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Maker Hopes ‘Old Class Horse,’ Former Claimer Aquaphobia Steps Up In Pegasus Turf

The day after trainer Mike Maker won last year's $1 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf (G1) with Zulu Alpha, the groundwork was laid for one of his 2021 runners – United Nations (G1) winner Aquaphobia.

Zulu Alpha and Aquaphobia are among six former claiming horses that have gone on to win Grade 1 races for Maker. The trainer also is running the stakes-winning, Grade 1-placed Cross Border in Saturday's 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf at Gulfstream Park. That 7-year-old horse was purchased by Three Diamonds Farm at auction in 2018 but before then was running in $40,000 claiming races.

Maker didn't spend much time basking in the glory of Zulu Alpha's Pegasus Turf victory. He was on a plane the next morning to Houston, where he was running Paradise Farms Corp.'s Bemma's Boy in the John B. Connally (G3).

Bemma's Boy finished second, but Paradise Farms owner Peter Proscia and Maker still scored big that day. As they were at Sam Houston Race Park handicapping races at various tracks, Proscia saw a horse he liked in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at Gulfstream Park that afternoon. Maker was well familiar with the horse, the then 7-year-old Aquaphobia. He'd tried to claim the horse for Zulu Alpha's owner Michael Hui for $25,000 in 2017. They lost the shake that day, but the trainer kept up with the horse.

“We were at Sam Houston, sitting around a table, and he decided to claim him,” Maker said of Proscia. “He was an old class horse that we'd actually had our eyes on for a long time.”

“Basically I'm a speed handicapper and I also watch the replays,” Proscia said. “We have a good group of guys we bounce it off, but the ultimate decision is Mike's…. He knew the horse. I liked the horse, even though he was on the older side, (but) Mike has been doing very well with older, longer turf horses and getting the best out of them.”

Maker's Gulfstream team executed the claim. Aquaphobia finished fourth at odds of 32-1, but none of that bothered Proscia. Aquaphobia now is owned by four of Maker's stalwart owners: Proscia, David Staudacher, Hooties Racing and Skychai Racing.

“There's no one gamer,” Maker said with an appreciative laugh of Proscia's willingness to go in for high-priced claiming horses. “He keeps money in the account. He's ready to pull the trigger before the entries come out.”

Proscia, who is in the marine fuel business, met Maker a few years ago after he claimed one of the trainer's horses twice, with Maker claiming it back in between. When Proscia wasn't having much luck with the horse the second time around, a friend who knew Maker suggested sending the horse back to the trainer.

“I called him up and asked if it would be OK,” Proscia said. “It didn't work out that well; the horse got hurt. But those things happen. It wasn't his fault. I ended up buying a 2-year-old with him at a sale, and we started to claim a couple. Next thing you know, here we are today. It's been a good run, and I hope it continues.”

They won Gulfstream Park's Old Man Eloquent Stakes in their first start with Aquaphobia, then had a pair of fourths in Grade 2 races in their subsequent three races before taking Monmouth Park's United Nations. Aquaphobia is Proscia's first Grade 1 winner and one of three graded-stakes winners. He joins $30,000 claim Bemma's Boy, who in his next start after the Connally won Gulfstream' Kitten's Joy Pan American (G3), and Keeneland's Valley View (G3) winner Stunning Sky, who was claimed out of a $50,000 maiden-claiming race.

“He sees something in the past performances and the replays, and together with the speed figures, you put it all together and say, 'This horse has potential,'” Proscia said of Maker. “Then he has a training methodology that he does, and I give a lot of credit to his help and his staff. And Mike's got the patience.”

Zulu Alpha, an $80,000 claim, came into his Pegasus off a victory in Kentucky Downs' $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) and a good fourth in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). In his three races since the United Nations, Aquaphobia was a distant third over soft turf in Saratoga's Sword Dancer (G1), seventh in Keeneland's Sycamore (G3) and sixth by a total of only two lengths in Aqueduct's Red Smith (G3).

“His last race was good,” Maker said. “He got beat a couple of a lengths with a wide trip, so it wasn't bad. At Keeneland, I think he was a little closer (early in the race) than we would have liked for him to be. Having said that, I think he'll appreciate a firmer course like Gulfstream has. And I really think he'll like the distance.

“Zulu had a better resume,” he added. “Though he wasn't yet a Grade 1 winner, he'd won more races than Aquaphobia. Aquaphobia has the Grade 1 United Nations to his credit. It's a big difference.”

Aquaphobia, who drew post 7 in the field of 12 for the Pegasus Turf, is 20-1 in the morning line. He's being reunited with Joe Bravo, whose 2-for-3 record on the horse includes the United Nations and Aquaphobia's first stakes victory as a 3-year-old.

After his purchase by Three Diamonds at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's July Selected Horses of Racing Age sale, the New York-bred Cross Border did not race for almost a year. His 16 subsequent races for Three Diamonds and Maker include four wins, five seconds and a third, including victory in a New York-bred stakes, a second in the Sword Dancer (G1) and most recently a second by a head in the Fair Grounds' Buddy Diliberto Memorial.

Cross Border is 15-1 in the morning line and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

“He's won from 6 1/2 (furlongs) to a mile and a half for us,” Maker said. “Just a very versatile horse. You can place him wherever you need him. He's just a real quality horse.”

As for Zulu Alpha, he has been sidelined with a leg injury but is expected to resume racing later this year, Hui said.

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Lightly-Raced Colonel Liam Tops Pletcher Trio In Pegasus Turf

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, making just his sixth career start and first in graded company, figures to garner plenty of support in the richest grass stakes of the winter season, Saturday's $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

The third running of the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus Turf and the fifth renewal of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on dirt comprise the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, headlining a blockbuster 12-race program featuring seven graded-stakes worth $4.725 million in purses.

First race post time is 11:40 a.m. EST. The Pegasus Turf will be part of NBC's live national telecast from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

This year, the Pegasus Turf will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Handicap Feb. 20 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In addition, the Pegasus World Cup is a 'Win and In' race for the $20 million Saudi Cup.

During Wednesday's post-position draw inside Gulfstream's Sport of Kings Theatre, Colonel Liam was made the narrow 7-2 program favorite over stablemate Largent (9-2) in a field of a dozen stakes winners, 10 of them graded, including Grade 1 winners Aquaphobia, Next Shares, Say the Word and Storm the Court, the 2-year-old male champion of 2019.

Colonel Liam and Largent are part of trainer Todd Pletcher's triple threat that includes Social Paranoia (8-1), also among the five horses listed at less than double-digit odds. The others are Anothertwistafate (5-1) and Say the Word (6-1).

“The mile and three-sixteenths is a little different distance for Largent. He's never been quite that far but the way he ran in the Fort Lauderdale going a mile and an eighth certainly gives you confidence he'll handle it,” Pletcher said.

“Social Paranoia has won as far as a mile and five-sixteenths, and Colonel Liam was a little bit unlucky in the Saratoga Derby at a mile and a quarter. I think [the distance] should work for all three of them,” he added.

Colonel Liam, a 4-year-old son of Liam's Map, is the least experienced runner in the Pegasus Turf. Liam's Map was a two-time Grade 1 winner on dirt for Pletcher, taking the 2015 Woodward and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

“It's always fun when you're training the offspring of a horse that you've trained,” Pletcher said. “It's great to see Liam's Map doing well as a stallion and showing his versatility of getting dirt horses and turf horses and good 2-year-olds, and showing that he's capable of siring just about any type of horse.”

A $1.2 million purchase as a 2-year-old in training in April 2019, Colonel Liam went unraced as a juvenile before debuting against older horses going a mile on dirt last April at Gulfstream, where he was placed first after finishing a troubled second. Moved to the grass for the first time in his third start, he beat his elders again in an open allowance at Saratoga, then encountered trouble again while running fourth, beaten less than a length, in the Saratoga Derby.

Colonel Liam turned in his best performance to date last time out, rating in mid-pack off a moderate pace before coming with a four-wide move to take the lead and widen his advantage through the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Derby by 3 ¼ lengths Dec. 26 at Gulfstream.

“Very impressed,” Pletcher said. “I loved the way he pulled away at the end. We've always had high hopes for him, so it's nice to see him living up to those.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., up in the Tropical Park Derby, rides back from Post 5.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stable's Largent also had a career-best effort in his most recent start, saving ground inside before forging a short lead at the top of the stretch and drawing clear to a two-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale (G2) Dec. 12. The 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding, never worse than second in nine starts with six wins, beat Virginia-breds in turf stakes at Laurel Park and Colonial Downs last summer.

“That was his breakthrough performance,” Pletcher said. “He's always been very consistent. He's run against some really nice horses. We took advantage of his Virginia-bred status because that's what you're supposed to do when you have those kinds of options. It wasn't so much that we felt like he didn't belong at Saratoga or some bigger races; we had the opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it.”

Paco Lopez gets the return call on Largent from Post 6.

Winner of the one-mile Poker (G3) in July, The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia, 5, went unraced until capturing a 7 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance Dec. 16 on the Gulfstream turf. The son of Street Boss owns three wins in four tries on the local surface including the one-mile Appleton (G3) last winter. He won the Dueling Grounds Derby going 1 5/16 miles at Kentucky Downs in 2019.

“He's consistent and likes this course, and he's proven at the distance,” Pletcher said. “The key, for him and Colonial Liam both, was we needed a race under their belt to kind of set them up for this. They were both coming off short layoffs so a prep race was important for both of them.”

Luis Saez, whose previous trip aboard Social Paranoia came in his March 2019 maiden triumph at Gulfstream, has the assignment from outside Post 12.

Peter Redekop's Anothertwistafate, based in California with trainer Peter Miller, is a stakes winner on three surfaces. He won the El Camino Real on Golden Gate's all-weather track and was second by a neck in the Sunland Derby (G3) on dirt, both going 1 1/8 miles, while on the 2019 Triple Crown trail.

The 5-year-old son of Scat Daddy won the Longacres Mile (G3) going a mile at Emerald Downs last September in one of only two 2020 starts, and in just his second race for Miller captured the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel (G2) on the Santa Anita turf Jan. 2. Joel Rosario rides for the third straight race from Post 8.

“I don't think [distance] will be an issue,” Miller said. “He's the type of horse that doesn't seem to get tired. He's got a lot of stamina and is built like a horse that can get a mile and a half.”

A win by homebred Say the Word would be a fitting sendoff for Sam-Son Farm, the legendary owner and breeder of 84 Sovereign Award winners and four Eclipse Award winners, which is undergoing a complete dispersal of its racing and breeding stock. The 6-year-old gelding became a Grade 1 winner in the 1 ½-mile Northern Dancer (G1) last October on the Woodbine turf and exits a third, beaten one length, in the 1 ½-mile Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

Flavien Prat, up in the Turf Cup, rides Say the Word (6-1) from Post 11.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will send out a pair of contenders in North Dakota (10-1) and Breaking the Rules (20-1). Allen Stable Inc. homebred North Dakota, a 5-year-old half-brother to Grade 2 winner and influential sire War Front, needed seven tries to break his maiden but has won four of his last six races. The most recent came in the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith (G3) Nov. 21 at Aqueduct.

“He's been kind of a late bloomer but he's been doing well. His races, really all [last] year, have been good so we're looking forward to running him here,” McGaughey said. “He's a true distance horse, probably even a little more than a mile and three-sixteenths. The way he's doing and the way he's been coming around, all year really, [is great], and his races have been spaced and he's fresh and we're ready to give it a try.”

Another homebred, Phipps Stable's Breaking the Rules is a 6-year-old son of War Front that has three career races over the Gulfstream turf, winning the Tropical Park Derby and finishing second by a head in the Canadian Turf (G3) during the 2018-2019 Championship Meet. He went two-for-five in 2020, running fourth in the Lure and Knickerbocker (G2) in New York and third by two lengths in the Fort Lauderdale under jockey Edgard Zayas after being bumped at the start.

“I think he's had a pretty good year. I was disappointed in his race at Saratoga in the Lure. Then he came back and I thought he ran fine on a track he doesn't prefer. He wants it hard and it had more give to it than I thought,” McGaughey said. “I thought his race here in the Fort Lauderdale was pretty good. I think that Edgard was not familiar with him and he told me he thought he was too far back and I think he moved a little bit soon on him. He got caught up on the outside and didn't get beat far. It was a fast race, so I'm looking forward to getting him stretched out.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez is named on Breaking the Rules from Post 2, while Jose Ortiz has the call on North Dakota from Post 4.

Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock's Storm the Court (12-1) went winless in eight 2020 starts, including a sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), after clinching his Eclipse Award with a front-running head triumph in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). He has raced three times on the turf for trainer Peter Eurton, running second in the 1 1/16-mile La Jolla (G3) last summer at Del Mar as well as the Mathis Brothers Mile (G2) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Julien Leparoux gets the assignment from Post 3.

Trainer Mike Maker upset the 2020 Pegasus Turf with Zulu Alpha, and while that horse continues to recover from an injury that knocked him out of the Breeders' Cup last fall, Maker will be represented by the pair of Cross Border (15-1) and Aquaphobia (20-1).

“It was cool to win it last year, it'd be cooler to win this year and even cooler than that to win it again next year,” Maker said.

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border owns nine wins from 30 lifetime starts and became a graded winner when elevated to first in the 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green (G2) last summer at Saratoga following the disqualification of Grade 1 winner Sadler's Joy, who edged Cross Border by a neck. Last time out, the gelded 7-year-old son of turf champion English Channel was beaten a head when second in the 1 1/16-mile Buddy Diliberto Memorial Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds.

“I like his chances. He's doing great and shipped over well. We're looking forward to running him,” Maker said. “He's been a very solid horse. We've had luck with him from 6 ½ furlongs to a mile and a half. He just loves his job and he's easy to train.”

Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Hooties Racing and Skychai Racing's Aquaphobia is the most experienced runner in the Pegasus Turf with 39 career starts, nine of them wins, none bigger than his one-length triumph in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations (G1) last July at Monmouth Park. The 8-year-old Giant's Causeway horse has raced exclusive in stakes since being claimed by Maker for $62,500 last winter at Gulfstream, most recently running sixth by two lengths behind North Dakota in the Red Smith.

“He's a horse we were trying to get for quite some time and we were fortunate to get him,” Maker said. “We gave him some freshening. He just got outrun last time and he's doing super now. He'll get a firmer course here which he likes and I think the distance is favorable for him.”

Tyler Gaffalione will ride Cross Border from Post 9. Joe Bravo, aboard in the United Nations, returns from Post 7.

Godolphin's well-traveled homebred Pixelate (15-1) was a popular head winner of the 1 1/8-mile Del Mar Derby (G2) last September, and is coming off a half-length victory in the one-mile Woodchopper Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds. The 4-year-old City Zip colt will be making his Gulfstream debut in his 15th career start, having raced at nine different tracks in seven states. Edgard Zayas gets the assignment from Post 10.

Co-owned by a partnership that includes trainer Richard Baltas and his wife, Debby, Next Shares (20-1) is the richest horse in the Pegasus Turf with a $1.85 million bankroll and one of two millionaires in the field, along with Storm the Court. The 8-year-old Archarcharch gelding and 2018 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) victor is winless since his triumph in the November 2019 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2).

Next Shares will be making his third straight appearance in the Pegasus Turf, having finished seventh in 2019 and 12th in 2020. Drayden Van Dyke has the call from Post 1.

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Grade 1 Winners Sadler’s Joy, Aquaphobia Square Off In Saturday’s Red Smith Handicap

Woodslane Farm's Sadler's Joy will face fellow 7-year-old Grade 1-winner Aquaphobia in pursuit of a second straight triumph in Saturday's 60th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Red Smith Handicap going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Known as the Edgemere Handicap until 1981, the Red Smith pays tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize winning author and sportswriter Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith, whose 55-year career in journalism covered a wide array of sports, including horseracing, for the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Times.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, Sadler's Joy has amassed the highest lifetime earnings in the field with $2,648,160 through a record of 33-7-4-11 consisting of four graded stakes triumphs.

The veteran son of Kitten's Joy notched graded wins during his 4, 5 and 6-year-old campaigns. In addition to last year's Red Smith, Sadler's Joy boasts triumphs in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational in August 2017 at Saratoga and Gulfstream Park's Grade 2 Pan American in April 2017 and the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida in March 2018.

Sadler's Joy arrives off a stellar performance with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park, marking the third straight year he rounded out the trifecta in the 1 ½-mile event. Last out, Sadler's Joy took back along the hedge from his inside post, was tipped to the outside approaching the far turn, was in winning position at the top of the stretch, but was unable to catch pacesetter Channel Maker, finishing 2 ¾ lengths behind the subsequent third-place finisher of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

Albertrani, who sent Sadler's Joy out for his career debut in May 2016, said not much has changed with the hard-knocking old war horse other than his physical demeanor.

“He's gotten bigger and stronger since three,” said Albertrani, who also sends out German-bred Tintoretto [post 6, Junior Alvarado]. “There's been no real change in the way he behaves around the barn though. You wouldn't even know his age.”

In addition to four graded stakes victories, Sadler's Joy has finished in the money against Grade 1 company ten times, including a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in 2018, where he finished 9 ¾ lengths behind international superstars Enable and Magical. Seeking his first triumph of his 7-year-old campaign, Sadler's Joy crossed the wire first in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on August 1 at Saratoga, but was disqualified to fourth.

“He's run some big races and was so close in some of the bigger races,” Albertrani said. “I think one of the biggest disappointments was at Saratoga when he was disqualified. He's just always consistently always been right there. The horse just always shows up.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will attempt his third straight win in the Red Smith as he pilots Sadler's Joy for the ninth straight time from post 4.

Paradise Farm Corporation and David Staudacher, Hooties Racing and Skychai Racing's Aquaphobia seeks his first victory since achieving Grade 1-winning status in the United Nations on July 18 at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Mike Maker, the son of the late multiple champion producing stallion Giant's Causeway will attempt to make amends after a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland on October 15, where he secured a stalking position early on and lost ground in the stretch after being pinched in between horses around the eighth-pole.

“I felt he was a bit closer to the pace than he likes to be, so we crossed through that race,” Maker said.

Maker claimed Aquaphobia for $62,500 from a fourth-place finish in an optional claiming tilt on January 26 over the Gulfstream Park turf to graded stakes winners Hay Dakota and Sombeyay. Prior to joining Maker's barn, Aquaphobia was a seven-time winner including two stakes victories in the Stanton in June 2016 at Delaware Park and the Super Bowl on February 2018 at Santa Anita.

“He's just an old class horse that we had our eye on for some time,” said Maker, who also claimed 2016 Red Smith winner Bigger Picture for $32,000.

Maker stretched Aquaphobia out to 1 3/8 miles in the United Nations after coming up 1 ½ lengths shy of victory when fourth in the Grade 2 Wise Dan on June 20 at Churchill Downs.

“We had been keeping some stiff company going shorter and when we stretched him out, he got the job done,” Maker said.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. M. Roy Jackson, Aquaphobia is out of the multiple Grade 1-winner Pussycat Doll, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and multiple graded stakes-winning producing sire Jimmy Creed.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted 2015 Red Smith winner Mr. Maybe, will ride Aquaphobia from post 9.

Trainer Graham Motion sends out Wertheimer and Frere homebred Ziyad after a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Sycamore.

The 5-year-old dark bay or brown son of 2002 World Horse of the Year Rock of Gibraltar was a neck shy of a Group 1 victory when trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias in France, when third to Way to Paris in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 28. He was second to Coronet by the same margin in last year's edition of the 1 ½-mile event at Saint Cloud.

In his first start for the Motion barn last out, Ziyad was placed in mid pack early on and lost a bit of ground around the far turn while under coaxing from jockey Manny Franco but displayed an authoritative re rally to capture third.

“He just came up to us that week from quarantine and I hadn't had him for very long at all,” Motion said. “He seems to be uncomplicated. From the morning works, he seems a little one paced.”

Ziyad made his North American debut when finishing third as the favorite in last year's Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine.

“He has the class there,” Motion said. “It's the end of the year which is a little bit of a worry. There are certainly concerns, but he's done well, and this race has been in the back of our mind. He'll get a rest after this; I won't take him to Florida. We'll point him for the spring.”

Ziyad is out of the stakes-winning Sillery mare Arme Ancienne, who is a half-sister to Grade/Group 1 winners Artiste Royal and Aquarelliste.

Jockey Manny Franco will guide Ziyad once more, breaking from post 8.

“Manny knows him, and I think it's good that he's ridden him once before and gotten to know him,” Motion said.

Grade 3 Sycamore winner Red Knight will vie for his second straight triumph at graded stakes caliber for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

A New York homebred owned by Tom Egan's Trinity Farm, the 6-year-old Pure Prize gelding received a well-executed ride by jockey James Graham in the Sycamore, where he split horses turning for home, was tipped out three-wide and secured the advantage in mid-stretch to notch a two-length victory.

Lightly raced this season, Red Knight received an eight-month layoff after finishing fourth in the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight on January 25 at Gulfstream Park, but came back with a strong runner-up effort to Arklow in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup on September 12 at Kentucky Downs.

Breaking from post 10, Red Knight will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Rounding out the field are Real Factor [post 1, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], Changi [post 2, Ferrin Peterson], Postulation [post 3, John Velazquez], North Dakota [post 5, Jose Lezcano], Fame to Famous [post 7, Sebastian Saez], and Doctor Mounty [post 11, Dylan Davis].

The Red Smith is slated as Race 9 on Aqueduct's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 11:50 a.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

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Del Mar’s Hollywood Turf Cup Could Have East Coast Flavor

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racing secretary David Jerkens reports there is serious interest from several eastern trainers with likely runners for Del Mar's Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27. The $200,000 race will be contested at a mile and one-half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Brad Cox has indicated his multiple-stakes winner Arklow, most recently seen running sixth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, might be on board for the marathon. Trainer Mike Maker is considering two of his route runners in Big Agenda and Aquaphobia. The latter was a Grade 1 winner on the grass this year.

Also possible for the seventh local edition of the stakes is the German stakes winner Laccario for trainer Andreas Wohler, as well as trainer Graham Motion's Ziyad, a European import who ran third in the G3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 15 in his initial U.S. start.

The Hollywood Turf Cup will be part of a seven-stakes-all-on-the-grass bonanza that starts on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and runs through the track's closing afternoon on Sunday, Nov. 29.

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