Minister Eric returns Wednesday at
Hollywood
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up MINISTER
ERIC (Old Trieste), who has not started since finishing 16th in
the Kentucky Derby (G1), headlines a field of 11 entered for
Wednesday’s 6TH race at Hollywood Park. The Richard
Mandella-trained sophomore will break from post 1 under Corey
Nakatani in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance/optional claiming event,
which is open to older horses.
Minister Eric also finished second in last year’s Del Mar
Futurity (G2) and captured an allowance race this year at
Keeneland prior to the Derby. The chestnut owns a 9-2-3-2 career
mark with $437,971 in earnings.
LIFESTYLE (Indian Charlie), who also comes off the shelf, is a
primary contender in Wednesday’s event. Trained by Wesley Ward,
the four-year-old made his career debut in March at Gulfstream
Park and drew off impressively through the stretch to win by 9
3/4 lengths. He followed that with another monstrous performance
at Belmont Park in May, winning an allowance by 13 1/2 lengths.
The bay colt will make his first start since suffering his
initial defeat when fourth in an allowance in early June.
INDIAN COUNTRY (Indian Charlie), who returns off a 123-day
layoff for trainer Bob Baffert, is another promising and lightly
raced entrant. The three-year-old broke his maiden in his second
career attempt two starts back and then easily captured an
allowance at Hollywood in mid-July. He returns to action with
Casey Fusilier in the saddle. Stakes winner HARVARD AVENUE (You
and I) brings much more experience into the race, including a
third-place finish in the San Felipe S. (G2) and a fourth-place
showing behind Smarty Jones in the Arkansas Derby (G2). Tyler
Baze rides the Doug O’Neill trainee.