Weekend Stakes Races: Grade III Cardinal Handicap and Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes

Race-time: Cardinal Handicap at 4:37 pm EST and Hollywood Prevue at 7:05 pm EST

Race-day: 11/21/2009

Two super competitive races highlight Saturday’s thoroughbred racing action.

At Churchill Downs, fillies and mares take the turf course for the Grade III Cardinal Handicap. At Hollywood Park, 2 year old colts hit the cushion track for the Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes.

Let’s take a look at both stakes races

Churchill Downs – Race 9

Grade III Cardinal Handicap

$100,000

Fillies and Mares, Three Years Old and Upward

1 1/8 miles on turf

Leamington figures to get the perfect 1 length trip behind front runner Zaskar before taking over in the lane. She will have to hold off some terrific closers, but the Churchill Downs specialist who has a victory and second out of two races figures to do just that. Let’s peg her for the top spot.

For second, You Go West Girl could add a ton of value in the exotics. She gets the rail, where she can save ground, and is 2-3 out of 7 races at this distance. She’s also won her last two and trainer Thomas Proctor is winning at 43% at this meet. My Baby Baby always figures right there and should do so again because she’ll get first run on the closers from the garden spot position. She could be tough in this.

1. Leamington
2. You Go West Girl
3. My Baby Baby
   

Hollywood Park – Race 8

Grade III Hollywood Prevue Stakes

$100,000

For Two Year Olds

7 furlongs on cushion track

Tiznow hasn’t sired a Kentucky Derby winner yet, but trainer Eoin Harty hopes that will change with his charge, American Lion. The son of Tiznow has been sensational in his two lifetime races including a 7 furlong victory over the Polytrack at Keeneland to break his maiden. With Storm Cat on his bottom side, American Lion is bred to be a champion. Macias is the second of Bob Baffert’s duo in this race, but he might be the better one.

He’s improved in each of his three lifetime races and can either stalk or lead. The $400,00 buy, Indian Firewater, gets Garrett Gomez is trained by Bob Baffert and figures to be the favorite in this race. He too could be a champion one day, but his style suggests that there’s some learning to do before beating American Lion and Macias.

1. American Lion
2. Macias
3. Indian Firewater