Battle Of Hastings: finished fourth on his most recent start at Keeneland

Take The Points heads Hollywood Derby field

Preview: USA, Sunday

Hollywood Park: Hollywood Derby (Grade 1) 1m2f, 3yo turf

A COMPETITIVE field of 12 lines up for this renewal of the Hollywood Derby, all of them domestically-based.

Take The Points (Todd Pletcher/Edgar Prado) is the likely favourite after winning the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park  in August and the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park in October in his two  most recent starts.

Todd Pletcher:trains likely favourite

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/racingpostpix.com 

"The Secretariat was the turning point for him,"  trainer Todd Pletcher told Daily Racing Form. "He learned to polish off and  finish a race. Physically, he's doing super. He's matured and come into  himself."

Ex-British Battle Of Hastings (Jeff  Mullins/Garrett Gomez) defeated Take The Points in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby, and he also won the Colonial Turf Cup over the same course.

Trainer Jeff Mullins said of Battle Of Hastings:  "He's doing great. He really hasn't changed much."

Battle Of Hastings most recently finished fourth in  the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last month.

His immediate victim in both of the races at Colonial Downs was Straight Story (Alan Goldberg/Mike Smith), who also was  second to Take The Points in the Jamaica.

Joe Talamo: rides Black Bear Island

Black Bear Island (Julio Canani/Joe Talamo), a  Group 2 winner at York before finishing tenth in the Derby at Epsom, was a  close second to Take The Points in the Secretariat in his U.S. debut then was  sixth in an allowance race at Santa Anita in October on his first start for  trainer Julio Canani.

A live outsider in the race may be The Usual Q.T.  (Jim Cassidy/Victor Espinoza), winner of his last four races including  the Oak tree Derby at 10-1.

"Nobody seems to pick him too much," said trainer Jim Cassidy of his horse.  "What the hell has this colt done wrong? I think he looks better for this race than he did for the Oak Tree Derby. His coat has come back really well."