Saturday’s Bear’s Den Plays to Strength of Won for Lou

Colt from Southern California Suited to Distance, Surface

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Bishop Racing Inc., Lyle Egan and Anthony Hinkson’s Won for Lou has been sent to trainer Jose D’Angelo in South Florida to do something he has already done twice in Southern California.

A winner at a mile on turf in races at Del Mar and Santa Anita, the son of Bucchero will face seven other 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $100,000 Bear’s Den, a mile turf stakes that will co-headline a 10-race program with the $100,000 Benny the Bull, a seven-furlong handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

“The horse came to me almost two months ago. He came recommended by Doug O’Neill,” D’Angelo said. “He’s a Florida-bred, that’s why.”

Won for Lou has shown to be ideally suited to a mile while managing only a pair of third-place finishes at shorter and longer distances during his 10-race career.

Rated second on the morning line at 7-2, the homebred colt has been training sharply at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’ s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, in preparation for his first start for D’Angelo.

“He’s been training very good. I think he’s going to be an interesting horse for Florida,” D’Angelo said.

Leonel Reyes has the mount on Won for Lou.

Green With MV Stable’s Diciassette, a stakes winner on dirt, is scheduled to make his first start on turf in the Bear’s Den. The Patrick Biancone-trained son of Mitole, who has faced some of the top horses in his class on dirt, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite.

“It wasn’t exactly the plan, but he needs the race. If everything goes right it will be a good prep race,” Biancone said.

After winning his first two career races at Gulfstream, including the Proud Man Stakes, last year, the Florida-bred colt finished fourth behind undefeated Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He came back this year to finish fourth in the Swale, third in the Hutcheson and fourth in the Sophomore sprint.

“He had a chip in the knee. We took our time. He came back and has been doing really well,” Biancone said. “He worked really well (Saturday) morning. He may not be dead-fit, but I think it will be a good race for him to come back in.”

T. G. Torrealba has the mount.

Biancone also entered Amy Dunne, JSM Equine LLC, Brenda Miley and Jean Wilikinson’s Elenique, a steady-running daughter of Leinster who broke her maiden in her ninth start last time out. Rajiv Maragh has the call on Elenique, who is 15-1 on the morning line.

Tracy Pinchin and Michael Bernard’s Trelawny brings the biggest bankroll (over $175,000) and the most career wins (three) into the Bear’s Den. The Jose Pinchin-trained homebred son of Uncle Chuck is coming off an upset victory in a 7 1/2-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf.

Jose Morelos has the return mount on Trelawny, who is rated third at 4-1.

REM LLC’s Ready Knicks, a consistent son of Knicks Go trained by Jeff Engler, Bruno Schickedeanz’s Win N Juice, who has been vastly improved since being claimed by trainer Nick Tomlinson; Black Horse Bloodstock LLC’s Senor Roberto, a recent maiden graduate around two turns on Tapeta; and Diane Amendolara’s Move Jesse Move, scheduled to make his second turf start following an improved third-place finish over the main track, round out the field.