Football
Steve Andersen 17y

Fourty Niners Son sidelined

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Fourty Niners Son, the winner of the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Handicap at Santa Anita in March, was not entered for Saturday's $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park after suffering an injury, trainer Neil Drysdale said on Wednesday.

A two-time stakes winner, Fourty Niners Son was expected to be favored in the Grade 2 Murray, which is run over 1 1/2 miles on turf.

"We'll pass the race," said Drysdale. "He just had a little minor setback."

Drysdale declined to reveal the nature of the injury, but said that Fourty Niners Son did not train on Wednesday.

"We'll give him a little time off," he said.

The absence of Fourty Niners Son leaves six horses in the Murray, led by San Juan Capistrano Handicap winner On the Acorn. The other entrants are Notable Guest and Prospect Park, who were second and third in the San Luis Rey, as well as Church Service, Fitz Flag, and Runaway Dancer.

Church Service has yet to run 1o1/2 miles on turf in a stakes. Trained by Lisa Lewis, Church Service won an allowance race over 1 1/2 miles on turf by 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on April 7, his first win in California and his first since beating maidens at Saratoga in August 2005.

Owned by the Jump Sucker Stable partnership, Church Service was considered for the San Juan Capistrano over about 1 3/4 miles on turf on April 22, but was held out of the race in favor of the Murray, Lewis said.

"I thought he would be better giving him a little more time," Lewis said. "Two weeks out of a race he's good, at three weeks he's better. I think he's sitting on a good effort."

Lewis was encouraged that jockey Brice Blanc took the mount on Church Service. Blanc, who rode Church Service to his April 7 win and in two other races, was not confirmed on Church Service until earlier this week. "It was good that we can keep him," Lewis said.

Six enter Los Angeles Cap
There are two other $100,000 stakes on Saturday's 10-race program - the Los Angeles Handicap over six furlongs and the Senorita Stakes over a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

Similar to the Murray, the Los Angeles Handicap lost its leading nominee, Bordonaro, who was declared from consideration because of a bruised foot earlier this week. The Los Angeles Handicap has six entrants, including Sailors Sunset, the winner of the Vernon Underwood Stakes here last December.

The Senorita drew 12 entrants, including Passified, a supplemental entry for $2,000 on Wednesday. Super Freaky will be favored, having won the La Habra and Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year.

Silent Name in Met Mile next
Silent Name, the winner of the Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes at Keeneland last month, will make his next start in the $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap over a mile at Belmont Park on May 28, trainer Gary Mandella said.

Silent Name worked six furlongs in 1:12 on Monday, the second-fastest of 13 recorded works at the distance. Owned by Frank Stronach and Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, Silent Name won his synthetic track debut in the Commonwealth over seven furlongs. He won the Grade 2 Arcadia Handicap over a mile on turf in 2006.

Silent Name will be trying to win his first stakes on a conventional dirt surface in the Met Mile.

"He's earned the shot," Mandella said. "You don't know if he'll handle it until you try it out. The one thing that's pretty clear from the other day is that he's pretty good around one turn."

Michael Baze tops standings
Three consecutive days with three wins last weekend left jockey Michael Baze with the lead in the jockey standings after Sunday's program. He will have plenty of chances to add further to his accomplishments this week.

Baze, 20, has seven rides on Friday's eight-race program, including No Lullaby in the restricted Tuzla Stakes.

On Saturday's 10-race program, he rides seven races, including Mpumalanga in the Senorita Stakes.

Baze is equally busy in the mornings. On Wednesday at Hollywood Park, he worked eight horses, for trainers Bill Currin, Eric Guillot, Mike Machowsky, and Jeff Mullins.

Baze has been helped by the absence of several leading jockeys. Corey Nakatani was in Kentucky last week and then took off Sunday complaining of an injured hand. He was booked to resume riding here on Thursday.

Victor Espinoza began a 12-day suspension on Wednesday and Aaron Gryder is out with an injured shoulder until May 18. Apprentice Joseph Talamo returns from a three-day suspension on Saturday.

"I'm leading rider at the moment, and I hope I can keep it going," Baze said. "At some point, it is a goal of mine to be the leading rider and win a title."

Seafree and Wild Storm retired
Seafree and Wild Storm, mares owned by Ed Gann and trained by John Sadler, have been retired and will be bred this spring, Sadler said.

Seafree finished fifth in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Handicap on Sunday, fading from contention through the stretch. Seafree won 4 of 11 starts and $280,566. She won the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes and was third in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita in 2006.

"She's had some little things and she's already a [graded] stakes winner," Sadler said.

Wild Storm won 4 of 20 starts and $141,242. A group stakes winner in Chile, Wild Storm, 7, did not win a stakes in the United States, but did finish third in the Wishing Well Handicap at Santa Anita earlier this year. She was fourth in the Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 3 in her final career start.

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