Hollywood Prevue Stakes Racing Roundup

A field of eight 2-year-old juveniles has been entered in today’s $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) but it looks like the 7-furlong sprint could become a three-horse race.

Winstar Farms’ American Lion is the 7-5 morning line favorite and he comes into the race with an impressive maiden win by 6 ¾ -lengths in a 7-furlong sprint at Keeneland. Trainer Eoin Harty should have American Lion ready for another big performance and jockey Julien Leparoux returns for the mount.

American Lion's second grandsire, Relaunch, sired Star Of The Crop who won the Prevue in 1991 and his third grandsire, In Reality, sired Judge Smells who won in 1985. American Lion’s damsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Lion Heart who won the Prevue in 2003 and Roll Hennessy Roll who won in 2002.

Win or lose, I will be watching to see how well American Lion performs when he stretches out to a route race.

Hall Of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert won the Hollywood Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and he’s looking for another victory with a pair of nice colts, Indian Firewater (5-2) and Macias (3-1).

Indian Firewater has been training well recording several bullet works at Hollywood Park and the Prevue looks like the next best step in his progression. His sire, Indian Charlie, won the Santa Anita Derby and sired the 2006 Eclipse Champion Fleet Indian and 2007 Eclipse Champion Indian Blessing. Indian Firewater’s grandsire, In Excess, sired the 1996 Prevue winner In Excessive Bull. Indian Firewater’s damsire is 1997 Belmont winner Touch Gold and Miswaki, the sire of Indian Firewater’s second dam Bay Barrister, sired the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea.

So, Indian Firewater looks like another one to keep an eye on when he stretches out to a route race.

Zayat Stables’ Macias is the only colt in the field with a stakes win to his credit. He has good speed and won the 6-furlong Jack Goodman Stakes last out in a final time of 1:08.98. If Macias can carry the speed to 7-furlongs he will be tough. Zayat Stables won the Prevue with Massive Drama in 2007 and Belgravia in 2006.

Tribal Face (15-1) looks like an intriguing long shot. After four starts, Tribal Face finally broke his maiden last out and appears to be improving. Tribal Face has only been out of the money once and he has a third-place finish in the hotly-contested I’m Smokin Stakes. His grandsire, Storm Cat, is the grandsire of Prevue winners Lion Heart and Roll Hennessy Roll. His damsire, Memo, sired the 1999 Prevue winner Grey Memo who was the 2002 California Champion Older Horse with over $1 million in career earnings.

So at 15-1 morning line odds, he may be worth a small win, place bet.