FRIDAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK

ZENYATTA  BY D. MORANT

Race 1        Five Furlongs Claimer 32K

The pace scenario looks like Sea Of Pleasure on the lead. He gets the outside post coupled with the slight drop in class makes him a major contender. I can envision him giving it up the last furlong. He is no win machine but with this distance and maybe he has one race in him to make it to the winner's circle today in the opener. Sassou has speed and should be right off the lead with Sea Of Pleasure. P-Val will be right on the pace with Sassou and will try to reel in Sea Of Pleasure at the top of the lane. A improving horse that can pick off both top contenders is Yes It's A Cat. He will be flying late at the wire. Gold Star Status is the unknown horse in this field. He shortens up in distance. He has been steadied twice his last two races. If he gets a clean break he fits with speed figures to make him a contender on the win end. Look who is riding Gold Star Status.... JR.

    1. Sassou   2. Sea Of Pleasure  3. Yes It's A Cat

    Longshot look   Gold Star Status


Race 2        Seven Half Furlongs Maiden 32K

Another short field of maiden's at a weird distance of seven and a half furlongs. Make It Cozy adds blinkers for Brian Koriner with Victor Espinoza in the irons. He drops from open maiden special weight company to face maiden claimers. With a clean break and some racing luck Make It Cozy is the horse to beat. Rockin Harbor by Rockport Harbor drops in class from 50K to meet this bunch. He should relish the distance with Bejarano re-riding this 2 year old gelding. These are the two top contenders in a small field of maidens.


    1. Make It Cozy   2. Rockin Harbor  3. Big Kiss

   Long shot look   Score For Fun

Race 3        Six Furlongs Claimer 25K

Sammy Choi just wins races. He ran a respectable second getting beat by a nose at a claiming price of 32K at this track on the rail. He drops in company with JR re-riding makes him the horse to beat! Gibson Home Run has speed for trainer Peter Miller. He has a pattern of winning a race then regressing. He gets P-Val and has been freshen up for his performance today. I expect that this dodger fan will run a big race with this small field of sprinters. Protect The Ring needs to improve to beat the top contenders and with Bejarano staying with him is a positive sign.

1. Sammy Choi  2. Gibson Home Run  3. Protect The Ring


Race 4        One Mile Sixteenth Claimer 12K

I like Sky'squickscore! He has tactical speed but must deal with Plansite and E.P. Bombay to make it to the winners circle.



Race 5        Six Half Furlongs Maiden Special

Aprisa Luna trained by Ron Ellis has been gone since last January. Her debut last Christmas she almost won. We have seen this before with Ron and JR taking the 4 year old filly by Malibu Moon. Check out her last gate drill! She looks live and spottted for action. Cry Hallelujah trained by Kathy Walsh adds blinkers. She has been sideline for a year.  She exits a key maiden debut in which three fillies came out of that race and won. She has been training excellent in the morning. Bob Baffert is going for his 2,000 win today with For The Memories........... fitting is'nt it! A daughter of A.P. Indy shoretens up in distance with a great asset which is speed. She is a major contender to win this maiden special weight race. Steve's Blue Sky has been firing bullets in the morning. A slight improvement will put her over the top and she can get her diploma with P-Val in the irons. Devil's Choir is the first time starter with a excellent gate drill. This 4 year old filly has excellent pedigree to win with Forty- Niner as the sire. She is trained by Neil French and David Flores takes the call.

   1. Aprisa Luna  2. Cry Hallelujah 3. For The Memories

    Devil's Choir


 Race 6        One Mile Turf Maiden Special

 
With Go-Go saving ground on the rail and with her pedigree and speed Orangeblackandgold looks prime for a smasher today. She should relish the added distance, a daughter of Campagnarde. Anniversary Girl was third to the classy female Neversaidiwassweet. She has the edge in experience over Orangeblackandgold because she has routed before. She will have to be sent from the outside to gain a upper hand in not losing too much ground on the first turn. Benecia is the bomb in this turf route. I pick her at Fairplex to win and she did! She was DQ'd. She should love the turf from a sire More Then Ready who relish the grass.

 1. Orangeblackandgold  2. Ricketyracketyruss 3. Benecia

 Longshot look   Suwaalif
  

Race 7        One Mile Sixteenth Allowance

Ron Ellis has another filly Vision In Gold who has race in the Hollywood Oaks and Railbird last year. She had to need her last race on October 27th when she finished a respectable second at this very condition. She gets added distance to run at and if she does not do the classic bounce then she is the horse to beat in this allowance route race. Ellis has put together three good works in her to prepare her for this race. Joel Rosario re-rides her! Her main rival on paper looks like the talented filly Makoma who looked awesome winning her sprint debut. She came out of the clouds to run by the field in her first race. She is out of Mailbu Moon and should love the added distance from the rail. She is trained by the Sheriff and the Hall Of Famer Mike Smith rides. Gomez takes the call on Queen Martha who shipped stateside and ran acouple of respectable races back East as a 2 year old. A new face and a new track might wake her up today!

    1. Makoma  2. Vision In Gold 3. Queen Martha 
     Longshot look First Settler

Race 8        Six Furlongs  Maiden Claimer 25K

A tough wide open maiden sprint is the last race on Today's card. Five A Day by Five Star Day had to need his last race. He ran a respectable second coming off a year long lay-off.  Check out the bullet workout going five furlongs. He looks spotted for action for Sherlock and Rosario today. Breakmark last race he finish full of run and a slight improvement might just turnthe tables on Five A Day. Golden Augusto was in the Nov 21st race at odds of over 50 to 1. He was neck and neck to Breakmark. A imrovement and some racing luck puts this dude over the top. A interesting first time starter is the Cee Tizzy gelding  Sophomoric Venture trained by Marty Jones who can flat out get them fit and ready to rock and roll. I love the fact that Alonzo Q. seems fit to take the call for this longshot play.

    1. Five A Day  2. Breakmark  3. Sophomoric Venture