Miss Match and Bourbon Bay worked at Hollywood Park ahead of the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup
Trainer Neil Drysdale sent out his Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup prospects, Bourbon Bay and Miss Match to prepare for the race on 13 November, 2011, on the Hollywood Park turf course.
The Hollywood Turf Cup will be held at Hollywood Park on 19 November, 2011. The multiple stakes winning 5-year-old gelding Bourbon Bay worked under his exercise rider Debra Biggs and was clocked 1 minute and 29 seconds flat.
Much to trainer Neil Drysdale’s delight, the six-year-old mare Miss Match under jockey Mike Smith covered her distance matching Bourbon Bay’s distance in 1 minute and 29 2/5 seconds. The Argentine bred 6-year-old mare is a multiple grade 1 winner for trainer Neil Drysdale for owner Matthew Cloros.
David Heerensperger’s Bourbon Bay is the son of Sligo Bay, out of the mare Coral Necklace by Conquistador Cielo. The Kentucky bred gelding will be looking to bounce back from his 8th place finish in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine to winner Wigmore Hall on 18 September, 2011, over at 1 ½ miles.
He has had a pretty good Del Mar meet, where he kicked off proceedings with a win in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap on 29 July, 2011, over the track’s synthetic surface.
Bourbon Bay covered the one and a half mile distance in 2 minutes and 29.39 seconds defeating Dahoud and Setsuko on the way, who finished second and third, respectively.
He then turned in a second place finish in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap to winner Celtic New Year on 28 August, 2011, also at Del Mar.
Under jockey Joe Talamo, Bourbon Bay was set to top the distance of 1 3/8 miles in deep stretch, but couldn’t fend off Celtic New Year’s late run in the final strides.
The daughter of Indygo Shiner, out of mare Miss Simpatia by Southern Halo, Miss Match is coming off an unplaced ninth finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic to winner Royal Delta at Churchill Downs over at 1 1/8 miles.
The only win the mare had this year was earlier this year in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita under Garrett Gomez, who won the Hollywood Turf Park in 2006 aboard Boboman and with Sunriver in 2007.
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