Citation, Miesque kick off Hollywood Turf Festival

The first day of Hollywood Park's 17th annual Turf Festival on Friday will

climax when a solid field of 10 face the starter for the $400,000

Citation

H. (G1) for older horses over 1 1/16 miles. Favoritism will likely fall on

WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]), the John Sadler charge who captured

the American H. (G2) over this turf course in June and the Del Mar Mile H. (G2)

in August. In between those two scores, Whatsthescript was a a close second in

the Eddie Read H. (G1), and last out rallied from last of 11 in the final

furlong to grab third money in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) across town at Santa

Anita.

HYPERBARIC (Sky Classic), who bypassed the Breeders' Cup Mile despite a

course-and-distance victory in the September 28 Oak Tree Mile (G2), will attempt

to fire fresh for trainer Julio Canani. The Citation marks the second meeting

this year between Whatsthescript and Hyperbaric, with the latter finishing third

behind that rival in the American H.

REBELLION (GB) (Mozart [Ire]), a three-time winner on the turf in 10

attempts, exits a fast-closing second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt

Mile, though he was unplaced in his last two starts on grass. FORMAL DECREE

(Ger) (Diktat) beat subsequent Red Smith H. (G2) winner Strike a Deal (Smart

Strike) by an impressive three lengths in the Knickerbocker H. (G3) at Belmont

Park last time and has been working well locally for Godolphin and trainer Saeed

bin Suroor.

Other major contenders include Grade 2 hero PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]),

fourth in the Knickerbocker last out; Group 2 winner LORD ADMIRAL (El Prado

[Ire]), fourth after a rough trip in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) two back; and

GALANTAS (Tale of the Cat), third to Kip Deville (Kipling) in the Woodbine Mile

(Can-G1) a year ago and a close third in the Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3) in

his only start in the interim.

The Turf Festival begins about an hour before the Citation, when 12 juvenile

fillies line up for the $100,000

Miesque

S. (G3) over one mile. The probable choice is HABAYA (Storm Cat), a daughter

of champion turf mare Golden Apples (Ire) who won her debut over the Belmont

turf before running second to the highly rated Laragh (Tapit) in the Jessamine

S. at Keeneland.

The only stakes winner in the field, EMMY DARLING (Graeme Hall), achieved

that distinction on Cushion Track and could only manage a fifth in the Breeders'

Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Also expected to garner support is ELOQUENTLY (GB)

(Dansili [GB]), a five-length winner of her debut on Polytrack in England.

Among the recent turf maiden winners in the Miesque are INTERNALLYFLAWLESS

(Giant's Causeway), KINESIOLOGY (Dixie Union) and CENTURY PARK (General

Meeting). Another possibility, ATKA (Swiss Yodeler), just missed passing her

first allowance condition over the Hollywood turf by a head earlier this month.