Gold Cup Day at HP
 

Excerpt(s), Hollywood Park barn notes.....

(Lava Man is out... going to the Eddie Read at Del Mar).

Nice fields taking shape.

Gold Cup - Probable are Heatseeker (Bejarano), Tiago (Mike Smith), Big Booster (Corey Nakatani), McCann's Mojave (Frank Alvarado), Perfect Drift (Victor Espinoza), Racketeer (Rosario) and Student Council (Shaun Bridgmohan).


A Gleam - Ashley's Kitty (Joseph Talamo), Dawn After Dawn (Gomez), Dearest Trickski (Smith), Intangaroo (Alonso Quinonez), Magnificience (David Flores), Romance Is Diane (Rafael Bejarano), Spenditallbaby (Joel Rosario) and Tiz Elemental (Victor Espinoza).


American - Hyperbaric is expected to face Shoemaker winner Daytona (Alex Solis) and the Bobby Frankel-trained duo of Heroi Do Bafra (Aaron Gryder) and Storm Military (Rafael Bejarano) in the American. Heroi Do Bafra worked four furlongs in :48.80, and Storm Military drilled five panels in 1:01 Sunday.

Three other nominees considered possible also worked: Albertus Maximus five furlongs in :59 on Cushion Track; Worldly, six furlongs in 1:17, and Becrux, seven furlongs in 1:28.40, on turf.


Landaluce - Atka (Jon Court), Cosmic Queen (Mike Smith), Glitter City (Martin Garcia), Got Tobe Rio (Alex Solis), Lentissimo (Alonso Quinonez) and Malusita (Jose Campos).

Magnificience ... i know ppl were really high on her last year, is this her second start back ? i saw her win a allowance by a nose... is that her only reasson back so far ?

Disappointing for several reasons.

What about Surf Cat? I thought he was pointed to the Gold Cup.

Not sure I follow. I think you are asking if the nose win was her only race since her injury. If so, the answer is yes.

I am looking forward to that race. Will be an interesting one to watch for sure. I hope Magnificience can build on her last, she really didnt have that burst in the comebacker.

He was...

http://www.drf.com/news/article/95644.html

Dawn After Dawn? Very short rest. She just ran Sunday. That's what the announcer said.:confused:

It was kind of crazy to assign Lava Man 120 lbs...considering he hasn't won in a year.

Student Council beat Lava Man in the Pacific Classic and won another grade 1 this year in the Pimlico Special. Yet he was assigned 117, 3 pounds less than Lava Man.

More baffling is that he was assigned 119 in the Suburban and yet cause of weight they are opting to run in the Gold Cup. Why would anyone choose to carry 117 against Heatseeker and Tiago instead of 119 against AP Arrow and Sir Whimsey? Wouldn't you have to be weighted 130 in the Suburban before the weight could possibly force you to take on the tougher competition?

Go Between, runner-up to probable Hollywood Gold Cup favorite Heatseeker in the Santa Anita Handicap, will arrive from New York for the 1¼-mile classic on Wednesday.

http://www.hollywoodpark.com/bet_the..._06242008.html

I was hoping for Lava Man in the Gold Cup, seemed only fitting...which has to make you wonder just how many races this good old guy has left in him. There is a reason why they are choosing turf over dirt/cushion tracks.

The Gold Cup race is a joke. Heatseeker will probably win in much the same manner he did in the Californian. Outside of the ancient McCann's Mojave, who's really pushing at 10f, there's not much to pressure him on the pace. Tiago, to mean, is very suspect at 10f, Big Booster and Perfect Drift are bridesmaids at this level, and Racketeer is completely outclassed. Student Council is a danger, I guess, considering he's from Steve Asmussen, but it doesn't seem like he's moved him up too much from Cerin, and despite the Pac Classic race, his best performances have been on conventional dirt.

rollo my man... what is the joke ? heetseeker is the second best older horse in the usa, hands down right now, and this race actually came up pretty deep, go between is shipping in for mott.... perfect drift is def. going to improve off of his turf comeback... student council is sharp, especially with steve... this is a very good group

Heatseeker is the only top class horse in there with any sort of tactical speed. If he shows up, it should be very lopsided. Go Between got a ridiculous set up in the Sunshine Millions, got another one courtesy of Monterey Jazz in the Big Cap (and failed to collar victorious Heatseeker), and then got browbeat at odds-on in a slow paced Grade 3 at Keeneland. He'll get the distance, but the pace is not in his favor, and Heatseeker is clearly much more versatile and is in top notch form right now.

Perfect Drift has no upside as a 9yo against this type of competition. If he is relatively sound, he'd do better to be targeting those BC Marathon division races. Student Council was no threat to Heatseeker this winter, but being transferred to Asmussen may make a difference. Interestingly, he will be stabled in Hollendorfer's (Heatseeker's trainer) barn at Hollywood for the race.

Hollywood Park - June 28th, 2008 - Race 4
Landaluce S. - Grade:
Estimated Local Post Time: 1:30 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Two Year Old
Sex: Fillies
Purse: $100,000
Distance: Six Furlongs
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Atka (CA) 2 Filly 116 Jon Kenton Court
2 Listisimo (CA) 2 Filly 116 Alonso Quinonez
3 Glitter City (FL) 2 Filly 116 Martin Garcia
4 Got Tobe Rio (CA) 2 Filly 116 Alex O. Solis
5 Emmy Darling (FL) 2 Filly 114 David Romero Flores
6 Malusita (KY) 2 Filly 116 Jose M. Campos
7 Trifecta King (KY) 2 Filly 119 Rafael Bejarano
8 Cosmic Queen (KY) 2 Filly 116 Mike E. Smith


Hollywood Park - June 28th, 2008 - Race 5
American Invitational H. - Grade: 2
Estimated Local Post Time: 2:00 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old and Upward
Purse: $250,000
Distance: One And One Eighth Miles
Surface: Turf
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Whatsthescript (IRE) 4 Colt 114 Isaias D. Enriquez
2 Storm Military (ARG) 6 Horse 115 Rafael Bejarano
3 Worldly (GB) 4 Gelding 118 Victor Espinoza
4 Heroi Do Bafra (BRZ) 6 Horse 115 Aaron T. Gryder
5 Hyperbaric (KY) 5 Gelding 116 Garrett K. Gomez
6 Becrux (ITY) 6 Gelding 118 David Romero Flores
7 Daytona (IRE) 4 Gelding 123 Alex O. Solis
8 Albertus Maximus (KY) 4 Colt 113 Corey S. Nakatani



Hollywood Park - June 28th, 2008 - Race 9
A Gleam Invitational H. - Grade: 2
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:00 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old and Upward
Sex: Fillies and Mares
Purse: $150,000
Distance: Seven Furlongs
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Petite Cherie (IRE) 4 Filly 114 Martin Garcia
2 Ashley's Kitty (KY) 4 Filly 116 Joseph Talamo
3 Political Web (KY) 5 Mare 115 Martin A. Pedroza
4 Dawn After Dawn (FL) 4 Filly 116 Garrett K. Gomez
5 Romance Is Diane (CA) 4 Filly 116 Rafael Bejarano
6 Tiz Elemental (CA) 4 Filly 122 Victor Espinoza
7 Missvinski (KY) 4 Filly 116 Alex O. Solis
8 Spenditallbaby (CA) 4 Filly 116 Joel Rosario
9 Intangaroo (KY) 4 Filly 122 Alonso Quinonez
10 Magnificience (KY) 4 Filly 118 David Romero Flores
11 Dearest Trickski (FL) 4 Filly 118 Mike E. Smith


Hollywood Park - June 28th, 2008 - Race 10
Hollywood Gold Cup S. - Grade: 1
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:30 PM
Race Type: Stakes
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old and Upward
Purse: $750,000
Distance: One And One Fourth Miles
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Mast Track (KY) 4 Colt 113 Tyler Baze
2 Perfect Drift (KY) 9 Gelding 115 Victor Espinoza
3 Heatseeker (IRE) 5 Horse 123 Rafael Bejarano
4 Tiago (KY) 4 Colt 121 Mike E. Smith
5 Racketeer (KY) 5 Horse 113 Joel Rosario
6 Student Council (KY) 6 Horse 117 Shaun Bridgmohan
7 Go Between (FL) 5 Horse 118 Garrett K. Gomez
8 McCann's Mojave (CA) 8 Horse 115 Frank T. Alvarado
9 Big Booster (KY) 7 Gelding 116 Corey S. Nakatani
10 Spice Route (GB) 4 Gelding 113 Alex O. Solis