Hollywood Sunday Dec 15

[rrbauer]

Had some rain overnight, but it's listed fast and firm.

Race 2 came off the turf. Now 5.5f on the dirt.

Ton of scratches (why?)

R2
2-Flying Soldier
9-Slouisana Slew

R4
3-Due Season
6-Affirm Cat
7-Relentless Seller

R5
6-Hotel Hall

R6
7-Frosty Breeze

R7
1-Top Of Our Game

Back about 12:15 PST with a couple picks.

[rrbauer]

Hollywood Sunday 12/15/02
Note: Pincay off until Santa Anita. Owes the stewards five days from last summer and will be at Calder on the 21st for a special award.

R1
The Firsters are all working about the same. Flores gets off the 6 Touched and goes to Baffert’s Place To Hide . Nothing excites me in here. Pass

R2 (Off the turf)
Rainman’s Request draws a good hole, gets P Val and the style fits here.

R3
Not sure that Simony likes to get looked in the eye and 7f might not be his best. It’s pretty easy to make a case for Primerica . Too easy? I love the progression that Albert G (3YO) shows and the work on the 8th is screaming at me. I’ll try him.

R4
Lethal Grande the NorCal shipper and Chaos N Confusion figure to hookup here and start ding-donging about 50 yards into the race. Danceascore is a grinder who has slowly improved and draws the right hole to run at the other two. I need to see how the track is playing. If speed is coming back, then I’ll take the ‘Dancer. If not, then I’ll take the shipper.

R5
T. H. Lear gets an important rider change and should be able to cross and clear to the lead. Deploy Venture has worked well since his last and likes this layout. Anything that you do has to include these two. Dixie Law (winner of $180k since being claimed for $16k) will get the trip. Just not sure about this one on the turf.

R6
Tough heat. Go Ruby Go does well at Hollywood and has worked back well since raced. Go Natalie Go just won here and raises off the claim for Becerra (good off the claim). I guess that I’ll just Go Go Go Go!

R7
Cee’s Elegance has every right to bounce off that last one. O’Neill is hotter than Mars right now and she’s worked back good. You can make a case for the other two apparent ones in here, Angel Gift & Starrer , but if I can get 4-1 on ‘Elegance, I’ll try a piece of that.

R8
This is a weak group for the level. Macchiato gets the ML fav role. Of the non-turfers I like a couple prices: Bold N Broke & Taliano .

R9
Mining Diamonds is the obvious pick. Latched On & Redinal should improve. The Hendricks firster Discernment has worked well and comes from an outfit that likes to win first out. Finally, Grande Permio is working well for Duncan and Flores rides. I need to see the board on this one

Go Baby Go!

[rrbauer]

Hollywood Sunday 12/15/02

Damage Report!
R1
The Firsters are all working about the same. Flores gets off the 6 Touched and goes to Baffert’s Place To Hide . Nothing excites me in here. Pass
Result Miss Bridget Jones [/b](7-1) one of the Firsters got away a step slow but rushed up and tackled the leader and got the lead at the 3/8th pole then she held off challenges from both sides to get a game win. Touched (3/5 egads!) stumbled at the break, got parked out wide and was backing out when they hit the turn. Place to Hide (3rd) got a good trip inside as did Makeup Artist (2nd) who was in the 3-path into the stretch.
Based on this race, speed looks OK and so does the inside.

R2 (Off the turf)
Rainman’s Request draws a good hole, gets P Val and the style fits here.
Result What style? ‘Request ran with the lead pack for about 100 yds and then did the progressive fade. There was some real ding-donging up front, but Mike Smith took Kenny Hawk (22-1) out in the 4-path and just circled ‘em all on the turn to clear into the stretch. Glad I only liked one in here! -20 on the win bet.

R3
Not sure that Simony likes to get looked in the eye and 7f might not be his best. It’s pretty easy to make a case for Primerica . Too easy? I love the progression that Albert G (3YO) shows and the work on the 8th is screaming at me. I’ll try him.
Result When Albert opened at 4/5, I made a beer run! Got back in time to see Primerica (8/5) outgame Albert (5/2) for the money. Simony wants nothing to do with these boys! No blood.

R4
Lethal Grande the NorCal shipper and Chaos N Confusion figure to hookup here and start ding-donging about 50 yards into the race. Danceascore is a grinder who has slowly improved and draws the right hole to run at the other two. I need to see how the track is playing. If speed is coming back, then I’ll take the ‘Dancer. If not, then I’ll take the shipper.
Result Chaos & Lethal did the ding-dong but Chaos (6/5) just ran away from Lethal (3-1) and never looked back. Lethal held for 2nd. I ended up putting $20 win on Danceascore (20-1) so my result was –20.

R5
T. H. Lear gets an important rider change and should be able to cross and clear to the lead. Deploy Venture has worked well since his last and likes this layout. Anything that you do has to include these two. Dixie Law (winner of $180k since being claimed for $16k) will get the trip. Just not sure about this one on the turf.
Result Walk in the park for T. H. Lear . As advertised, crossed and cleared and then held everything off for the balance. ’Venture got an OK trip, but P Val tried to save ground on the turn by not coming out. You can’t do that here because you will get cutoff at the ankles when the cavalry charge levels out into the lane. Anyway I had $13 win on ‘Lear and $7 win on ‘Venture (missed 3rd by a nose), so I gathered up a few bucks (net +35) of win money. Lost a $4 exacta box. –8.

R6
Tough heat. Go Ruby Go does well at Hollywood and has worked back well since raced. Go Natalie Go just won here and raises off the claim for Becerra (good off the claim). I guess that I’ll just Go Go Go Go!
Result Milagra (2-1) went fav so I upped the ante a little on the Go Go girls. $13 win on ’Ruby and $17 win on Natalie . I think that ‘Ruby got 4th, Natalie never ran a step. Miss New York (13-1) got 4 clear in mid-stretch but got nailed in the last stride by Stormy Spirit (5-1). –30 on the win bets.

R7
Cee’s Elegance has every right to bounce off that last one. O’Neill is hotter than Mars right now and she’s worked back good. You can make a case for the other two apparent ones in here, Angel Gift & Starrer , but if I can get 4-1 on ‘Elegance, I’ll try a piece of that.
Result Starrer ran the rail and slipped thru at the top of the stretch. Meantime, Cee’s Elegance was forcing the pace 3-wide out in the 4-path and couldn’t stay with Starrer late. Didn’t get my 4-1, so no win bet. I did kick off $48 worth of P3’s using the 5-6-7 from this race. I used the 5 (‘Elegance) extra. I go out thru the 2-5-7 to the 5-9; and, I go out thru the 2-5 to the 1-7-8-10. Need a price somewhere.

R8
This is a weak group for the level. Macchiato gets the ML fav role. Of the non-turfers I like a couple prices: Bold N Broke & Taliano .
Result Shoot! I’m all over ’Broke (13-1) in the win/exacta pools (plus my P3) so when he clears the lead into the stretch I’m doing some finger-popping! But, Macchiato (2-1), to his credit, after a ton of early trouble got up to get the win. I had $12 win on ‘Broke and a $6 exacta box with the winner (plus a $4 exacta box with Taliano (9/2)). And I had another $4 in exactas with ‘Broke under. Anyway, -46 on bets and +212 on cashes. Still a chance on the P3….need the 5 or 9. Like Yogi said……

R9
Mining Diamonds is the obvious pick. Latched On & Redinal should improve. The Hendricks firster Discernment has worked well and comes from an outfit that likes to win first out. Finally, Grande Permio is working well for Duncan and Flores rides. I need to see the board on this one
Result ’Diamonds got up late to win. Redinal (60-1) improved big time to get 3rd. I ended up betting $40 show on the firster, Grande Pernio (big ratio of win-show dough) that came back exactly –40! I did have a single $1 P3 ticket that won $15. Not a good trade-off, but the exacta in the last race made this day a profitable one!

See you Tuesday for Tampa Bay Downs!