Hollendorfer Sends Out Pair in Bayakoa

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Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will have a pair of representativesBroken Sword and Curvy Catas he seeks his third Bayakoa Stakes (gr. II) win in four years.

The 1 1/16-mile contest for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up is slated as the eighth race on the card Dec. 7 and has an approximate post time of 4:05 p.m. PT. The Bayakoa will be staged two races following the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I) at the soon-to-be shuttered Betfair Hollywood Park.

Hollendorfer, who won the Bayakoa with Washington Bridge in 2010 and Lady of Fifty a year ago, now rests his hopes on previous stakes winners Broken Sword and Curvy Cat in the field of 10.

Broken Sword returns to Southern California for the first time since June 13 for a partnership that includes Mark Dedomenico, George Todaro, and Hollendorfer.

A 3-year-old daughter of Broken Vow  , out of the Volksraad mare Katana, Broken Sword has won twice in seven races including an 11-length score in her career debut, the 2012 Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes at Pleasanton. She enters the Bayakoa off a 5 1/2-length victory as the favorite in a one-mile optional claimer over the Tapeta surface Nov. 10 at Golden Gate Fields.

Bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock, she will break from the 5 post under Joel Rosario while assigned 114 pounds.

Curvy Cat will be making her first start around two turns since finishing third behind stablemate Snow Fall and Distracting in the Paseana Handicap last Jan. 13 at Santa Anita Park.

Owned by breeders Tom and Debi Stull's Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old daughter of Ministers Wild Cat  Curvy Girl, by Distorted Humor   has triumphed in seven of 21 starts and earned $292,425. She has won or placed in four stakes the last two years, including a victory in the April 27 B. Thoughtful Stakes over 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the 2011 Bayakoa with Ellafitz, will start Fiftyshadesofhay for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.

The 3-year-old daughter of PulpitQuiet Kim, by Real Quiet has won four of 12 starts and banked $754,297.

Fiftyshadesofhay has won graded stakes at three different tracks this year: the Santa Ysabel (gr. III) at Santa Anita, Black Eyed Susan (gr. II) at Pimlico Race Course, and Iowa Oaks (gr. III) at Prairie Meadows. The bay filly has been away since finishing third at odds of 2-5 over a sloppy track in the Indiana Oaks (gr. II) at Indiana Downs Oct. 5.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Fiftyshadesofhay won her only race over Hollywood's Cushion Track. She broke her maiden by 3 1/4 lengths at the Bayakoa distance Nov. 22, 2012 at the Southern California track. Fiftyshadesofhay will be ridden by Martin Garcia, who was aboard for both the Indiana and Iowa Oaks. Carrying top weight of 118 pounds, she will break from post 3.

Rounding out the field are Senorita (gr. III) victor Charlie Em; other Hollywood stakes winners Warren's Veneda, Customer Base, and Charm the Maker; Emerald Downs stakes winner Champagneandcaviar; Spellbound, fourth in this year's Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I); and Magic Union, who will make her Hollywood debut.

A victory by Charm the Maker would be a record-tying fifth score in the Bayakoa for trainer Ron McAnally. His previous winners are Happy Guess (1981), Paseana (1991), and Brought to Mind (1992) when the race was called the Silver Belles Handicap, and again in 1996 with Listening.

The champion older female of 1989 and 1990 for McAnally, Bayakoa is a member of racing's Hall of Fame and finished her career with 21 victories and earnings of more than $2.86 million.

$150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II, approximate post time 4:05 p.m. PT), Fillies and Mares, 3YOs and up, 1 1/16-miles (all weather track)

PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer

1. Magic Union (KY), M Gutierrez, 114, J W Sadler

2. Warren's Veneda (CA),  J Talamo, 114, C A Lewis

3. Fiftyshadesofhay (KY), M Garcia, 118, B Baffert

4. Spellbound (KY), V Espinoza, 114, R E Mandella

5. Broken Sword (KY), J Rosario, 114, J Hollendorfer

6. Champagneandcaviar (KY), C Sutherland Kruse, 117, G Mandella

7. Curvy Cat (CA), M A Pedroza,117, J Hollendorfer

8. Charlie Em (GB), C S Nakatani,116, P Gallagher

9. Charm the Maker (KY), R Bejarano, 117, R L McAnally

10. Customer Base (KY), A T Gryder, 117, T F Proctor