INGLEWOOD, Calif. (July 2, 2008) - Trainer James Cassidy, who master-minded an upset with Ticker Tape to record his first Grade I victory in the 2004 American Oaks, will saddle two horses as he tries to upset defending champion Lady of Venice and fellow eastern shipper Ventura in Saturday's $750,000 CashCall Mile at Hollywood Park.
The CashCall Mile, for fillies and mares on the Lakeside Turf Course, shares top billing with the seventh running of the $750,000 American Oaks. In addition to the headliners, three other graded stakes will be carded on the eleven-race program that begins with a special 12 noon post time. The CashCall Mile will run as the seventh race and the American Oaks as the ninth.
Cassidy will send out Great Britain-bred 4-year-old fillies Diamond Diva and Passified in the CashCall Mile. Diamond Diva is the more highly regarded of the pair with two wins and a second in three North American starts.
Purchased overseas as is customary for Cassidy, Diamond Diva won the American Beauty at one mile on turf at Santa Anita Park in March. She came back to register her first graded win the Wilshire Handicap here April 23 and then finished second to Precious Kitten in the Grade I Gamely Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Memorial Day. The daughter of Dansili enters the CashCall Mile with five wins, five seconds and two thirds in 15 starts for earnings of $296,603.
Passified, winner of the one-mile Flawlessly here last summer and the one-mile Redondo Beach Stakes here June 7, is six-for-15 with earnings of $382,235. Also a European purchase, she won the Grade II San Clemente Handicap at one mile on turf last summer at Del Mar.
Both will have to be at their very best to compete favorably with Ventura and Lady of Venice - one-two finishers, respectively, in the Just A Game Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7.
French-bred Lady of Venice, who encountered traffic problems in the Just A Game, has won seven of 15 starts and $1,218,771. The multiple graded winner has had tough luck in two 2008 starts, finishing third in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland and second in the Just A Game. She was beaten less than one length in each.
Ventura, a homebred daughter of Chester House owned by Juddmonte Farms, is three-for-four in 2008. She started the year with an allowance win at Santa Anita in her first North American start, won the Madison at Keeneland and finished third in the Distaff Turf at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. She has won six of 12 starts overall for earnings of $481,390.
The CashCall Mile drew a field of seven, which lines up as follows from the rail out:
Lady of Venice, with Alan Garcia up, carries 123 pounds and is listed at 2-1 on the morning line; Ventura, Garrett Gomez, 123, 9/5; Super Freaky, Rafael Bejarano, 119, 12-1; La Tee, Tyler Baze, 119, 20-1; Diamond Diva, David Flores, 119, 3-1; Passified, Mike Smith, 121, 10-1, and Wake Up Maggie, Joe Talamo, 119, 8-1.
Wake Up Maggie, a multiple Group winner in Europe, will be making her fourth U.S. start. The 5-year-old mare won the Long Beach two starts back, but finished sixth in the Redondo Beach in her last start. She has won five of 18 starts for earnings of $532,524.
Super Freaky, who defeated Passified in the 2007 Providencia, has won three of 16 starts for earnings of $326,594, while La Tee finished third in the Wilshire Handicap and second behind Passified in the Redondo Beach.
