Columnist Ralph Siraco: Feast of racing to enjoy over Thanksgiving weekend

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 10:27 a.m.

Yes Virginia there are big races after the Breeders' Cup and racing fans will be feasting on more than turkey during the upcoming four-day holiday weekend.

Racing fans will be stuffing themselves with plenty of main courses the day after Thanksgiving Thursday as the eighth edition of the $2.15 million Turf Festival kicks off at Hollywood Park and the Clark Handicap highlights a closing weekend of racing at Churchill Downs.

The Turf Festival was inaugurated in 1991 by Hollywood Park track chairman R.D. Hubbard and quickly has become an international event. Timely placed adjacent to Breeders' Cup day, the Turf Festival provides additional opportunities for Breeders' Cup caliber competition exclusively on turf that has been met with overwhelming acceptance by the European racing community.

This year, the Festival series of races have attracted nominations from five continents and a dozen different countries.

On Friday, a pair of $200,000 events kicks off the six-race three-day extravaganza with the Grade III Miesque Stakes for first-year fillies and the Grade III Hollywood Turf Express for veteran grass sprinters.

The Miesque, named after the first horse to repeat as a Breeders' Cup winner with back-to-back victories in the 1986 and 1987 Mile, features 2-year-old fillies trying the lawn, many for the first time. Heading up this year's cast for the one-mile event is Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies runner up Here's To You.

The Turf Express, at 5 1/2 furlongs, will host a full field that will feature eastern invader Soldier Field, who readied for the engagement with a sizzling half-mile turf drill of 44 1/5 Saturday morning.

As the Turf Festival begins on the left coast, Churchill Downs will wrap up a most successful fall racing meet in the mid-west as the Louisville track packs 34 races into it's final three programs. Twelve-race cards will be conducted on Friday and Saturday's closing day with ten races on Thanksgiving.

The fall session opened by hosting the fifteenth Breeders' Cup and will end on the same high note with Friday's featured Clark Handicap. The Grade II event, as old as the legendary track's signature race---The Kentucky Derby, will feature three Breeders' Cup participants over the 1 1/8 miles $400,000 main track event.

As many as ten handicap stars will line up to challenge Breeders' Cup Classic runner up Silver Charm over the same racing strip that yeilded him the 1996 Derby. Running Stag, 7th in the Classic, and Wild Rush, last in the Sprint, head up the competition. The last time Wild Rush met Silver Charm was in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park where the two staged a stirring stretch duel that wound up in a deadheat win. Acceptable, Concerto, Dawson's Legacy and Pacificbounty are the dangers to upset the leading pair.

Saturday, the Festival features the $300,000 Grade II Citation Handicap and the $250,000 Grade III Generous Stakes.

The Citation, named after the sport's first million-dollar earner, will feature Breeders' Cup Mile runner up Hawksley Hill and Euro-runner Astarabad over 1 1/8th miles. The Generous, for freshmen runners at a mile, will feature the French-raced invader Rhapsodist.

Saturday's twin features under the twin spires at Chruchill highlight the freshmen class. A pair of $200,000 events---the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club and the Grade III Golden Rod---could make a daily double for trainer Bob Baffert. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Silverbulletday heads the 1 1/16th miles Golden Rod while Iroquois Stakes victor Exploit will try to repeat in the KJC at the same distance. While sugarplums dance in the minds of Christmas shoppers at the malls, the Kentucky Derby - Oaks double aspire in the Baffert barn for the first weekend in May.

Sunday, the Turf Festival twin centerpiece features the $700,000 Grade I Matriarch and the $500,000 Grade I Hollywood Derby.

The Derby, to be renewed for the 58th time, will feature six-time stakes winner Ladies Din. Fresh from a sweep of the sophomore turf series at Del Mar that climaxed a Del Mar Derby victory, the leading California contender will be challenged by a talented field. Group I winner Dr. Fong, who was runner up to Ladies Din in the Oak Tree Derby, Calder and Virginia Derbies winner Crowd Pleaser and Chilean Group I winner Mail Coach join Dixie Dot Com, Lido, and eastern invader Vergennes in the 1 1/8th miles event.

The 18th running of the Matriarch could very well clinch the Eclipse Award for the outstanding turf filly or mare. Division leader Fiji is set to parlay her impressive Yellow Ribbon victory last month at Oak Tree at Santa Anita to a 7-for-8 year. But, ready to challenge her in the 1 1/4 miles championship is Eastern-based Auntie Mame. A winner of half of six starts this year, she is fresh from victory in the Grade I Flower Bowl at Belmont Park in October. See You Soon, Diamond On The Run, Witchful Thinking, Squeak, Sophie My Love, Sonja's Faith and Green Jewel are also set to go.

These weekend Breeders' Cup leftovers are no turkeys.