BC Mile, Shadwell Mile alumni highlight Citation

Silentio exits a third in the BC Mile (Benoit Photo) Hollywood Park’s final Turf Festival opens Friday with the Grade 2, $250,000 Citation Handicap. Top contenders in the 1 1/16-mile test include a trio from the Breeders’ Cup Mile — third-placer Silentio and also-rans He Be Fire N Ice and Bright Thought — as well as two looking to rebound from the Shadwell off-the-turf Mile, Winning Prize and Summer Front. Silentio seeks his first win since capturing last December’s Sir Beaufort in his stakes debut. But the Gary Mandella trainee has run a few fine races in defeat. Silentio missed by a whisker to Suggestive Boy in the March 2 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, and after a four-month layoff, checked in a useful third to Obviously and He Be Fire N Ice in the August 25 Del Mar Mile. The Silent Name colt was a solid third to Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the November 2 Breeders’ Cup Mile, beaten all of 1 1/2 lengths, and keeps Rafael Bejarano in the saddle for the Citation. He Be Fire N Ice has progressed smartly this season for John Sadler. After capping a three-race winning streak in the July 21 California Dreamin’ Handicap at Del Mar, the son of Unusual Heat was a barnstorming second in both the Del Mar Mile and the October 5 City of Hope Mile. The gray never got involved from off the pace in the Breeders’ Cup, but should find this spot a little easier, especially with the extra sixteenth on offer.

Bright Thought made an ambitious comeback from injury in the Mile, and found
it too much when fading to last. Earlier this year, the Hat Trick four-year-old
was a revelation on the switch to turf. He dominated a one-mile starter handicap
and a 1 1/4-mile optional claimer before making a much bigger splash in the 1
1/2-mile San Luis Rey on March 16, setting a short-lived turf world record of
2:22.72. The Jorge Gutierrez charge was not seen again until the Breeders’ Cup,
and is eligible to improve with that under his belt.

Three-time Argentinean Group 1 star Winning Prize made a terrific U.S.
premiere for Neil Drysdale at Del Mar. Leading throughout in an August 22
allowance, the Pure Prize colt drew four lengths clear and rattled off the mile
in 1:32 4/5. Winning Prize was shipped to Keeneland for the Shadwell, only to be
thrust into an unexpected synthetic debut when the race was rained off the turf.
He ended up fourth that day, but promises to be much happier back on his
preferred surface. Corey Nakatani picks up the mount.

The Christophe Clement-trained Summer Front likewise deserves a pass for his
uncharacteristic seventh in the Shadwell. The War Front half-brother to Grade 1
vixen Laragh had comfortably taken the April 20 Miami Mile and August 25 Cliff
Hanger in his last pair. During his three-year-old campaign in 2012, Summer
Front landed the Hill Prince and finished third in both the Secretariat and
Jamaica, before his troubled sixth in the Hollywood Derby.

War Front will also be represented by the improving Bio Pro, a 3 1/4-length
winner of the October 27 Lure at Santa Anita in his stakes debut for Howard
Zucker. Grade 2 veteran My Best Brother, second in the Lure in just his second
start of the year, figures to be part of the early pace scenario from the rail.

Rounding out the field is Big Bane Theory. Fourth to Silentio in the Sir
Beaufort, the Carla Gaines trainee comes off an October 14 allowance score at
Santa Anita.

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