Los Alamitos for Saturday 14 July 2018
Final weekend of racing at Los Alamitos and then it is on to Southern Cal's most popular meeting which is of course Del Mar's summer meeting which begins on Wednesday. We will be ready!
Best of luck as always!
race 1Â Â average clarity
3 Mis Viola  stepped on the Lrc surface for the 1st time in her career and won impressively for Doug O'Neill and company.......repeat of the race has a good shot at making it 2 for 2 at Los Alamitos
2 Lucky Lula  last time this filly saw 5 1/2 furlongs was 3 back at SA and it was a strong effort and fits well here.......trainer is stout with the sprint-route-sprint maneuver which is the case here
6 Coalinga Hills  needs her race 4 back run in December and with a much better trip......not impossible if she and the jock are up for it
race 2Â Â average clarity
3 Sheza Factor  good layoff effort 16 days ago for this three-year old filly.......and a very stout work since.....seems likely to move forward 2nd out after the layoff and if that is the case she should be quite tough
4 Star of Kobol  best race of her 3 race career was her MSW debut and a decent fit in this spot.....so if she is ready "fresh" once again (absent since November) she should be a player in this affair
8 Midnight Hunch  nice wake-up 1st out following the Sadler claim which was made way back on 16 Feb......back in short rest today and if she handles it she fits fine in this spot especially if our top selection doesn't run as big a race as I think that she will
7Â Midnight Crossing
1Â Cali Rocks
race 3Â Â average clarity
7 Get Yourself Home  somewhat suspicious drop but why not as she has dropped 3 straight times in claiming price and nobody has claimed her......3 of her last 4 are very solid here
5 Yellow Bonnet  another in drop mode but less suspicious......believe Glatt wants to win and lose this filly as Del Mar will be out of her league
8 Dee Way to Go  dangerous speed especially with a good bug boy Figueroa in the irons
2Â Heartofthetemple
1Â Christy Jackson
race 4Â Â average clarity
9 Smart Rachael  2 of her 4 lifetime races look solid in this spot......and I believe she is sitting on another that will fit as she just worked a solid improved 4 furlong drill since her last which was run only 16 days ago
2 Saddle Club  nice 106 to 1 run off of the extended hiatus from the game......and today she gets a significant rider upgrade when you take in account the 7 lbs off.......away 1/2 of a year but she showed she can run fresh in her last
10 I Adore You  needs more than she has shown but she has a little 3 work series in preparation for this race that is better than she has been working previously
3Â Spacerika
7Â Molly Got Even
race 5Â Â average clarity
6 Princess Dorian  believe the barn will pull out all stops to win today as this filly seems to dislike the Del Mar surface........she has had a nice history since Saldana claimed 6 races ago
2 Love a Honeybadger  best speed in the field and just claimed by Peter Miller.....that my friends is a dangerous proposition for the opposition
5 Alpenhorn  away since 16 Sept 17 and returns with a different much more accomplished trainer.......seems somewhat dangerous
race 6Â Â average clarity
7 General Mach Four  two of three lifetime dirt races are very strong and the one that isn't sure appears to be a gimme (24 March)........very solid reassuring 6 July drill.......1 for 1 at the distance......should be tough at the lowest level of his life
2 Chrisiscookin  hates turf so that says his latest was nothing more than a muscle her up gimme to drop and go go go go this afternoon
5 Towards the Light  awfully consistent racing at 5 or 5 1/2 furlongs........last is solid if he is able to repeat the effort......Juan Sanchez wisely sticks around and of the night-time guys at LA he seems to by the most couple competing at the larger Lrc surface
9Â Quantum Force
11 AEÂ Go Ghetto
8Â Ps Bettin On You
race 7Â Â average clarity
2 Misty Slew  not that much early speed in this conditioned claimer........should sit near the lead which he appears to appreciate and in what should amount to a reasonable pace
6 Sallows Inn Gal  best at Lrc and it showed in her latest with a nice layoff win to graduate in her last.......gets in very light for today's route race......1 of 2 lifetime route races at Lrs fit.......should be forwardly placed in a race that leans towards rewarding those that do
8 Tenthousandreasons  might be rated too low if I am wrong in my assessment that he might not be able to handle a route too well off of his 2nd race in a row running off of short rest.....like our top two picks he should be in the mix from the get go
3Â Reinahermosa
7Â Angela's Heaven
race 8Â Â average clarity
3 Ax Man  should be loose on the lead and that is one dangerous proposition for the opposition when the trainer happens to be Mr Bob Baffert.......that and the colt is capable of stalking and winning if need be
2 Blended Citizen  runs all day long so if the early fractions turn out to be faster than average he has a good shot at be the "last one standing"
1 Draft Pick  should sit in a nice stalk position which is right in his wheelhouse......would have rated higher if I wasn't a touch leery of his ability on the Lrc surface which seems slightly inferior to his ability on the SA surface
race 9Â Â average clarity
2 Camps Bay  drops way down for his 1st ever on the dirt.......pedigree for it is awfully good......should be a ton if he is still in relatively good physical condition
7 Write Me a Song  best route speed in the field and when this three-year old gelding has been able to have contact to the front end of things he has run well (4 1 2 1)
11 AE  Odyssey Explorer  consistent efforts but he never passes the last couple of horses in front of him......but he might here with this overdue drop of two MC levels (MC40K to MC20K)
6Â Supreme Giant
3Â Typhoon Harry