Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos: Daily Game Plan for Friday, July 4
Daily GamePlan gives you some of the best betting opportunities of the day from DRF experts, including Closer Looks , Spot Plays, Vulnerable Favorites, and Live Longshots.
Closer Looks by Mark Ratzky
Race 1
| Roper |
| One of two with experience here; had an eventful debut, as he had early trouble, finished with mild interest and then was vanned off; two slowish drills in the interim. |
| Mikes Lion |
| Homebred is by Whatsthescript, who clicks at 20 percent with his new faces; Miyadi doesn't have to work them fast to have them ready. |
| Aaron's Thunder |
| The other who has seen afternoon action and he pretty much stayed in the same place the entire trip while racing with a 50K tag. |
| Notorious |
| Modest October purchase is by the late McCann's Mojave, who has had 5 first-timers win from 42; Hollendorfer has outstanding numbers in every category, including a .32 strike rate with new faces. |
| McSwiss |
| Ministers Wild Cat is a 13 percent debut sire; has the advantage of racing where he trains and Harrington is overdue to get back to the winning ways. |
| Doc Charney |
| The other newbie who has been doing all his preparation locally; sire is 30 for 284 with beginners. |
| Colorado Strong |
| By the sire of local hero California Chrome and it's hard to get a read off the San Luis Rey works; check the post parade and toteboard for more clues. |
Race 2
| Smoke Tree |
| Nothing doing in either try, but did have early trouble in last; stretches out, adds blinkers and does get the best of the draw, but will need to do much better if he wants to threaten. |
| End of Time |
| A Nibble here and a nibble there after a dozen attempts; has shown the way early in the two distance outings and had his troubles at crunch time; bullet 5 furlong a.m. spin showing and has to find more stick. |
| Kaepernick |
| Shows up from New York by way of the Bay Area and this is where he's been doing his training; went evenly in that Golden Gate once-around on the lawn last month and has a right to move forward with this group. |
| Polished Silver |
| Was a bit rank in the early stages of that grass miler up north and was finished before they reached the stretch; this will be his first time routing on the main track; needs to improve. |
| Uncle Luck |
| Goes from Sherman to DeLeon; had his share of early trouble in the debut and came on nicely for the show, then faced a tougher group and faltered after getting away a tad slowly; should be very much at home in this field. |
| Tizbudsformenlimo |
| Back to the dirt after basically being a bystander in that Santa Anita lawn party; looking elsewhere. |
| Wicked Heat |
| Threw in the towel early in that last one, but Talamo sees fit to give it another try and a repeat of any of the three previous efforts would certainly put this guy right in the picture. |
| Caddy Cain |
| Badly outrun in the debut after an awkward takeoff while going 7 furlongs; pass. |
| Decantered |
| Taking a huge drop in class after having early problems while chasing home some tough customers down the hill at Santa Anita a month ago, with first two finishers returning to win; looms major player down at this level. |
| Bamuel Toi |
| Had been away for 10 months when he suited up at Pleasanton two weeks ago; ran into some traffic troubles that day and was no threat; post no bargain. |
| Time for Beanie |
| AE has earned some minor checks racing around the smaller night oval here; don't think so. |
Race 3
| Half Dome Dude |
| First of several hard-knockers in a very contentious starter sprint; claimed from last pair where he has lost close ones on both occasions; should be in prime stalking mode for sharp apprentice Van Dyke who has first teaming with gelding. |
| Traweek |
| Would appear to be the one who has his work cut out in this cast, as his 3-for-30 mark and recent efforts doesn't stack up very well with this sharp group. |
| Gal Has to Like It |
| Been knocking on the door since being claimed for a bargain 8K out of a winning February effort; lost a hearbreaker the other day at 19-1 after opening up what looked like a winning advantage at midstretch and earned a solid figure in the process; helps make it interesting. |
| Courtside |
| Past classer has proven to be a nice claim by Curtis; showed a surprising passing ability in that April 25 score for the new connections, then battled it out gamely in that last one under Arias; no matter how this shakes out early, he's going to make his presence felt. |
| Newfound Gold |
| Been extremely popular at the claim box as he's been haltered from 6 of the last 7, firing bullets all along the way; now Bonde gets his chance with the veteran as Maldanado takes over the controls; gamester will be right there. |
| Muchos Besos |
| Came from out of the clouds and was the third nose on the wire when last seen in Arcadia on May 16; new barn puts him in a spot where he can't be taken and the 5-for-25 performer should be in stalking mode from the outside slot under new pilot Pedroza. |
Race 4
| Astutely |
| Makes first appearance since last September at Barretts; blinkers go on and Stute gave him a taste of the track with that June 25 spin. |
| Lady Lois |
| scratched |
| Gone Again |
| Good Journey is a 10% debut sire and it looks like Harrington has given this colt a pretty solid local foundation; certainly lands soft spot for unveiling. |
| Three Point Luke |
| Bred to be a nice prospect, but well beaten in the only try last November at Hollypark and now shows up at the bottom level while shedding the blinkers; have to respect the barn and the drop in class. |
| American Style |
| Papa Clem has clicked with 6 of his 30 firsters and this one seems to have picked things up nicely in the last couple of drills here. |
| Leedstobeaver |
| Stormin Fever has seen 32 of his 455 new runners get the job done; two solid half-mile works since arriving here and noteworty that Tyler takes the call. |
| Slick Caper |
| Interesting pattern as this one has gone from 6 furlongs at Golden Gate to 870 yards here and then a mile at Santa Anita most recently; needs to pick it up at least a notch. |
| Vite Tribal Reign |
| Eurton representative took some tote action in the second start and showed improved speed before giving way in the lane; not impossible here. |
| Tribal Flash |
| Trible Rule is a 13% debut sire; DeLeon has put a couple of 6-furlongs drills into him of late and this is not the toughest spot to start a career. |
| Deposition |
| Has missed a couple of chances racing here over the smaller night track while facing easier company; can't make a case. |
Race 5
| Starlet O'Hara |
| From the first crop of Discreetly Mine and fetched 100K at auction last year; solid works for this Baffert trainee and he has an outstanding strike rate with Garcia at the helm. |
| La Mexicana |
| Hard to get too excited about this one's chances off the first couple of attemtps, although a stumble at the start didn't help the case last time. |
| Collateral |
| Colonel John has had 4 of his first 53 firsters reach the winner's circle; Arcadia works on the modest side, but conditioner knows how to get one ready. |
| Sweet Cactus |
| Sire just 1-for-36 to this point with the new faces and works don't seem anything special; on plus side, Guce is a win machine on the smaller night oval. |
| Midnight Candy |
| Made debut over the synthetic track at Arlington Park last month and managed a distant show finish after a less-than-perfect takeoff; surfaces in a very interesting spot for Team Desormeaux. |
| Ultimate Holiday |
| Harlan's Holiday clicks with 14% of his first-time starters in a large sample; Baltas finished up Santa Anita in style and that meet's leading pilot Talamo has the assignment. |
| Wild Heart Run |
| Overcame a slow start to rally for a non-threatening second in a modest affair at Santa Anita a month ago; right to move forward and will likely have to if she wants to threaten. |
| Soul Crusader |
| Tried the boys in the first start and then seemed to regress when in with fillies at most recent asking while suffering a bit of traffic. |
| Shh She's Ours |
| Tiz Wonderful has 24% strike rate with the new faces; Aguirre put a bullet half-mile into this gal here a week ago so she certainly seems acclimated; keep a close eye. |
Race 6
| Teton County |
| Made belated debut at age 5 last year and posed following both tries, then returned in a pretty rugged spot on the Golden Gate lawn and gave way after battling early; shows a bullet half at Barretts in the interim, but appears to be in a bit tough |
| Industry Leader |
| Just the one victory to show from the 18 outings and you have to go back pretty far to find it; been on the sidelines for nearly 11 months and did finish the Arcadia preparations with a best of 61 :46 and change move for Mulhall; likely to close into a small slice only. |
| The Cleaners |
| Got hot at the start of the year, scoring back-to-back tallies to the delight of the chalkplayers, with a tough beat two back when nailed by today's foe Peacenik after doing all the heavy lifting; reunited with Tyler and will be right on top of the action from the get-go. |
| Brannaman |
| Baffert returnee is the most interesting runner in the cast with Garcia giving directions; put it all together last summer at Del Mar while winning 2 of 3 before going on vacation; has advantage of training over this layout and the usual solid Bob drills in tow. |
| Peacenik |
| You don't win 11 times by accident and that gives him a half-dozen more than anybody else here; Spawr thought enough to claim him back in January and he's been rewarded with 2 more snapshots; finished right with The Cleaners last time in a rougher spot and merits lots of respect. |
| My Slew |
| Rewarded instant dividends for Garcia off the May 16 red-tag, digging in late to get up over today's 3rd race entrant Gal Has to Like It across town; has clicked in 4 of his 7 tries going this journey and has versatility and Talamo working in his favor. |
| Alpine Luck |
| Was highly-regarded a year ago after capturing the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, but sputtered during the rest of the season and went to the bench; shows up for the first time with a claiming tag as he gets the chance to race over the track where he trains. |
Race 7
Spot Play
MAGIC MARK (#5, 2-1) is blossoming. He looked super whipping tough optional claiming foes at SA first April 25 and then June 19. He faces some legitimate stakes horses here so the water is surely deeper but the light has apparently gone on for him and usually once trainer Ellis gets them on the right track they tend to stay there (Seeking the Sherif, for example). The fact he’s facing tougher keeps his price palatable. -Michael Hammersly
| Old Time Hockey |
| Had made the majority of his reputation on the lawn, but did get the job done convincingly the last time he tried the dirt in an off-the-turf affair in March at Tampa Bay Downs; should be able to drop into a nice stalking position from the inside slot and obvious danger with his top effort. |
| Handsome Mike |
| Just 45K short of being a millionaire, with victories in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and Grade 3 Commonwealth on the resume; been some time since a victory, but he s dropping out of some tough races like the Californian, where he chased home eventual 1-2 Gold Cup finishers Majestic Harbor and Clubhouse Ride; must call on back class. |
| War Academy |
| The first of 2 Baffert major players and a ton of potential with this son of Giant s Causeway; was on the Derby trail last year before the Arkansas Derby debacle and has returned from the bench with two solid efforts around one turn; made a nice move forward while leaving no doubt in that 7-furlong contest in Arcadia last month and looks primed to get back to a distance of ground. |
| Huntsville |
| Like the rail runner, the bulk of his bank account has come on the turf; you have to go way back to find the most recent victory and once around on this track with this group could prove to be a little testing for this guy. |
| Magic Mark |
| He s an up-and-comer for Ellis; toss out the hiccup on March 29 and he s unbeaten in the other four route affairs; has sparkled in last pair at Santa Anita, blowing them away two back and then earning a triple-digit Beyer for the most recent going this journey three weeks ago; speed to be placed anywhere main man Talamo wants him in the early stages. |
| Sky Kingdom |
| Gives Baffert two big looks at the outcome with Espinoza taking over the irons; hasn't seen action since Del Mar, but he's proven he can fire fresh in the past and he looks like a real nice fit in this field from just about any angle you want to explore. |
| Fly Lexis Fly |
| Made his seasonal debut in the aforementioned Californian and called it a day pretty early; has come back with a couple of solid drills at San Luis Rey for the crafty Miller as he seeks his first United States victory after an auspicious start to his career in 2011 in Peru; will have to pick up the pace. |
Race 8
Vulnerable Favorite
SWISS HEART (#3, 2-1)
comes off a couple nice outings (3rd, 2nd) at this level at SA so she certainly deserves respect. Even so, she’s had plenty of chances (10) and while she ran well in those last 2 outings it’s not as if she was a real factor in the final furlong in either as she was beaten 5 and 3 1/4 lengths, respectively. -Michael Hammersly
| Reyna de Colima |
| The only beginner in the field and has been working locally with a couple of decent moves of late; would want to see some tote action and a good appearance. |
| Here Comes Bobbie |
| Hard to get too enthused about this gal off those last two brake jobs and will likely get plenty of pressure from the class-dipping speedster Bellanza. |
| Swiss Heart |
| Has been in the trifecta in 6 of the 10 outings, but hasn't been able to get across the needed punch; her figures looms large with this group, however, and she gets the chance to race over her home base for the first time. |
| Charger Girl |
| This will be her 17th stab and things do not seem to be in the improve; looking elsewhere for first few placings. |
| Bellanza |
| Speed and fade in the first two trie for this Kruljac trainee, but those were much tougher fields and that zip could carry her a lot longer with this group, possibily all the way to the winner's circle. |
| Ball Park Lady |
| A distant third in the unveiling, then gave way early in the other try while finishing double digits behind Swiss Heart; blinkers go on in attempt to turn things around. |
| Amina Perfect |
| Took a serious class dip when racing over the smaller night oval on May 31 and was no match for the winner, who returned to score again; new barn adds blinks and odds will go up now. |
| La Brisa |
| Managed to pick up the show money last time, but needed binos to find the first pair; always the chance that she'll appreciate the change in venue. |
| Merry Moon |
| Flashed a bit of ability last season, then gave way readily in the comebacker a month ago across town; local trainee is another hoping blinkers prove an asset. |
| Amounted |
| Last 5 outings have come here over the smaller night oval and yet to threaten while earning some minor checks; has to do better. |
| Mayie |
| AE ran races in the first two starts that would put her right in the picture with this group, then had an awkward start in the most recent and tossed in a stinker as the 7-5 chalk; Joe stays put and an apology may be coming if she draws in. |
| Copper Ore |
| AE chased some rocketship through the opening stages of that affair at Turf Paradise in April and had nothing left for the stretch; iffy at best. |