Racing at Hollywood Park with Marc Doche: Chips All In is a win machine
- Updated: June 22, 2012
Chips All In holds off Tones by a neck in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in March.
Stakes action under the Friday night lights with 3-year-olds at a mile on turf in the $68,000 Tsunami Slew where Chips All In looks for his sixth win in the ninth start of his career.
Already a 3-time stakes winner, Chips All In was nostrilized in the Alcatraz Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on May 12 and is the 3-to-1 co-second choice tonight. With speedsters lined up both inside and outside the son of North Light, his ability to track just off the pace should work in his favor.
The other 3-to-1 choice is Boat Trip, who stretches out after a pair of wins from off the pace in turf sprints. Believed to have had a breathing problem earlier in his career, the son of Harlan’s Holiday faded in his lone two-turn try in December.
Off a pair of solid tries on Cushion Track including defeating Cal-breds in the Snow Chief, Unusual Heatwave is the 5-to-2 favorite. Despite being a son of prolific turf sire Unusual Heat, he’s won just once from seven starts on the lawn and finished behind some of tonight’s rivals in his previous two starts before trying the main track.
The value lies with Tones at 6-to-1 on the morning line returning to Southern California after running eighth in the American Turf (Grade II) at Churchill Downs. In a pair of ungraded stakes at Santa Anita before shipping out of town, the Irish-bred son of Strategic Prince won the Baffle Stakes before coming up a neck short to Chips All In in the Pasadena.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 5 (ALL) – A solid money allowance for sprinters opting out of next weekend’s Triple Bend (Grade I) and we’ll punch the all button, though the lean on the top pick goes to No. 2 Gato Go Win.
Leg 2 – Race 6 (3) – No. 3 Dugan Bill moves to a top-notch barn for cagey claiming connections after a group I put together wasn’t able to pull the trigger for him for $20,000 in December. The scratch of the “other” Mitchell screams he’s live.
Leg 3 – Race 7 (1,4) – No. 1 Tones faced much better in Kentucky and did well enough despite a troubled trip. A repeat of the Pasadena Stakes is possible with him hitting the wire together with No. 4 Chips All In.
Leg 4 – Race 8 (2,3,5,7,8,9,12) – No. 2 You Little Devil flew late in his debut last year over this track to miss by just half a length and can fire fresh again.
However, we’ll spread with No. 3 Stormin’ Bubsy, No. 5 Minister of Trade, No. 7 Three Buttons Down, No. 8 Devgru, No. 9 Awesome Mike and No. 12 Deception Free.
Recap – (ALL) w (3) w (1,4) w (2,3,5,7,8,9,12) – Total cost of ticket = $49
Yesterday’s Result – (-$120)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$2,163.40)
Total from 12/26/10 – 4/22/12 – (+$588.70)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (4,5) – No. 4 Natalie’s Academy will no doubt be a short price, but she’s already been defeated three times as the favorite at this level so we’ll double up with No. 5 Am Another Lover, who debuts for 20% first-time trainer Mike Harrington.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (4,6,7) – Drawn outside the other speed, No. 6 Fire in the Wind can stalk and be right there if he can repeat his effort from two back.
He’ll have to hold off potent closers for this level No. 4 Dave’s Pacemaker and No. 7 Adam Suances.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (2,6,7) – No. 6 Three Blondes did well to split the field in her debut after breaking from the rail and can be closer early with the lack of speed.
No. 2 Dancingtothestars could shoot to the lead in her second start off a long layoff andNo. 7 Maiden Lane gets Rafael Bejarano for the first time.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (1,3,4,5,10) – No. 1 Sea to Sky made up some ground late in her turf debut and drawn inside can save ground on the stretch out.
No. 10 Corinthian’s Song will be sent from the outside and needs to cross and clear to avoid being hung wide into the clubhouse turn. If runners to his inside break sharply he could be compromised.
No. 5 Fable Haven ran a winning race in his last and stretches out for a potent trainer/jockey combo.
No. 3 Incentivize appears to be the better of the Marty Jones runners and No. 4 Money Talker gets Garrett Gomez to help his late kick.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,3,4,6) – No. 2 Gato Go Win drops out of graded stakes competition in his first with Mike Mitchell and offers tremendous value if he’s anywhere near his morning line price.
No. 1 Indian Firewater never wins, but it’s interesting to see Bejarano land here for Bob Baffert instead of No. 3 Capital Account, who’s been favored in all six career starts with three wins.
No. 4 Sahara Sky always brings it late and No. 6 Chiloquin is a consistent, hard-knocking Cal-bred.
Recap – (4,5) w (4,6,7) w (2,6,7) w (1,3,4,5,10) w (2,3,4,6) – Total cost of ticket = $180
Yesterday’s Result – (-$1.80)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (+$602.60)
Total from 7/20/11 – 4/22/12 – (+$2,150.80)
Best Bet of the Day – Can now be found in the free analysis section at www.theracingedition.com along with an early Pick-4 ticket and a consensus box for the entire card.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @mdoche for last minute changes caused by scratches and much more!
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For more Hollywood Park action check out Jarrod Horak’s Pick 6 Blog.
Good luck!
3 Comments
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About Marc
The Real Cheeseman
June 22, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Marc,
I want to let you know that I got turned on to your blog a few months back. Though I don’t agree all the time with your view of the races, I always like to read your blog. You often give me some ideas, and point out different angles that I may have over looked. In short, I find your blog to be a useful handicapping tool when it comes to playing the So. Cal circuit, which has turned into one of my favorites due to its large pool size.
After reading your bio, I can tell we are very much alike. I grew up in Upstate NY, about 30 minutes from Saratoga. My early memories consisted of going to the track with my parents, and when I turned 16, I hit “The Spa” every chance I could, and have been hooked to the ponies ever since.
About 11 years ago I moved to North Carolina, which is about the worst location in the US to live when it comes to horse racing (great for nascar if you are into that sort of thing, bad for horse racing… lol) I drive to Colonial Downs for the major races twice a year, and am relegated to playing on an off shore account weekly (my main focus is Cal racing for the reason listed above). I still drive up to NY at least once per summer to enjoy time at ‘Toga… BEST PLACE ON EARTH and a must visit for any serious racing fan!!!
All that being said, I was reading your blog tonight as I was handicapping the late night Hollywood park card (I have found the best time to play the horses now is when my little girl goes to sleep… lol), and caught the news about your daughter. I became a new father a little over a year ago (an amazing little girl my wife and I named Maris). The entry you wrote about your family’s life changing experience last week – I found myself in tears reading about it, and can only offer my most sincere hopes that everything turns out OK for your little princess. I know that is every parent’s biggest fear to have to go through something like that. Thank God for the AMAZING things that doctors can do today!!! I am extremely happy that it sounds like the prognosis is good for your girl!!!
I know we are complete strangers, and I live on the other side of the country, but please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and your family. You have my email. I will keep your little girl in my thoughts and prayers.
Best of luck!!!
Brian Cheeseman
Marc
June 22, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Hey Brian,
It’s awesome that my blog can help people like you and me come together. Thanks for the well wishes for Aleyna. Chemo starts next week, but the doctors are very confident she will have a full recovery. Needless to say last week was extremely difficult, especially after the first couple days of finding out.
I’ve never been to Saratoga, but it’s definitely on my bucket list. I’m hoping to make it potentially this year, but if not next. My summers are spent at the other best place on Earth … Del Mar.
Thanks again for reading along and I look forward to meeting you one day.
The Real Cheeseman
June 22, 2012 at 11:25 pm
So glad to hear things about your daughter’s prognosis!!!
The big tracks on my bucket list are Keeneland and Santa Anita.
Business travel took me to CA last year for the first time and I was able to hit Del Mar for the first time, as well as a quick stop at Fair Plex. Del Mar was AWESOME!!! This could be a bit of east coast bias, but it did rate a distant 2nd to Saratoga. I’ve been to 8 tracks in the US, and Del Mar was the closest I’ve seen to Toga however. Get to Upstate NY in August, and judge for yourself
If you ever make it to Saratoga, let me know, and I’ll be glad to tell you about the best seating locations and the “must hit” spots.
Thanks again.
BC