Baffert Aims For Victory With Massive Drama In The $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park

Posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007

Unbeaten Massive Drama will face 13 rivals as he tries to hold on to his winning streak with a victory in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park Saturday, December 22.

Trainer Bob Baffert is aiming for a record-tying fourth CashCall Futurity victory with Massive Drama. He earned his first in 1997 with Real Quiet, who went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, falling a nose short of sweeping the 1998 Triple Crown when he was caught at the wire by Victory Gallop in the Belmont Stakes.

Bob Baffert, who also saddled Captain Steve and Point Given to win the Cashcall Futurity in 1999 and 2000 can match D. Wayne Lukas with four winners in the prestigious Grade I event if he is successful this Saturday as Hollywood Park’s 32-day Autumn Meet comes to a close.

Massive Drama, a son of Kawain owned by Zayat Stables, broke his maiden on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park on October 26, then scored a front-running victory under Kent Desormeaux in the Hollywood Prevue at seven furlongs on November 22.

The 27th running of the Cashcall Futurity lines up as follows from the rail out:

  1. Sierra Sunset ridden by jockey Russell Baze
  2. Massive Drama ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux
  3. Overextended ridden by jockey Martin Garcia
  4. Eaton’s Gift ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano
  5. Indian Sun ridden by jockey Alex Solis
  6. Slew’s Tiznow ridden by jockey Joseph Talamo
  7. Tres Borrachos ridden by jockey David Flores
  8. Colonel John ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani
  9. Shore Do ridden by jockey Michael Baze
  10. Monba ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez
  11. Old Man Buck ridden by jockey Patrick Valenzuela
  12. Into Mischief ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza
  13. Meal Penalty ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez
  14. Referee ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux

The main competition for Massive Drama is expected to come from Colonel John, a winner of two of three starts for trainer Eoin Harty, Bob Baffert’s chief assistant when Silver Charm and Real Quiet won back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1997 and 1998.

Colonel John, a son of Tiznow owned by WinStar Farm, ran a three-length victory in the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park in November at the CashCall Futurity distance of 1 1/16 miles.

Todd Pletcher, North America’s leading money-winning trainer with purses totaling more than $27.8 million, has three entrants in the CashCall Futurity, headed by unbeaten son of Maria’s Mon, Monba. Garrett Gomez, en route to his second straight title as the nation’s leading jockey and his second consecutive Autumn Meet title, has the mount. Monba won broke his maiden October 17 at Keeneland, before winning a one-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs on November 24.

Pletcher will also send out Referee and Meal Penalty, who suffered his first loss in three starts while finishing third behind Massive Drama in the Hollywood Prevue.

Into Mischief, the Hollywood Prevue runner-up, will try to turn the tables on Massive Drama as well. The son of Harlan’s Holiday has worked well for trainer Richard Mandella in preparation for the rematch.

Shore Do, a new arrival in the Bobby Frankel barn, will try to rebound after finishing eighth on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Slew’s Tiznow finished second in the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland while making his most recent start on October 6.

Old Man Buck is the winner of the Grand Canyon Handicap over a yielding turf course at 1 1/16 miles November 24 at Churchill Downs.

Eaton’s Gift has won his last two starts, the latest over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on November 10.

Indian Sun, trained by Dan Hendricks, shifts to Cushion Track after finishing second on turf in the one-mile Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park on November 23.

Northern California-based Sierra Sunset has won two straight stakes including the Cal Cup Juvenile.

Overextended finished fifth in the Delta Jackpot.

Tres Borrachos aims for his second straight victory after breaking his maiden on November 23 at 1 1/16 miles on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track.

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"Baffert Aims For Victory With Massive Drama In The $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park" was posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 8:29 pm and is filed under Hollywood Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Stakes Races, Trainers, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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