Zazu caps a whirlwind day in her return against a pair of tough broads in the $150,000 Marjorie L. Everette (Grade II).
West looks to continue to be best with the stage set for I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister to shine again on the national stage in the $1 million Preakness Stakes (Grade I) for 3-year-olds run over 1 3/16-miles at Pimlico Racecourse inBaltimore,Md.
The next step to a Triple Crown and immortality awaits I’ll Have Another as he tries to run down Bodemeister like he did in the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) two weeks ago, while potentially getting a challenge from another familiar foe in Creative Cause.
On the home front, a loaded 11-race card starts at 11 a.m. and includes a pair of graded events on the main track for females, with 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs in the Railbird Stakes (Grade III) and older runners at 1 1/16-miles in the Marjorie L. Everette Handicap (Grade II), which was previously called the Milady.
With Killer Graces scratched, just four go in the Railbird and Sister Moon appears to have both the pace and class advantage. Listed at 6-to-5 on the morning line, the daughter of Dixie Union is sure to go off as an odds-on favorite after winning by over five lengths at Santa Anita in March when she was heavily favored against three rivals.
The Everette sees a trio of top-class females make up half its field with multiple Grade I-winner Zazu returning as the 8-to-5 favorite in her first start of 2012. The brilliant gray daughter of Tapit was derailed by an injury ahead of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and begin the journey to this year’s edition of that race over a track where she’s won half of her four starts.
After fading badly over the slop in the Santa Margarita (Grade I) at Santa Anita on March 17, Ellafitz is listed at 3-to-1 looking to wire this field over a main track where she’s had success. The 5-year-old daughter of Tiznow looks to add to Bob Baffert’s incomprehensible start at the meet, and will have to hold off 9-to-5 second choice Include Me Out, who romped to a nearly four-length score in the Santa Margarita.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 8 (2,4,6) – No. 2 Give My Regards and No. 6 Marinda exit solid debut efforts that are more recent than No. 4 Revered’s, who comes back to the races over a year after catching a tough heat at Santa Anita.
Leg 2 – Race 9 (1,4,5,6) – A competitive turf heat where we spread with No. 1 Clubhouse Ride, No. 4 Key Decision, No. 5 Temple’s Door and No. 6 Smug.
Leg 3 – Race 10 (1,6,7) – The logical trio of No. 1 Include Me Out, No. 6 Zazu and No. 7 Ellafitz.
Leg 4 – Race 11 (1,6,9,10,15) – Spread with five runners in the bottom-level maiden claimer using No. 1 Glorious Memories, No. 6 Warren’s Passion, No. 9 Tiz a Brite Miss, No. 10 Chimi Dee and No. 15 Jenren Fitz Me.
Recap – (2,4,6) w (1,4,5,6) w (1,6,7) w (1,6,9,10,15) – Total cost of ticket = $90
Yesterday’s Result – (-$108)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$1,132.45)
Total from 12/26/10-4/22/12 – (+$588.70)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (ALL) – All button in the opener considering No. 5 Beer Meister looks unlucky on paper, but gets the major barn upgrade in his turf debut.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (1,4,7) – A new face and one that hasn’t been seen in a while are the top picks with No. 7 Franconi and No. 4 Additional Demands taking advantage of lots of cheap speed in front of them.
We’ll also add No. 1 Eric the Ram finally in against claimers.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (1,4) – No. 1 Sister Moon should crush again, but No. 4 Via Villaggio got some positive remarks from her recent a.m. activity so we’ll give her a shot.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (1,4,6) – No. 1 Lift Our Lucks is the top pick on the big class drop off the layoff and we’ll add No. 4 Lorenbray and No. 6 Kalk Bay.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,3,4,5) – Another four-pack to close the sequence with No. 2 Saratoga Yankee, No. 3 Hurricane Lake, No. 4 Euroglide and No. 5 Smokey Lonesome.
Recap – (ALL) w (1,4,7) w (1,4) w (1,4,6) w (2,3,4,5) – Total cost of ticket = $180
Yesterday’s Result – (+$408.70)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$147.25)
Total from 7/20/10-4/22/12 (+$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!
Check out my blogs for America’s Best Racing on www.followhorseracing.com!
Listen to my weekly HD Los Angeles sports podcast!
To view my horse racing channel on YouTube click here!
For more Hollywood Park action check out Jarrod Horak’s Pick 6 Blog.
Good luck!
