Whittingham scouting report
Saturday, June 6, Hollywood Park
The Low-Down: A field of six top turf runners will contest this 1 1/4-miles event, centerpiece of the grass stakes schedule at Hollywood Park this spring-summer meeting. Defending champion ARTISTE ROYAL scored by a neck in this race last year, but top weight on the handicap scale goes to MADEO, who totes just 119 pounds. However, the high-weight will give as many as 7 pounds to his rivals with a fairly large spread in weights.
Our Eyes: MIDSHIPS has controlled the pace in back-to-back route victories in the San Luis Rey and San Juan Capistrano handicaps. The Bobby Frankel trainee shortens back to 1 1/4 miles, but figures to get a little pace pressure than he's accustomed. LIQUIDITY, 14th behind Street Sense in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, has returned from a year-and-a-half layoff to post three improving sprint races. He's never raced on turf, and this is an awfully ambitious spot, but he should certainly ensure that MIDSHIPS does not steal away with the Whittingham. He'll have to earn it.
Speaking of returning from long layoffs, GLOBETROTTER was one of Canda's top 2-year-olds in 2007, but missed almost a year and a half before resurfacing in March under a new residence with trainer John Sadler. The son of Street Cry has a real sense of class about him, and his 9-furlong turf win at Santa Anita in 1:46 was ridiculously fast, finishing the last furlong in :11 3/5. He will be a real handful for the favorites on the class rise.
Neither ARTISTE ROYAL or MADEO have any early foot whatsoever and will be compromised to a degree in just a six-horse field. MADEO appears to be going the better of the two at present, but his running lines indicate a horse who has yet to really beat any top-class competition and might be a shade overrated.
The Bottom Line: I'll take my chances with GLOBETROTTER. He could not have been any more impressive in mid-April and could be a rising star. MIDSHIPS, even with some pace pressure, can't be discounted given his class and fact that a short field often flatters speed runners.
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