Citation J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES

PREVIEWS

With no shortage of early pace signed on for Saturday's Citation H. (G2) at

Hollywood Park, the stage looks set for the exciting VIOLON SACRE (Stravinsky)

to take the next step forward for Patrick Biancone. The closer has fired off

triple-digit BRIS Late Pace ratings in each of his five American starts, in

visually-impressive style to boot. Since his solid fourth in his U.S. debut,

Violon Sacre has come within a neck of compiling a four-race winning streak.

Only the gritty Get Serious (City Zip) managed to fend him off in the Oceanport

S. (G3) at his beloved Monmouth in August. Other than that, Violon Sacre has

been irresistible, and he exits two smart scores in the P.T.H.A. President's Cup

S. at old Philly Park and the Knickerbocker S. (G3) at Belmont. We expect more

of the same, despite the change in venue to Southern California, where he has

been training sharply on the Cushion Track. Regular rider Pablo Fragoso flies

out to maintain the partnership in the 1 1/16-mile turf test.

COURT VISION (Gulch) is the established class of this field, as his nearly

$2.6 million bankroll attests. The well-bred five-year-old has been a major

force ever since his juvenile days, and one of his better performances was a

smashing victory in the 2008 Hollywood Derby (G1) over this course. The Rick

Dutrow trainee snapped up his fourth career Grade 1 score in the Woodbine Mile

(Can-G1) two back, and last time out, he got up for fifth in the Breeders' Cup

Mile (G1). Court Vision commands considerable respect, but with his top impost

of 122 pounds, likely skimpy odds, and the possibility of being outsprinted by

Violon Sacre, we're taking a shot at beating him. Nevertheless, we wouldn't dare

leave him out of the top three with new pilot Joel Rosario.

Millionaire PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) probably isn't fully cranked off

the 11-month layoff, but the seven-year-old veteran has run well fresh before --

note that he captured an allowance after a year-long absence in late 2007.

Although this is a much tougher spot to return, the four-time Grade 2 hero is

capable of getting into the frame with anything close to his usual effort, and

he's never finished worse than fourth in his three prior attempts at the

Citation. Perhaps significantly, his best result was a close third in the 2007

Citation, which featured a much faster pace than the other two runnings.

Formerly trained by the late Bobby Frankel, Proudinsky remains in the care of

longtime Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio, who sent out Fluke (Brz) (Wild

Event) to win last year's Citation. We like that Rafael Bejarano, in the saddle

for Proudinsky's back-to-back scores in the San Gabriel H. (G2), stays aboard

the stalker.

VICTOR'S CRY (Street Cry [Ire]) has yet to follow up on his 21-1 upset in the

Shoemaker Mile (G1) here on Memorial Day, but he's had a couple of excuses along

the way. The Eoin Harty charge played second fiddle to The Usual Q. T. (Unusual

Heat) in the Eddie Read S. (G1), was uncharacteristically too close to a hot

pace in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), and had the opposite problem of falling too

far back in the Oak Tree Mile (G2). New rider Victor Espinoza has the task of

carving out the right trip for the confirmed closer, who promises to save ground

most of the way from the rail.

RYEHILL DREAMER (Ire) (Catcher in the Rye) shapes up as an intriguing dark

horse for the ever-dangerous Julio Canani. A useful juvenile in Ireland two

years ago, he made a promising start on the Triple Crown trail when third to The

Pamplemousse and Square Eddie (Smart Strike) in the 2009 San Rafael S. (G3) in

his only outing for John Shirreffs. Ryehill Dreamer was not seen again for

almost 21 months, but resurfaced with Canani and dominated an October 8 optional

claimer in front-running style. We're not sure what to expect on the class hike

second time out. If he reverts to off-the-pace tactics for new jockey Corey

Nakatani, Ryehill Dreamer is eligible to garner a share at a square price.

ENRICHED (High Brite), who had things all his own way in a wire-to-wire job

in the Del Mar Mile (G2) over the summer, should find his task more complicated

Saturday. The half-brother to Lava Man often picks up a check, however, and he's

probably a bit better now than he was this time last year, when fifth in the

Citation. Enriched's recent third in the California Cup Classic got a form boost

courtesy of runner-up Unusual Suspect (Unusual Heat), a next-out winner of the

Hollywood Turf Cup (G1). The addition of Pat Valenzuela is another definite plus

for Enriched, a legitimate exotics player.

There's little to choose between BRUCE'S DREAM (Atticus) and COLGAN'S CHIP (Cee's

Tizzy), who have fought out a pair of close finishes in Cal-bred stakes. Bruce's

Dream has come out on top both times, and his closing style is better suited to

the Citation as well. LIBERIAN FREIGHTER (Bertrando), a 22-1 upsetter in the Oak

Tree Mile two back, was a well-beaten third to Bruce's Dream and Colgan's Chip

in the California Cup Mile. The Neil Drysdale pupil boasts a strong record over

the course (7-4-0-2) and distance (5-4-0-1), but still doesn't appear quite up

to handling this group. METEORE (Pulpit), runner-up in the Del Mar Mile and

fourth in the Oak Tree Mile in his past two, would have to conjure up a

career-best for Richard Mandella to upset the apple cart.