Leave Me Alone, Smart and Single's dam, wins the Test Stakes (Grade I) by nearly eight lengths at Saratoga in 2005.
After the first Wednesday racing in some time along with 4th of July festivities, today feels like a Monday, but instead it’s another less than inspiring Thursday card. The next Wednesday of racing promises to be much more exciting with Opening Day at Del Mar in 13 days.
A maiden allowance with a purse of $50,000 for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track highlights the card with that guy sending a pair of promising 3-year-old fillies.
Purchased for $400,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton in 2010, Smart and Single makes her debut for Bob Baffert as the 2-to-1 favorite with Rafael Bejarano aboard. The daughter of prolific debut sire Smart Strike out of the Grade I winner and earner of over $650,000 Leave Me Alone, Smart and Single has fired five straight a.m. bullets over Cushion Track.
The “other” Baffert today is 4-to-1 third choice Princess Ash, who returns after showing lots of early speed in a pair of starts last fall when missing by a neck over the dirt at Santa Anita before tiring to finish fourth over this track. The daughter of Indian Charlie, who went to Zayat Stables for $150,000 as a yearling, has also been drilling nicely.
The recent experience edge goes to 5-to-2 second choice Golden Production off a solid runner-up effort in her debut on June 10 behind impressive winner Winding Way. Ron Ellis clicks at nearly 40% with runners that have a race under their belt and this 3-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate also brought a nice sum as a yearling, going to Jay Em Ess Stable for $170,000.
After champion Japanese jockey Yuichi Fukunaga made his return for an extended stay in the jockey colony yesterday, Aaron Gryder is back as a regular today and starts things off aboard claimer Royal Import for Bob Hess in the third race.
Corey Nakatani will be back again starting next week and Stephanie Korger is slated to make her 2012 and Southern California debut on Saturday after notching 56 wins and earning over $800,000 in purses while riding on the East Coast the past two years.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 5 (2,4,7,10) – A couple significant scratches leaves this race to No. 2 Elizabeth A, No. 4 Miss Peanut, No. 7 Filly Power and No. 10 Roman Charity.
Leg 2 – Race 6 (4,6,7) – The three runners discussed above with No. 4 Princess Ash, No. 6 Smart and Single and No. 7 Golden Production.
Leg 3 – Race 7 (ALL) – The feature race slot goes basically to cheapish female claimers in a not often used around these parts $25,000 starter allowance and we’ll use all six runners. The $38,000 purse for these caliber horses is startling.
Leg 4 – Race 8 (1,2,3,5) – Use the trio of No. 2St. Sincere, No. 3 Hammer the Bay and No. 5 You’re Joking that exit a solid race at a similar level where the runner-up returned to win nicely last weekend.
Also take a flier with the only debut runner in the field, No. 1 Rintoo, who lures Garrett Gomez for a trainer who has a nice return first time out.
Recap – (2,4,7,10) w (4,6,7) w (ALL) w (1,2,3,5) – Total cost of ticket = $144
Yesterday’s Result – (-$18.60)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$1,719.55)
Total from 12/26/10 – 4/22/12 – (+$588.70)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (1,2,3) – The broken record plays on with yet another odds-on favorite to start the day, but this time we’ll try and beat No. 1 Attach the Jack by using both No. 2 Secret Genius and No. 3 No Tricks for Jack.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (1,3,6) – Three of the five maiden claimers with No. 1 Revered, No. 3 Chapel Chick and No. 6 Ballentina.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (1) – No. 1 Joe Carl got as much as you could have wanted from his comeback sprint and now stretches out to his much preferred route game where he knocks hard. With speed lined up to his outside, he can save ground and make the last run a winning one.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (ALL) – When a horse with 35 losses is the 5-to-2 second choice on the morning line you know it’s a bad race. That’s the case with No. 1 Warren’s Kong, so we’ll punch the all button with these non-winners of two lifetime.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,4,7,10) – Same four as the late Pick-4.
Recap – (1,2,3) w (1,3,6) w (1) w (ALL) w (2,4,7,10) – Total cost of ticket = $90
Yesterday’s Result – (-$157.50)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$243.60)
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.
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For more Hollywood Park action check out Jarrod Horak’s Pick 6 Blog.
Good luck!
