HOLLYWOOD NOTEBOOK
NOVEMBER 25, 2009
by John Mucciolo
There was a single graded race during the second week of the Hollywood Park
fall/winter meeting.
Hollywood Prevue S. (G3): WinStar Farm’s homebred AMERICAN LION
(Tiznow) made a strong move inside the final furlong to take the lead and held
sway late to pick up his first graded win for trainer Eoin Harty. The impressive
juvenile colt got seven furlongs in 1:22 2/5 beneath Julien Leparoux to win by a
half-length.
Track Stats
From a total of 42 races held over the Inglewood racetrack during the
three-day week, favorites won at a 40 percent clip and the top two betting
choices combined for 52 percent of the wins. From 28 frays contested on the
Cushion Track oval, 11 animals won in wire-to-wire fashion (39 percent), while
three of the 14 grassy tussles went all the way on the lead (21 percent).
Speed was the theme for much of the week with horses on or near the front
having tons of success. For whatever reason, the first race of each day of the
week was taken in wire-to-wire fashion — four on the main oval and one on the
lawn. We offer no explanation for that, and we will see if the trend continues.
As we’ve stated on numerous occasions, this strip is very different to that
of Santa Anita, and giving up ground throughout the race at Hollywood could be
detrimental. To bolster our opinion, we noticed that 35 of the 42 winners broke
from posts 1-6.
Meet Totals:
| RACES: | 68 | |
| CUSHION: | 46 | |
| TURF: | 22 | |
| FAVORITES: | 24 (35 percent) | |
| 2ND CHOICES: | 10 (15 percent) | |
| TURF WIRE: | 6 (27 percent) | |
| CUSHION WIRE: | 17 (37 percent) |
Post Positions (wins):
| RAIL: | 38 | |
| 1-3: | 27 | |
| 4-6: | 25 | |
| 7-out: | 16 |
HORSES TO WATCH
Wednesday (11/18)
5TH — LIFE BY R R (Domestic Dispute) could turn out to be a savvy claim for
Doug O’ Neill after the sophomore miss made short work of this field on the
front end.
6TH — YANKEE VISIONARY (Yankee Gentleman) is as consistent as they come for
what he is, a one-run claiming competitor for O’ Neill. The gelding will often
conclude an exotics wager at a fair price.
Thursday (11/19)
7TH — LOUP BRETON (Ire) (Anabaa) served notice that he might be a major
player in the Southern California turf ranks in 2010 when blowing away a decent
allowance bunch in his U.S. bow for Julio Canani. The five-year-old import got
his final three-eighths in a sharp :34 4/5, registering a commendable 98 BRIS
Speed rating.
Friday (11/20)
7TH — The Richard Mandella-trained PRECIOUS UNION (Dixie Union) fits
beautifully at this level and is good enough as a turf sprinter to win a bunch
of races when properly placed.
Saturday (11/21)
3RD — CAMP VICTORY (Forest Camp) got the better of a speed duel with a more
experienced, and more heavily backed, foe and inched clear in a fine tally for
Jerry Hollendorfer. While the time was nothing to get excited about, the gelding
finished fast and should have plenty of room for improvement.
8TH — American Lion has a long, fluid stride to go with his impressive
speed, and while he’s only run on synthetic ovals to date, the colt looks like a
live player in the three-year-old ranks in 2010. The longer the trip, the
better, with the Kentucky-bred.
Sunday (11/22)
5TH — STAND TALL (Tejano Run) has made his way to this notebook on numerous
occasions, and we can just hope that our loyal readers cashed in with the $11.80
mutuel in here for Canani. The gelded five-year-old is a top runner on this oval
against this type.
A Look Ahead
The Hollywood Turf Festival makes its way to these parts over the Holiday
Weekend. Sunday’s $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) is a top draw, a ten-furlong
test for sophomore grass performers. On the undercard is the $100,000 Miesque S.
(G3).
Saturday plays host to the $300,000 Matriarch S. (G1) and $100,000 Generous
S. (G3), while Friday’s headliner is the $300,000 Citation H. (G1).