HORSE RACING HORSE RACING By Richard Eng

[Lumi]

HORSE RACING
TODAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK

By Richard Eng



Post Time 7:05 p.m.

Race 1 - 7 furlongs, Purse $20,000, Maiden claiming $40,000, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds and up

Best of Intentions - Beaten favorite was grinding in last for second; third start off a 9-month hiatus.

Free Lunch - Dead late closer figures to pass a lot of slowpokes late; the extra ground can only help.

Long Shot - Truly a Delight

Race 2 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $11,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up

Forest Danz - Won under a hand ride up in NoCal; speedball will play catch me if you can with Felipe Valdez.

Greedy Way - Game second last time facing similar foes; like that Rafael Bejarano remains loyal to the cause.

Long Shot - Shakin N Dancin

Race 3 - 1 mile (turf), Purse $32,000, Claiming $32,000, Fillies, 3-year-olds

Digestivo - Slight choice in a tight fit; many class droppers in here, not many horses get claimed anymore.

Miss Bodine - Bob Baffert cull has as good a chance as any; exits a key race 2-back, may surprise some.

Long Shot - Atka

Race 4 - 5 1/2 furlongs, Purse $11,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up

Rogue Scholar - Drops to the bottom in search of victory; outside post lets him clock the early speed.

Brother Man - Speedball turns back in distance; beaten favorite in last, much easier task tonight.

Long Shot - Bullya

Race 5 - 6 furlongs (turf), Purse $48,000, Allowance, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Allaboutimage - Another New Zealand import for John Sadler; like that Garrett Gomez takes a leg up.

Unworldly Heat - Was going to win last time; she ducked in in deep stretch, hit the rail losing Jose Valdivia.

Long Shot - Annihilation

Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $13,000, Claiming $12,500, 3-year-olds and up

All Money No Love - Ran evenly in return off a year hiatus; Ron Ellis charge figures to be much tighter today.

Magna Cum Laude - Lost by a whisker in last; similar effort can get the job done here, rallies late.

Long Shot - Day With Desi

Race 7 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $50,000, Allowance, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Music Magic - Rail hugging ride for Alex Solis; stretches out, should be forwardly placed throughout.

Smooth Performer - Second start off a 10-month hiatus; last was for show, tonight it's for the dough.

Long Shot - Chelcee's Hope

Race 8 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $15,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up

Pacific Halo - Been knocking on the door with 4-of-5 in the money finishes; good tactical speed.

Great Raid - Beaten favorite did not run badly from post 11 in last; still stuck outside, add blinkers on.

Long Shot - Muqtabe

Best Bet - Best of Intentions (race 1)

Hollywood Park Thursday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 15/6/$29.60; Long Shots, 7/1/$5.00; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Hollywood Park Totals - 801/199/$1,431.80; Long Shots, 400/66/$684.80; Best Bets, 44/18/$79.80

SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #5 Karakorum Elektra (7/2) in race 8 at Belmont Park. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Thursday, Lion Kingdom won at Belmont Park paying $4.50 to win, $3.00 to place and $2.10 to show. Stats - 98/79/$582.30

 

[Lumi]

Gold Cup story lines enticing

Gold Cup story lines enticing

Gold Cup story lines enticing
RICHARD ENG

$700,000 Hollywood Gold Cup lacks star power, but it quietly might be one of the best betting races of the year. The Saturday feature is headed by a tepid 4-1 favorite in Parading among 13 starters. Still, there is intrigue galore around the race on and off the track.

There is a chance this could be the final Gold Cup run at Hollywood Park. Track owner Bay Meadows Land Co. would like to close the track sooner, rather than later. I would hate for BMLC to do to Hollywood what it did to Bay Meadows, namely end racing, tear down the track, and let the land sit vacant.

BMLC wants to build a multibillion-dollar project called Hollywood Park Tomorrow, a high-end retail, office and residential complex. What a great idea in today's economy. California and its citizens are going belly-up and BMLC wants to build CityCenter 2 in the heart of Inglewood.

The Gold Cup field is fascinating. Life Is Sweet, a filly stablemate of Zenyatta, will try to beat the boys instead. Trainer John Shirreffs is conservative by nature, so I doubt if he would chance this unless he felt he has a good shot. I like the angle that if Life Is Sweet can win the Gold Cup, yet not warm up Zenyatta, then how good is Zenyatta?

Parading ships in from the East Coast after winning the Dixie and Ben Ali in his last two starts. The fact he is favored does not flatter the West Coast contingent. For example, the fastest last-race Beyer figure in the field, 104, belongs to Tres Borrachos, yet he is 30-1 in the morning line. He is followed by eight horses that ran a last race Beyer between 98 and 101. That tells me half of the Gold Cup field could potentially finish within two lengths at the wire.

The sentimental horse in the field will be last year's Gold Cup winner Mast Track. His owner and trainer, Bobby Frankel, who turned 68 on Thursday, is battling an undisclosed serious illness.

Finally, the corporate sponsor of the Gold Cup is TVG and its new owner, Betfair. There is no doubt both entities can play a big role in rejuvenating the sport and -- in the case of Betfair -- possibly the business of horse racing. Betfair has the technology and savvy creativity to bring new ideas to the table. Racing needs new revenue streams and Betfair has a proven track record for innovation.

 

[Hard Times]

illumanati

illumanati

Thanks, greatly appreciated !!