Betfair Hollywood Park

Betfair Hollywood: DRF Plus handicapping report for December 14, 2013

DRF Staff|Dec 13, 2013

Race 1	Closer Looks >>
Race 2	Closer Looks >>
Race 3	Hollywood Turf Cup by Mary Rampellini The Grade 2, $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup on Saturday could end up being a race for, well, third. TEMERAINE and LUCAYAN seem likely to lock up the exacta if both recapture their best form after catching yielding turf last out in the Grade 1 Canadian International. TEMERAINE appears to have the upper hand for a couple of different reasons. For one, he finished in front of LUCAYAN in the Canadian International when fifth. LUCAYAN was ninth. But more importantly, TEMERAINE is proven at the Hollywood Turf Cup’s distance of a mile and a half, having accounted for the Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs two races ago on Sept. 14. TEMERAINE may also be able to be closer to the pace than LUCAYAN, perhaps getting first run at the Hollywood Turf Cup’s probable pacesetter, SEGWAY. LUCAYAN was a Group 1 winner last May at Longchamp, when he pulled a 27-1 upset in the French Two Thousand Guineas. He’s since placed in three Grade 2 races in North America, including the John Henry two starts ago on firm turf at Santa Anita. LUCAYAN will be racing over a mile and a half for the first time in his career, but ran well at a mile and three-eighths when he missed by a half-length in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap. SEGWAY lacks the stakes credentials of both TEMERAINE and LUCAYAN, but he could have a significant tactical advantage in the Hollywood Turf Cup. SEGWAY appears to be the race’s controlling speed based on his front-running win over a mile and a quarter last out at Santa Anita. He now makes the move to a mile and a half for the first time. For the task, SEGWAY shows a series of endurance works. Dangerous. IRISH SURF wins the best-bred award as a son of Giant’s Causeway and Surfside, the multiple Grade 1 winner of $1.8 million. He will be facing older rivals for the first time in a while as his recent starts have come in derbies in Southern California. IRISH SURF appears to have more speed than a number of these, and on the stretch out to a mile and a half could get a favorable tracking trip behind SEGWAY. HUNTSVILLE faced LUCAYAN back in August, and finished a half-length behind that one when third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap. A repeat of that performance would put him in the mix, but others come in fresher as this will be the consistent runner’s 14th start of 2013. ARTIC NORTH ran a respectable race last out in his first start against both graded winners and at a marathon turf distance. He figures to move forward for the out, and is bred to win often as a half-brother to Major Marvel, a three-time stakes winner who is 22-for-52. TEMERAINE gets the nod over LUCAYAN, with the race for third going to either SEGWAY or HUNTSVILLE. Spot Play Short field with lack of real pace could leave SEGWAY (#3, 7-2) loose on easy lead. Like his chances of seeing out the new 12fs distance if that’s the setup. - Marcus Hersh Closer Looks >>
Race 4	Closer Looks >>
Race 5	Spot Play RUN ROSIE RUN (#5, 15-1) cost $70K at auction, a big number for a daughter of Forefathers. The dam ran only twice on turf, but 2nd in both. Gap in works from July – October but been going steadily since. Think she’s coming out live at a price. - Marcus Hersh Closer Looks >>
Race 6	Closer Looks >>
Race 7	Native Diver Handicap by Marty McGee Man, is this a good one to help usher out the HollyPark era. Seems Rousing Sermon may have the best recency among this extremely well-matched field of nine older routers in light of his recent victory in the restricted On Trust, and that accounts for him being a lukewarm favorite, but there are just so many viable alternatives to him. A couple of those are Blueskiesnrainbows (#1) and Drill (#5), both pegged at 8-1 on the BHP morning line. Both have shown themselves fully capable on synthetics and at this mid-range 9-furlong distance, and both come from Hall of Fame stables; look for ‘Blueskies to be pressing the pace from his favorable inside post, while Drill figures to be one of the late comers. By tying them up in some vertical plays with Rousing Sermon (#8) and tossing in a longshot or two, there’s a shot of making some Christmas jing, given the right result. In tri’s and supers, let’s try a 1/5/8 with 1/5/8 with 1/2/5/6/8/9 (with 1/2/5/6/8/9 or ALL for the 4th super leg); and use other variations thereof, keying the 1/5/8 in whatever spots desired. Spot Play ROUSING SERMON (#8, 3-1) might be the least appealing of the 3 Hollendorfer entrants in the Native Diver. With 23 starts at end of 4yo season we know what he is now, & current form isn’t going to be quite good enough here, especially at 9fs, a longer trip than he really wants. - Marcus Hersh Closer Looks >>
Race 8	Closer Looks >>
Race 9	Spot Play KOBE’S BACK (#13, 9-2) was no match for the very impressive Shared Belief in the Hollywood Prevue here a few weeks ago, but that was this guy’s first start since summer and he was away slowly while ‘Belief got a big headstart and first run prompting the pace. It was most encouraging, however, to see this guy make a strong run on the far turn before flattening out. He can benefit from that outing, there’s no layoff since, there’s no reason he shouldn’t handle this trip and with so much attention ($$$$) going to ‘Belief and highly regarded Tap It Rich this guy’s price figures quite attractive. -Michael Hammersly Closer Looks >>
Race 10	Closer Looks >>

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