
Hollywood for Friday 6 May 2011
Saturday's selections will be posted by 5:30 am Pacific time and most likely you can get them Friday night. Outside of the Kentucky Derby and a few select races, Saturday's and Sunday's selections will be in the capable hands of my assistant, David Gordon. I have a 4 day wedding I need to attend this weekend.
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Kentucky Oaks race 11 @ Churchill Downs
1Â Joyful Victory
12Â Plum Pretty
4Â Kathmanblu
3Â Summer Soiree
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race 1Â Â Â below average clarity
2Â B's Lucky Strike tepid tepid top pick in an affair that is difficult to split all 6 entered..........decent history sprint to route
5Â Lewdawg N Paradise yet to miss the board in 6 starts since the blinkers were taken off
3Â Trueno needs effort 2 races back....history at Hollywood is not too bad.......does tend to hang badly
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race 2Â Â Â average clarity
5Â Part Time Luck greatly appears to prefer AW tracks over conventional dirt tracks.....8 wins and 3 2nd's in 14 starts on AW surfaces....should really wake up here back on it and with a drop in claiming price
6 Manhattan Beach believe best ever was lone race on the AW (1 for 1 in the win column)....also drops on a potential inprovement
4Â Higher Incentives recent turf figs fit fine at this level and so does the sythhetic
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race 3Â Â Â average clarity
1Â Position A just claimed by Spawr andhe has caught this gelding on the rebound...and a tough trip in last hides his forward move....decent history in Hollywood turf sprints
7Â Cherokee Heaven also just snatched at the claiming box......95 % of his career fits in this spot.....very sharp drill for his new trainer is most reassuring
6Â Sterling Outlook last two wins came with shorter rest between races....that's today's noteworthy scenario
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race 4Â Â Â average clarity
6Â Every Ego already seemed like the best speed in this group and now adds blinkers.....good speed rider aboard....shot to wire
8Â Faithful Secret may have not appreciated the conventional dirt at SA in layoff last.....maiden debut run on a synthetic surface back in Sept fits here
5Â Seany's Courage long overdo drop out of MSW affairs and he is training well on the Hollywood main track surface...in fact his only 2 races on the AW are his 2 best out of 8 lifetime starts
1Â Our Senior Moments 2 mediocre lifetime runs but blinkers on and a much improved workout.....dangerous wake-up potential
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race 5Â Â Â average clarity
3Â Norvsky ultra consistent turf runner should feel real good after getting one race under to his belt after a year layoff......decent shot to get a good mid pack position in which to strike from
1Â Do It All impressive 1st ever on the sod in last....good chance to build off of that effort
5Â Universal Peace another consistent sort who has fired 6 consecutive par like efforts on the turf.....does lose Bejarano who is out of town
9Â Euroglide lone race on the grass at today's 1 mile distance is a very strong effort......2nd out after a tune-up and a bullet drill....maybe poised to fire that big effort again....tough post at 1 mile on the grass
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race 6Â Â Â average clarity
8Â The Whammer nicely improved 1st out after the claim for Mitchell....hasn't missed a beat in his training since.....should fire a good one again
1Â Dave's Pacemaker good history when Berrio rides.....very strong effort/fig on the step up in claiming in last.....smartly steps up again......sharp recent reassuring 5/8ths drill
3Â Carbonite laid up but this gelding has a prolonged work tab that says he is ready and he is running for the lowest claiming tag of his life
9Â Hard Bill consistent sort takes another small drop in claiming....drop makes sense...7 years old and only 17 lifetime races
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race 7Â Â Â average clarity
2Â Smash powerful MSW debut winner last July at Hol.......laid up since but training very solidly and that Baffert guy is the trainer
1Â Coil impressive win last Nov. 1st time with Baffert (from Proctor) and like our top pick training like he is all set to preform at a high level fresh off of the bench
5Â Star Dance M D won quite easily despite a bad trip in a M75K race....big step up here but under the guidance of K Walsh this colt might be up to the task
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race 8Â Â Â slightly below average clarity
8Â Naturalist solid race in 2nd lifetime start albeit at only 5F....but I'd say his pedigree fits a 6 1/2 furlong sprint better
3Â Popular Cause best ever was two races back route to sprint....same scenario today
5Â King Mike works seem good enough to be considered ready to compete in his debut into the world of thoroughbred racing
1Â Swiss Hero good history running on AW surfaces except for one thing....sure likes to hang
9Â Quietly Waiting seems to compete when he can get contact with the front end of things....might be able to get that position here
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