Hollywood Turf Cup J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Among the smaller nuggets to take away from this year's running of the

Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) is that WINCHESTER (Theatrical [Ire]) is nowhere close

to being the equal of Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani) wherever they meet, his

13-length loss to that rival at Santa Anita being about as decisive as the 6

3/4-length deficit between the two in the King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2) at Royal

Ascot in June. With Conduit out of the picture for Saturday's $250,000 Hollywood

Turf Cup (G1), we feel Winchester stands a better chance of showing his best

stuff.

Besides conceding actual class and ability in the Breeders' Cup Turf,

Winchester also conceded recency, having not raced since his dynamite 7

1/4-length romp in the August 9 Secretariat S. (G1). That performance was

arguably more impressive than that turned in by older horses in the Arlington

Million (G1) on the same card at the same distance, as Winchester finished his 1

1/4 miles two-fifths of a second faster after tracking a more tepid pace. Though

he has yet to place at this 1 1/2-mile trip in three previous attempts, he faces a lesser

group that what he's met previously at 12 furlongs, and we feel he can avenge

his sire's third-place finish in this race back in 1986.

CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) (Danehill) will attempt to improve on his runner-up

finish in this race last season, but we're obviously dealing with a fickle

animal here. He is entirely capable on his best day, but far too often has he

let his supporters down, usually at skimpy odds. He should be and deserves to be

one of the favorites, if not the actual public choice, but his record of not

firing at inconvenient times is reason enough to try to beat him.

OBRIGADO (Fr) (Enrique) has not visited the winner's circle since the San

Luis Obispo H. (G2) in February 2007, but has hit the board enough in the

interim to suggest he can do so again. A recent allowance prep, his first outing

in more than seven months, should have helped shake some of the rust off.

Claimed earlier this year for $50,000, CHURCH SERVICE (Pulpit) has more than

covered that expense with a score in the Dallas Turf Cup (G3) and runner-up

efforts in two other graded stakes plus the Breeders' Cup Marathon for Mike

Mitchell. We suspect he is not classy enough to pull off the upset, but a

position in the top four seems likely if he runs one of his better races.

Two mares give this race a feminine touch, and it must be remembered that

Miss Alleged clinched champion turf female honors with a victory in the 1991

edition of the Turf Cup. BLACK MAMBA (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe) is the more

prominent of the two, having endured a string of minor awards in numerous graded

stakes before a breakthrough in the John C. Mabee H. (G1) at Del Mar in August.

She was subsequently third in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), then was unplaced in a

Las Palmas H. (G2) that was frankly too short for her. She hasn't faced the

boys in this country, however, and we're not quite sure how she stacks up

against these males, who aren't exactly the cream of the division.

HIGH HEEL SNEAKERS (GB) (Dansili [GB]) is decidedly inferior to Black Mamba

from a class perspective, but was a course and distance winner of the Hermosa

Beach H. earlier this month, for what that's worth. We're not quite sold on the

other participants either as each has class questions. California Cup Classic

winner MR. CHAIRMAN (Unusual Heat) has only surpassed the entry-level allowance

condition against open company, while RUSH RUSH (More Than Ready) had to drop

into a high-end claimer at Del Mar to win. The shakiest of them all is SUMMER

SURVIVOR (Siberian Summer), who is two races removed from winning for a $5,000

tag, which didn't quite erase the memories of him finishing off the board for

$3,200 at Los Alamitos in June.