Making his final start before shipping east in 2010, Rail Trip came up half a length short in his attempt to repeat as the winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup.
A competitive eight-race card featuring a variety of talented runners in a trio of allowance races is how the third to last week of the meet begins.
Back doing what he’s done best, Rail Trip is the 5-to-2 favorite in a second-level $62,500 allowance optional claiming route over Cushion Track dropping out of stakes company for the first time in 14 starts in his second race back with Ron Ellis. One of the premier horses in the Classic division when he was campaigned on the West Coast through the summer of 2010, the now 7-year-old son of Jump Start is winless in his last seven starts since back-to-back Grade II scores over this main track two years ago.
With the challenge of saving ground into the clubhouse turn after breaking from outside post No. 8, things won’t be easy for Rail Trip against some tough customers.
The fourth choice on the morning line at 5-to-1, John Scott makes his third start off a long layoff after beating some quality first-level sprinters in his last. The 5-year-old Cal-bred son of Bertrando has reportedly trained brilliantly for Carla Gaines in preparation for his first try around two turns since storming late to run fourth in the Norfolk (Grade I) nearly three years ago.
Classic Legacy is rapidly improving for Bob Baffert and is due to break through after a trio of solid underneath efforts since shipping to Southern California. The 3-to-1 second choice retains the services of Rafael Bejarano, who with Joel Rosario gone is likely to increase his already paltry 29% win rate over the meet’s final three weeks.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 5 (1,5,6) – No. 6 Tizpat drops out of a pair of much tougher races and is strictly the one to beat if he can come close to repeating his last.
No. 1 Zuboff gets Bejarano off a resounding maiden score and should love the turf being by Good Journey and No. 5 Sarangani is a threat to lead all the way.
Leg 2 – Race 6 (1,6) – We’ll take a stand with No. 1 John Scott and No. 6 Classic Legacy.
Leg 3 – Race 7 (ALL) – The second of the three allowance races mentioned in the opening, 3-year-olds travel a mile on turf in a first-level $80,000 optional claiming event.
A case can be made for all nine runners so we’ll punch the all button.
Leg 4 – Race 8 (1,3,7) – We move to promising maiden 2-year-old fillies to close the card, headlined by Baffert’s No. 7 Executiveprivilege, who was purchased for $650,000 two months ago.
No. 1 Renee’s Queen looks to add to Melody Conlon’s success with the babies, while No. 3 Purple Prose is worth a long shot look for a trainer that has been known to pop with young runners at big prices.
No. 6 Awesome Annie has a trio of runner-up finishes to start her career including in the Cinderella Stakes, but that came just 12 days ago and she is due to regress.
Recap – (1,5,6) w (1,6) w (ALL) w (1,3,7) – Total cost of ticket = $81
Sunday’s Result – (-$35.95)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (-$1,577.45)
Total from 12/26/10 – 4/22/12 – (+$588.70)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (3) – No. 3 Flashy Dame is likely to get bet down to become yet another odds-on favorite in the opening race. She’s run up against some nice runners through six defeats, but there doesn’t appear to be any such animals in this heat.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (3,4,6) – No. 6 Above Par looms large in his second local start and should sit the perfect trip under Bejarano.
No. 3 Run’n On Residuals has been training forwardly for his debut and No. 4 Clocker Moment can run them all down at a big price if the race falls apart.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (1,3,4,7) – Three-year-old claimers go a mile on the turf and we’ll use No. 1 Rude Bobby, No. 3 Yankee Dan, No. 4 Skip Tony and No. 7 Deal ‘Em.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (1,2,4,6,7) – No. 7 Primed and Ready is a Texas-bred by a 20% debut sire and is a sneaky play despite the short work tab on display.
We’ll spread with these 2-year-old claimers using No. 1 Eddie Better, No. 2 Ridiculo, No. 4 Pearl Daddy and No. 6 There Goes Donnie.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (1,5,6) – Same trio as late Pick-4.
Recap – (3) w (3,4,6) w (1,3,4,7) w (1,2,4,6,7) w (1,5,6) – Total cost of ticket = $90
Sunday’s Result – (+$61.30)
Total for current Hollywood Park spring/summer meet – (+$355.90)
Total from 7/20/11 – 4/22/12 – (+$2,150.80)
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Good luck!
