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Espinoza Bids for Third Straight Will Rogers Win

Tiz West, a winner of two straight races, will aim for his first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Will Rogers Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Victor Espinoza, who has ridden the son of Gone West in four of his five starts, has the call as he aims for his second consecutive Will Rogers victory and fourth overall.

Espinoza, who rode Worldly to victory in the Grade III turf race a year ago, also connected on Purely Cozzene in 2000 and on Private Chef in 2003.

Tiz West, owned by Diamond A Racing and trained by Richard Mandella, has been perfect since being shifted to turf in his fourth start. He broke his maiden in March at Santa Anita Park and followed with a victory in the La Puente Stakes in April. Both races were at one mile, the distance of Saturday’s test on the Lakeside Turf Course.

Tiz West will break from the two-post in the field of six 3-year-olds, which lines up as follows from the rail out:

Ez Dreamer, with Corey Nakatani up, carries 119 pounds; Tiz West, Espinoza, 121; Polonius, Jon Court, 117; Indian Sun, Richard MIgliore, 117; Robscarvic, Joel Rosario, 117, and Red Sky Dubai, Joseph Talamo, 115.

Indian Sun, fourth in the Arkansas Derby in his most recent start, returns to turf, where he scored an allowance win at one mile at Santa Anita in February. He finished second here in the Generous Stakes last fall in the Turf Festival.

Polonius, ninth in the Santa Anita Derby, also returns to turf, where he scored a four-length victory under Court tow starts back in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita.

Irish-bred Robscarvic rallied for an allowance win at 1 1/8 miles on the grass at Santa Anita in his last start; Ez Dreamer cruised to a nine-length victory in the Arizona Breeders’ Derby at Turf Paradise, and Red Sky Dubai pressed the pace before tiring and finishing fourth here in the Harry Henson Stakes in April.

In Saturday’s co-feature, 123-pound high weight Dearest Trickski will try for her sixth straight win in the $75,000 Desert Stormer Handicap. The 4-year-old filly has not lost since trainer John Sadler claimed her for $32,000 for owner Tom Mankiewicz last August at Del Mar.

Dearest Trickski will give up from five to 11 pounds to seven rivals in the six-furlong Desert Stormer, which lines up as follows:

Fleetheart, Migliore up, 114 pounds; Prime Catch, Court, 112; Silky Smooth, Rafael Bejarano, 115; Overly Tempting, Rosario, 115; Batallosa, Martin Garcia, 116; Dearest Trickski, Michael Baze, 123; Ashley’s Kitty, Talamo, 118, and Against the Law, Alonso Quinonez, 113.

Saturday’s program at Hollywood Park has a special 12 noon post time to accommodate the simulcast of the Preakness Stakes and the entire card from Pimlico. The Will Rogers will run as the second race and the Desert Stormer as the fifth on the 11-race program.

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