Radio and Television personality Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing LLC and Strauss Grohs Et Al’s Mizdirection will be going for her fifth win in-a-row at Betfair Hollywood Park Sunday, but there will be seven others, including three Florida-breds, hoping to put an end to the streak in the $70,000 Great Lady M. Stakes. The 18th running of the Great Lady M. is for fillies and mares going six furlongs on turf at the Inglewood, Calif., “Track of the Lakes and Flowers”.
Mizdirection began her streak on Hollywood Park’s turf course in December, winning an optional claiming race at six and one-half furlongs. The 4-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast then went to Santa Anita’s downhill turf course for her next two races and won the Monrovia Stakes (G3) on Jan. 2 and the $75,000 Clocker’s Corner Handicap Feb. 25, both at six and one-half furlongs. Her most recent win came in the off the turf, $98,000 Las Ciengas in April, also at six and one-half furlongs.
Trained by Mike Puype, Mizdirection has never finished out of the money with six wins, three seconds and a third from 10 career starts. Garret Gomez has been named to ride the grey/roan filly from post four.
With perhaps the best chance to upset Mizdirection is Florida-bred Broken Dreams, who is hoping to return to the winning form she had last summer and fall when she won a $77,070 allowance turf race at Hollywood Park in July and the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes down the hill at Santa Anita in September. Since finishing 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill, the 6-year-old mare has started only once this year, finishing sixth in the $70,000 Ladys Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 4.
A daughter of Broken Vow and the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner One Dreamer, Broken Dreams is owned by her breeder Glen Hill Farm of Ocala, Fla. Trainer Thomas Proctor has named David Flores to ride Broken Dreams who has drawn post six.
Another Great Lady M. contender with Ocala connections is Briecat, a speedy Florida-bred mare who was second in the Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap in her last race. The 7-year-old Briecat was bred by Ocala Oaks Inc. of Ocala and Don R. Graham of Ocoee, Fla., and is owned by Holly and David Wilson of Laguna Beach, Ca. Trained by Vladimir Cerin, Briecat has won 10 of 33 career starts, the last of which was the $66,000 Cool Air Stakes on the Hollywood Park turf in December. Briecat breaks from the gate just to the outside of Broken Dreams in post seven with jockey Joe Talamo aboard.
One starting gate slot further to the outside of Briecat is the third Florida-bred in the race, Holding Her Ground. Bred by Lynn Scace of Ocala, Holding Her Ground is by Put It Back, who stands at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala and is owned by her trainer, Bobby Wayne Grayson of Bakersfield, Ca.
Another speedstress, Holding Her Ground at one point last year won three consecutive races and four of five. She won an allowance race at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Ca., and two optional claiming races at Del Mar in June, July and August respectively. She then finished second in the California Equine Retirement Fund Stakes, also at Del Mar, then came right back and won the $56,000 Harvest Stakes at the Big Fresno Fair in Fresno, Ca. Holding Her Ground was fourth in the $73,000 Time To Love Stakes at five furlongs on grass in her last race at Hollywood Park May 1. Grayson has given the riding assignment on the 6-year-old mare to Agapito Delgadillo.
Another with upset chances is Teroda, who finished a half-length behind Mizdirection in the Las Cienegas – which was taken off the turf and moved to the main track. Tedora will be making her grass debut at Betfair Hollywood Park. Trained by John Sadler for owners Gary and Cecil Barber, the 4-year-old Limehouse filly and the Strawberry Road mare Leza has won three of 11 and earned $160,400.
Another possible is Mega Dream, a winner of an optional claimer at Oaklawn Park April 13 in her first start for trainer Jeff Bonde. Mega Dream will be making her initial appearance in a turf sprint.
Photo by Benoit
