a classic winner overseas, having taken the French Two Thousand
Guineas last year, but is looking to improve from three well-beaten runs since
that one-mile event. The Neil Drysdale charge showed signs he was on the upswing
when runner-up in the American in his stateside bow, and the Turtle Bow
four-year-old will renew his partnership with fellow Frenchman Julien Leparoux
on Saturday.

Grade 2 victor Wilkinson and Za Approval complete the Shoemaker field, with
the former exiting an optional claiming score over the track and the latter
shipping in off a pair of Grade 3 wins at Monmouth and Gulfstream.

Camp Victory was a 10-1 winner of last year’s Triple Bend (Benoit Photos) Later on Hollywood’s card, Camp Victory will go for his own repeat in the Triple Bend, and would make history if he succeeds as only the second defending winner. Porterhouse previously accomplished the task in 1955-56, when the race was called the Lakes and Flowers Handicap, for Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham. Camp Victory upset last year’s Triple Bend one day after his trainer Mitchell underwent brain surgery at USC Medical Center. Prior to that, the Forest Camp gelding was third in the Los Angeles Handicap, and recently just filled that same spot in that same race on May 27. Talamo was aboard for Camp Victory’s nice run last year, and the Los Angeles last out, and stays in the saddle for Mitchell. Jimmy Creed and Comma to the Top will offer the biggest challenge to Camp Victory’s title defense run. The former closed out his sophomore campaign with a nice win in the Malibu and opened 2013 with victory in the April 6 Potrero Grande in his last one. The Richard Mandella-conditioned son of Distorted Humor was also third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship last year and will get a jockey switch to Hall of Famer Gary Stevens for Saturday.

Comma to the Top is also riding a two-race win streak, but his is a bit more
recent. The Bwana Charlie gelding has already competed six times this year and
is exiting scores in the Cool French and Los Angeles. Edwin Maldonado had
piloting duties for both of those and will get a leg up again for the Triple
Bend.

Other contenders in the race include Grade 1 winners Morning Line and Rail
Trip, who will both be making their seasonal debuts on Saturday. Morning Line
has been off for more than a year, as his last appearance came as a
fourth-placing in the 2012 Californian, while Rail Trip is exiting a runner-up
effort in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Completing the Triple Bend field are stakes debuter Cyclometer, Los Angeles
runner-up Centralinteligence and Grade 1 scorer Drill, who was fourth in the
American last out.

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