
Hollywood for Saturday 21 December 2013
It's the emptiest and yet the fullest of all human messages: "goodbye" Â Â Â -Kurt Vonnegut
Sums up my feelings about the closing of one of the USA's most historic racetracks.
Interesting card this afternoon.
Best of luck as always!
race 1Â Â Â slightly below average clarity
3 Persuasive Paul  seemingly best at one mile on the grass and appears to be the controlling speed.....also....... decent history running sprint to route which is the case here
2 Imperative  good history for this three-year-old gelding 2nd run after a layoff.......and the trainer Eoin Harty historically has a higher win percentage 2nd out after layoffs than his overall win percentage.......2nd out after a four month hiatus and a rider upgrade for today
1 Sinfully  would have hit the board for the ninth straight time if it wasn't for a wide trip by Talamo which left little in the tank for this colt to finish well as he usually does.........good history for this runner breaking from the 1 post in turf routes......Talamo will be out to make amends.......not to mention that he is battling for the rider title
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race 2Â Â Â average clarity
3 Muchos Besos  seems likely to get a nice stalk position behind a couple of suspect runners in front of him who I doubt will appreciate the 6 1/2 furlongs and will be flattening out in the stretch handing the lead over to our top pick-a-roooÂ
2 Charlie'sboywins  (18 4 3 2) on the Bhp AW.......(11 0 1 0) on other surfaces.........so drop makes plenty of sense......not too mention that this gelding has been racing way over his head of late
6Â Sammy's a Runnin' Â Emily Mode does quite well with limited starters and does well 1st after a claim........and she might have the trump card for this six-year-old as he got him to work a solid 4F in 46:2........also the horse has good stats at today's distance (8 1 3 3)
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race 3Â Â Â slightly below average clarity
5 Screen Goddess  drew the outer-most 10 post in MSW debut......and as so many 1st timers do from the outer-most post she broke poorly......from there she showed she can run some.........1st on the grass and 1st at a route but owns a good pedigree to handle both......very aggressive drills since her debut.......and one stout rider/trainer combo
4 Abide In Me  on the improve with every start for this MSW runner who is racing for Doug O'Neill for the 1st time today.........1st at a route here but bred fine to get the distance........also 1st on the grass today with a so so turf pedigree but the filly handles the Hollywood synthetic and most that do.........do.........on the turf too
1 Lust For Life  Baltas has had a nice meeting with limited starters......and....... he has a good history 1st at a route and 2nd lifetime turf race which is the case here......MSW debut for this filly is better than appears in print (broke slowly and ran way too wide)
3Â Sweet As A Rose
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race 4Â Â Â slightly above average clarity
6 Tiz Midnight  lone lifetime race way back in April is solid and disguised by a poor trip......off since but returns with a prolonged tightly spaced work series which indicates a happy.........healthy.........and well meant and well bred three-year-old filly.......and the Baffert youngster sure is bred to be a top sprinter
8 Katie's Garden  Shirreffs sent this filly to N.Y. for her 1st two lifetime races and she ran awfully well in both starts not to have graduated......solid times produced in both races and supported by gaps as they crossed the finish line......1st on the AW is a ? mark......fits well if she handles it
7 Pronenance  OK debut two back on the AW......moved forward in 2nd lifetime start on the grass and the effort was compromised by taking up close to 1/2 dozen lengths on the turn........two races under her belt now and a rider upgrade from a jock in a slump to the red hot Talamo fighting for the rider title
2Â My Looloo
Long-shot consideration:  1 Wasted At Midnight  very significant efforts/figs in 2 of 4 lifetime AW races.....lookout if this Barba runner is up to her "A game" today
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race 5Â Â Â average clarity
2 Too Fast to Pass  solid history when racing for a tag between $25K and $32K........and.........both races run at today's 6F turf configuration at Bhp fit quite well here
4 Kafister  improved in his latest endeavor and showed he can run on grass on his lone effort on it...........and the fig that he ran on the sod fits and he ran the race off of Lasix.........so..........this is his 1st on the sod with Lasix
8 Judge Carr  solid move forward in latest 1st time with the blinkers on.......claimed by Hess and he sure got this three-year-old gelding to work well........believe this fellow is sitting on a big effort........but he still has something to prove on the sod......so so run on his only run on it......but it was a layoff run
3 Â Old Man Lake
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race 6Â Â Â slightly below average clarity
7 Vegas Bound  since blinkers were added 5 races back this filly has steadily improved in her AW racing endeavors..........and she seems at her best back in short rest......23 days since her last qualifies as "short rest"
11 Pretty Storm  seemingly on the rebound for Peter Miller who has had a nice Hollywood meeting.......difficult post but owns some tactical speed..........Pedroza will need a clever ride
10 Mean Emma Jean  53 to 1 in MSW turf debut......easy to call it a turf leg me gimme.......drops into maiden claiming and training as though the grass race muscled her up some......another trainer in Glatt who has had a solid Bhp meeting
6Â Another Victoria
Long-shot consideration:  2 Fashionably Rich   inside speed has done well most of this Hollywood meeting and this filly showed some early zip in last her 2nd lifetime start which was an improved effort.........she has also trained better than she has run
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race 7Â Â Â average clarity
5 Burns Turn  Sadler three-year-old filly seems to be rebounding to her mid-summer form which was quite good.......likes today's distance......sharpest drill in a long time and it was worked just 5 days ago.......and Bejarano has a good history aboard the filly......a cornucopia of good stuff
4 Level Headed  deadly combo of Proctor/Stevens.......and a consistent late runner on the grass.........that'll do
2 Somethingabouther  expensive $62,500 claim by Powell and company......and the conditioner has put in 3 improved drills into his new filly......rather sure this girl is ready for a strong effort and seems likely to get a ground saving stalk position........but.......she does need to overcome a slight tendency to hang in the late stretch
8Â Keldy
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race 8Â Â Â slightly above average clarity
2 Bluegrass Reward  bad news journey in latest from a bad post......better post today..........cut back in distance of one furlong sure appears to be a plus.......good gate horse should be in the hunt from the get go.......last with a good trip fits well.....and might show more 2nd out after the 4+ month layoff
7 Cost of Freedom  ten-year-old gelding used to knock heads with the very best........he hit rock bottom in summer but his aging body seems to be on the rebound........ships in from GG and drops significantly........and gets Mr. Bejarano.......unless he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed he is likely to stalk our top pick and give him a run for the money
8 Change of Plan  poor effort in last probably caused by such a powerful effort two races back........needs a rebound to that race and if that occurs he will be a major factor in this $8K affair
6Â Justa Gusta
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race 9Â Â Â average clarity
3 Weewinnin  both lifetime "fresh" races are very solid.........11 months "fresh" today and 1st time as a gelding for his 1st ever on the green carpet.........and he sure is bred well to take to it......and last but not least he gets an outstanding turf sprint jock in Joe I'd sure like to win the racing title TalamoÂ
5 Brokered  first on the sod this afternoon but this gelding owns a good pedigree for it........the three-year-old just keeps getting better.......and better......and better.......and.........
4 Ankeny Hill  powerful turf efforts/figs when he snatches the front end........and he might get the lead here........ Nakatani and his agent appear to have chosen to ride the 5 horse over this fellow but I am not sure that is a good move........but it surely isn't a positive for this colt's chances
2Â U S Citizen
race 10Â Â Â slightly above average clarity
7 Swiss Lake Yodeler  improving by leaps and bounds and the way this Hollendorfer filly has been training on the Bhp synthetic says that the good times will continue this afternoon in his 1st ever on the AW
4 Global Hottie  strong improvement with the blinkers off in last her 2nd lifetime start........the maiden breaking effort is par for today's higher level........and the way she finished up at 6 1/2F suggests she will appreciate the 7 panels today
5 Shysheisnot   ran 2nd to our 2nd pick in her MSW and she had a bad trip......broke slow and ran wide....did well to only get beat by 4 1/4 lengths in the fast heat of MSW runners........Sadler has a good history the last 1/2 dozen years with two & three-year-old fillies in Stakes races and especially running seven furlongs
9Â Kukaluka
race 11Â Â Â average clarity
7 Browsing  brutal trips in both lifetime starts........solid adjusted for trouble figure in latest.........1st time on the sod but I sure like her breeding to handle it........3 strikes and your OUT (except for A. J. Pierznyski in the 2005 playoffs versus the Angels) so it is time for Maldonado to give this Sadler baby a good ride
1 Writer Fever  better than par when you adjust for 8 1/2 L of trouble in her MSW debut 3 back.....bombed on the conventional dirt in 2nd lifetime start.......last at Bhp looks like a tune-up and the 30 to 1 odds for an Ellis runner also says "tune-up-city"........two most recent drills are improved.......1st on the lawn with an average pedigree for it
2 Capers N Wine  seems like a good claim by Miller as this filly sure moved forward in her 2nd lifetime start 1st out under his guidance.......1st on the grass today......mixed bag when it comes to her pedigree for the grass......strong on dad's side.....kind of weak on mom's
5Â Moscato Girl
10Â Anniversary Kitty
9 Â Ipolita
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