Handicap Diary

HANDICAP DIARY

JUNE 16, 2006

by James Scully

Older horses don't have many opportunities on the dirt while the Triple Crown

is going on, but the action picks up this weekend with the $750,000 Stephen

Foster H. (G1) at Churchill Downs and $250,000 Californian S. (G2) at Hollywood

Park. We'll start with the Foster.

Three top horses in the handicap division -- BUZZARDS BAY (Marco Bay), BRASS

HAT (Prized) and PERFECT DRIFT (Dynaformer) -- will square off in the 1 1/8-mile

test under the Twin Spires. LOVE OF MONEY (Not for Love), who captured the 2004

Pennsylvania Derby (G2) wire to wire and returned from an 11-month layoff to

finish a good second last out in the Westchester H. (G3), is the speed in the

field for trainer Richard Dutrow. The Todd Pletcher-trained WEST VIRGINIA

(Tomorrows Cat) will enter the Foster off a good third in the Pimlico Special H.

(G1) and has earned huge BRIS Speed ratings in his last two outings (112 and

107).

The Californian won't have the same depth. Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) hero SUPER

FROLIC (Pine Bluff), the fourth-place finisher in the 2005 Breeders' Cup Classic

(G1) at Belmont Park, will make his first start since a ninth in the Dubai World

Cup (UAE-G1). Other contenders include SPELLBINDER (Tale of the Cat),

PREACHINATTHEBAR (Silver Charm) and DIXIE MEISTER (Holzmeister). The 1 1/8-mile

race serves as a local prep for the $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on July

8.

LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew) will return to the main track for the 1 1/4-mile

Hollywood Gold Cup. An 8 3/4-length winner in the event last year, Lava Man

opened 2006 with impressive victories in the Sunshine Millions Classic and Santa

Anita H. (G1) before transferring his top-class form to the turf. Following a

victory over fellow California-breds in the Khaled S., he dominated much better

competition in the June 10 Charles Whittingham Memorial (G1). The Breeders' Cup

Classic is the most likely target, but trainer Doug O'Neill could continue to

alternate Lava Man between Grade 1 races on turf and dirt the rest of the

season.

The Californian and Gold Cup lost a major contender in SURF CAT (Sir Cat) due

to a foot bruise. He delivered a smashing performance to win the May 13 Mervyn

LeRoy H. (G2) by 3 1/2 lengths and would've represented a serious challenge to

Lava Man based upon that performance, but the Bruce Headley trainee was forced

to miss a couple of weeks of training with the foot problem. Surf Cat will now be

pointed toward Del Mar's $250,000 San Diego H. (G2) on July 22.

The May 20 Pimlico Special is the only race worthy of recapping since

the last edition of the Handicap Diary. INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) made his

U.S. debut a winning one in the 1 3/16-mile contest, running down WANDERIN BOY

(Seeking the Gold) in deep stretch to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. An

undefeated Triple Crown winner in Uruguay last year, the four-year-old colt

(actually 3 1/2 years old) was imported to America earlier this year and trained

at Gulfstream Park before being sent to Dubai for the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2),

which he was eligible for since he was foaled in the Southern Hemisphere. He

never got into the race overseas, finishing fourth behind Discreet Cat

(Forestry), but turned things around upon his return to North America. Invasor

didn't beat any divisional leaders at Pimlico, but he did it the right way,

earning a 112 BRIS Speed rating.