Another glorious day for racing in Southern California at Hollywood Park.
We sprint and go long over the Hollywood Park turf course in a pair of first-level allowance optional claiming events with $54,000 purses on a tricky Thursday afternoon card under impeccable weather conditions.
The fifth race sees $25,000 Cal-bred fillies sprint six furlongs with Tasty Treat the 5-to-2 morning line favorite. The 3-year-old daughter of Roar exits a pair of solid efforts down the hill at Santa Anita where she won against open $32,000 claimers before finishing as the runner-up against first-level allowance Cal-breds.
Claimed for $8,000 in February by George Lopez, 3-to-1 co-second choice Sizzling Gold has won 2-of-3 for her new connections on her way up the class ladder and is protected for the first time in 23 races. The eight wins for the 5-year-old daughter of Formal Gold are by far the most in the field, but they’ve all come in claimers with her two tries in starter allowance company early in her career resulting in sound defeats.
The tag jumps to $40,000 for older males travelling 1 ¼-miles in the seventh race with Ain the 5-to-2 choice making his third start off a long layoff and returning to the turf. In his only previous try on the green, the 5-year-old son of Aldebaran won sprinting down the hill at Santa Anita last January and Joel Rosario sticks here after being aboard for the first time in a sixth-place finish on the dirt last month.
Rosario had been aboard 3-to-1 second choice Antidote in his last four starts, but Martin Garcia takes over today on the 5-year-old son of Tiznow, who despite ten in the money finishes hasn’t won since breaking his maiden over this turf course last June.
We’re off to the races!
Pick 4 -
Leg 1 – Race 5 (2,3,5,6,7) – The other 3-to-1 shot is No. 8 Darling Dodie, and we’ll play against her drawn outside in this turf sprint and spread instead with No. 2 Abella, No. 3 Goldentouch of Gin, No. 5 Mary Contrary, No. 6 Sizzling Gold and No. 7 Tasty Treat.
Leg 2 – Race 6 (2,3,5,7) – No. 7 Coluda plummets in class on the 11-day turn around and tries to lead them all the way, while No. 5 Royal Import ships back to So Cal off consecutive wins at Golden Gate.
No. 3 Wild Revenge also drops in class for Turo and No. 2 Low Gear Power could wake up on the Mullins claim.
Leg 3 – Race 7 (ALL) – Difficult to gauge a real edge for any of these seven runners, so we’ll use them all.
Leg 4 – Race 8 (6) – Off three straight near misses, No. 6 Cheezy Breezy stretches back out and catches a race with some early speed that should set up his closing kick.
Recap – (2,3,5,6,7) w (2,3,5,7) w (ALL) w (6) – Total cost of ticket = $70
Sunday’s Result – (-$180)
Total for currentHollywoodParkspring/summer meet – (-$954.45)
Total from 12/26/10-4/22/12 – (+$588.70)
Pick 5 –
Leg 1 – Race 1 (2,4,5) – The first of two for babies at 4 ½-furlongs, this time $40,000 claimers and we’ll use the trio of No. 2 Gambulina, No. 4 Slew’s Way and No. 5 Last Equity.
Leg 2 – Race 2 (ALL) – Not many positives for this group of fillies in a starter allowance that could just as well be a claiming non-winners of two.
Leg 3 – Race 3 (2,4,7) – Lots of droppers here with No. 2 Raggin Wood, who won her only other route, No. 4 Bench Beauty in for a tag for the first time and No. 7 Dustin’s Magic back at the level claimed.
Leg 4 – Race 4 (2) – Off a solid debut, we’ll look for No. 2 Awe’ Some Kitten to show good speed again with a little better stick to finally snap the long drought for Gary Sherlock.
Leg 5 – Race 5 (2,3,5,6,7) – Same five as the late Pick-4.
Recap – (2,4,5) w (ALL) w (2,4,7) w (2) w (2,3,5,6,7) – Total cost of ticket = $135
Sunday’s Result – (+$127.65)
Total for currentHollywoodParkspring/summer meet – (-$420.95)
Total from 7/20/10-4/22/12 (+$2,150.80)
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Good luck!
