American Handicap at Hollywood Park

Las Vegas, NV -- The Grade 2 2012 American Handicap comes our way this Saturday, May 26th from Betfair Hollywood Park. $150,000 is on the line for horses three years old and upward willing to race one mile on Hollywood Park's turf track.

The 2012 American Handicap kicks off a busy long weekend of racing at Hollywood Park - it is race 8 on the Saturday card with a post time of 4:40 PM. 11 horses including overwhelming favorite Mr. Commons are entered in what promises to be a terrific start to the holiday weekend on the West Coast. Let`s take a look at the 11 entries and the past performances that brought them to this Grade 2 event.

2012 American Handicap Race Favorites

Mr. Commons - Mr. Commons is coming off a second place finish in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita on March 3rd but before that had impressive wins at the Grade 2 Arcadia and Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes both at Santa Anita. He did have a rather disappointing Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in November as his only real hiccup since an eighth place finish in last year`s Preakness. Mr. Commons has three wins and three seconds in his last seven starts and is clearly the class of the field.

Compari - figures to be Mr. Commons main challenger in this race having placed third in the last two starts - in the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap last time out on April 21st and in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 3rd. Before those results, Compari had two straight wins - the last being the Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita on January 28th. Compari has four wins and a third place finish in her five starts at one mile.

American Handicap 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

American Handicap betting at Betfair Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Liberian Freighter - will return to action after a nearly 11 month layoff. Last April, Liberian Freighter won the Grade 2 Arcadia and then won the Grade 3 Inglewood Handicap on this track. She then went on to finish fifth in the 2011 American Handicap and sixth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes before the lengthy layoff. She has won five of 11 career starts on this track however.

Wilkinson - ran sixth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland last time out and before that finished a distant eighth in the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds. Wilkinson did finish an impressive second at the Grade 2 Commonwealth Turf Stakes in November at Churchill Downs and before that was a respectable third in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont in October.

Calimonco - Calimonco most recently finished fourth in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile Stakes at Golden Gate but before that was impressive in winning the Sidd Finch Stakes at Santa Anita on April 1st. Calimonco's other two recent starts resulted in a third behind the likes of Jeranimo at the Grade 2 Citation Handicap on November 26th at Hollywood Park and a respectable fourth in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita on February 4th.

Mobilized - moves back to turf after a pair of wins on cushion tracks - the Tiznow Stakes on April 28th and an Allowance at Santa Anita on March 30th.

Venomous - will make his 2012 debut after finishing 2011 with a pair of fifth place finishes - the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort and the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Venomous did have an impressive result before that - a second in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita in October.

Barney Rebel - will make his graded stakes debut on Saturday after an impressive win in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Santa Anita on April 22nd. The American Handicap is a huge step up in competition for a horse that has three wins in 11 career starts.

Great Warrior - had a win in an Allowance race prior to an eighth last time out in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on this track on May 5th. He also finished 12th in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita in October. Great Warrior did win the Pomona Derby in September and finished second before that in the El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar.

Tigah - will be making his graded stakes debut after three allowance races this year resulted in a fourth last time out, a win and a sixth.

Soul Candy - will make her 2012 debut after a disappointing end to the 2011 campaign - an eighth in the California Cup Classic Stakes, a fifth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap and an eighth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap. Soul Candy has just four wins in 18 career starts.

2012 American Handicap Entries

Race 8 on Hollywood Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:40 PM.