J P's Gusto, Western Mood square off in Best Pal

J P'S GUSTO (Successful Appeal) and WESTERN MOOD (West Acre), who battled

down the length of the stretch in the July 5 Hollywood Juvenile Championship S.

(G3), will contest round two of their budding rivalry in Sunday's $150,000

Best Pal

S. (G2) at Del Mar. J P's Gusto got the better of Western Mood by a neck

that day, perhaps benefiting from a heady Joe Talamo ride, while capitalizing on

the relative inexperience of Western Mood. The 6 1/2-furlong Best Pal should

answer those lingering questions.

J P's Gusto is highly regarded by trainer David Hofmans, who compared him to

a past pupil in General Meeting, the runner-up in the 1990 Hollywood Futurity

(G1) who went on to capture the 1991 Volante H. (G3) and Bradbury S. That lofty

opinion was revealed when Hofmans entered J P's Gusto in the Willard L. Proctor

Memorial S. at Hollywood Park, despite the fact that he was a maiden. The bay

ridgling had finished sixth after a slow start in his 4 1/2-furlong debut, but

he was rolling home at the end.

With a more conventional stalking trip in the Willard Proctor, J P's Gusto

spurted away by 4 1/2 impressive lengths to vindicate Hofmans' spotting. Sent

off as the 3-5 favorite in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, he showed real

determination to deny a persistent Western Mood. Talamo, who has been aboard for

both of his wins, will try to work out a trip from the rail on Sunday.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Western Mood had just one run under his belt,

a rallying maiden victory, going into the Hollywood Juvenile Championship.

Floated out wide by J P's Gusto turning into the stretch, he kept coming

relentlessly and actually appeared to put his head in front. His more seasoned

rival came again, and Western Mood settled for a close second. The bay may

improve for that educational loss with a returning Joel Rosario.

Since Hollywood Juvenile third MINUTESANDTOUCHES (Rockport Harbor) and sixth

RIVER'S CHAPEL (Chapel Royal) would need to move forward significantly to turn

the tables, a challenge is likelier to emerge from one of a trio of recent

maiden winners. The filly WICKEDLY PERFECT (Congrats) is cross-entered against

her own division in Friday's Sorrento S. (G3), and may end up going there. COMMA

TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie) owns a win over the track, having crushed $50,000

maiden claimers here on July 22. Only sixth behind Western Mood two back, the

Peter Miller trainee faces a stiff class test here.

As a result, the most compelling of the stakes newcomers is SWAY AWAY (Afleet

Alex) from the Jeff Bonde barn. A sharp debut maiden scorer at Pleasanton on

June 27, the bay has been training forwardly on the Del Mar Polytrack and picks

up the services of Rafael Bejarano.

Sunday's renewal of the Best Pal is also notable for who isn't in it --

namely, Bob Baffert, who has won seven of the last 12 runnings of the Best Pal.

Baffert won last year with champion Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike), hero of this

spring's Preakness S. (G1) and this past Sunday's Haskell Invitational (G1).

The 2009 Best Pal also produced Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger), who just

beat older sprinters in last Sunday's Bing Crosby S. (G1); Make Music for Me

(Bernstein), the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1); and Derby

Trial S. (G3) winner Hurricane Ike (Graeme Hall).