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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.
Kentucky Oaks race 11 @ Churchill Downs
1 Joyful Victory
12 Plum Pretty
4 Kathmanblu
3 Summer Soiree
race 1 below average clarity
2 B's Lucky Strike tepid tepid top pick in an affair that is difficult to split all 6 entered..........decent history sprint to route
5 Lewdawg N Paradise yet to miss the board in 6 starts since the blinkers were taken off
3 Trueno needs effort 2 races back....history at Hollywood is not too bad.......does tend to hang badly
race 2 average clarity
5 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
4 Higher Incentives recent turf figs fit fine at this level and so does the sythhetic
race 3 average clarity
1 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
7 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
6 Sterling Outlook last two wins came with shorter rest between races....that's today's noteworthy scenario
race 4 average clarity
6 Every Ego already seemed like the best speed in this group and now adds blinkers.....good speed rider aboard....shot to wire
8 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
5 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
1 Our Senior Moments 2 mediocre lifetime runs but blinkers on and a much improved workout.....dangerous wake-up potential
race 5 average clarity
3 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
1 Do It All impressive 1st ever on the sod in last....good chance to build off of that effort
5 Universal Peace another consistent sort who has fired 6 consecutive par like efforts on the turf.....does lose Bejarano who is out of town
9 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
race 6 average clarity
8 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
1 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
3 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
9 Hard Bill consistent sort takes another small drop in claiming....drop makes sense...7 years old and only 17 lifetime races
race 7 average clarity
2 Smash powerful MSW debut winner last July at Hol.......laid up since but training very solidly and that Baffert guy is the trainer
1 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
5 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
race 8 slightly below average clarity
8 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
3 Popular Cause best ever was two races back route to sprint....same scenario today
5 King Mike works seem good enough to be considered ready to compete in his debut into the world of thoroughbred racing
1 Swiss Hero good history running on AW surfaces except for one thing....sure likes to hang
9 Quietly Waiting seems to compete when he can get contact with the front end of things....might be able to get that position here
