12/6 (HOL): Turf Cup; Native Diver; Bayakoa

[RolloTomasi]

Its pretty ridiculous how interchangeable the fields are (I think there were 4 or 5 horse cross-nominated), and yet one is a Grade 3 and the other a Grade 1. Champs Elysees, Spring House, Church Service, Mr. Chairman, and Zappa arguably could have shown up in either.

On top of that, you have a handful of horses that are curiously spotted. Black Mamba was going in the Matriarch at a flat mile against her own gender, now goes 12f versus males instead. Winchester, a Grade 1 winner at 10f versus 3yos, skips the 10f Grade 1 Hollywood Derby for the Turf Cup. He was up the track in the 12f BC Turf. Galantas, Grade 1 placed at a mile on turf, scratches from the Grade 1 Citation on grass for a 9f synthetic race. His stablemate, Rebellion, 2nd in the BC Dirt Mile, showed up in the Citation instead.

The races seem pretty inconsequential. I guess if it were to hold any significance in the grand scheme of things, I'd want to see Barber (who has sprinted his whole life and stretched out successfully last out at age 5) or Past The Point (who would validate his Woodward effort) win the Native Diver. Winchester or Champs Elysees winning the Turf Cup, would allow the race to continue its tenuous hold on its Grade 1 status.

Anybody but Zappa and Obrigado, anyways...