Dakota Phone gets the call to ring up Hollywood Gold Cup victory
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Dakota Phone gets the call to ring up Hollywood Gold Cup victory
By: Joe Freda | reload.mysbrforum.com
Seabiscuit was the first to win the Hollywood Gold Cup, and in today's 70th running of the prestigious event in Inglewood, CA, Dakota Phone looks to become the most recent winner.
Get out the shades and your favorite director’s chair as it’s time for sunlight, cameras, and action with a field of 13 taking the stage in the Hollywood Gold Cup going 1-1/4 miles. This is one of the top races of the summer and one of the West Coast’s biggest in the entire racing year. A big field like this provides a lot of value and money will be flowing in day and night as stars and racing fans alike come out for this one.
The field is led by the morning line favorite, Parading (#5), who has two solid wins in a row coming into this one with both being at 1-1/8 miles. But most of the racing in Parading’s lifetime has been on turf and I think bettors out there should be hesitant to back a low-priced favorite now having to go 1-/14 miles on the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park. While Parading enjoyed success at tracks in the east recently, coming to the west coast is a whole different story and I think the only parade that Parading will be a part of is one that does not involve finishing in the money. So look for those place, show, and exotic prices to possibly light up a little here.
Another lower-priced horse I am avoiding today is Rail Trip (#8). Although you can tell trainer Ronald Ellis has gotten him running longer distances than when first starting out, all of the wins Rail Trip has had were going gate to wire in the lead. Performing that at the lengthy distance of 1-1/4 miles is much easier said than done and especially difficult against better competition. Rail Trip certainly has the speed to stay out in the lead long enough to finish in the money, but I see some others passing him in the stretch. He may even go off at less than the morning line odds of 5-1 due to dominating the California circuit and that is where a good chunk of the betting action will be coming in from. It has only been recently that he has faced better competition who shipped in for the bigger races and I could easily see him having an awful day against this field looking for the big paychecks.
Three Going for the Gold
My choice to win the Hollywood Gold Cup is Dakota Phone (#6) with Rafael Bejarano aboard and I find the 6-1 morning line odds to have good value. Bejarano just won his 2000th race at Hollywood Park on Thursday and is just who I would want aboard in a showcase distance race like this. He has been in the saddle for Dakota Phone’s last four starts which have included two third place finishes in a row at Hollywood which featured hitting speed figures of 100 and 104 in those efforts. This included an impressive closing effort going from 8th place to the money last month in The Californian prepping for today’s race.
Unlike Parading, it is also clear that Dakota Phone is very use to the synthetic surface and this should bring an easier time in going the longer 1-1/4 miles today than most others in the field will have. Dakota Phone has also had a few wide trips lately and with better positioning at this distance should be able to close nicely heading for the finish line. The right combination of everything is here and hopefully we will see even higher than 6-1 odds since the public may be reluctant to back a horse with a win ticket who has not tasted victory in eight months but has clearly stayed solid throughout that time.
A couple of other contenders that I like to finish in the money are Bullsbay (#4) and Life Is Sweet (#10). Bullsbay has had four of his last five starts at 1-1/8 miles and when getting ready to go 1 ΒΌ miles, there is no substitute for getting work in at the long distances. Although these efforts were not on the synthetic surface, he was a winner on that type of track at Del Mar last year in a one mile race and also finished in the money last fall at Keeneland where it is also used. With Bullsbay coming off a 4th place effort in his most recent race, the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, it likely causes a little extra value here and being 8-1 in the morning line instead of less. With going four-wide in that race, I will take my chances he gets a better trip here and will maintain all of the right ingredients that I am counting on for a good performance today.
Life Is Sweet is paying fairly low odds at a morning line of 9-2 but even at that price, I feel inclined to include him among my top three. Earlier this year, he came off a long layoff to win three straight big races at Santa Anita with two being at 1-1/8 miles. He closed solidly in all three of those efforts which shows he should have enough to handle even more distance today. Several of those races even had him going four wide at the end, but Garrett Gomez being very familiar with the west coast tracks was able to guide him on to victory. A recent speed figure of 105 on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita shows that he has the same kind of speed as Rail Bird but can pack the closing kick instead of having to stay out in front the whole way.
The Royal Heroine Mile Stakes
In case anyone needs to chase some losses on the Hollywood Gold Cup or did not get to this article quite in time, I also wanted to include some selections for the Royal Heroine Mile Stakes on Hollywood’s card. This will take place about an hour after the Hollywood Gold Cup concludes and features fillies and mares going 1 mile on the turf.
One of the bigger contenders in the race is Gotta Have Her (#6) and is my selection to win the race at a morning line of 7-2 odds. She just went a mile on the Hollywood turf last month and closed nicely in a second place finish going four wide. If a better trip comes today, she should get her picture taken.
Two horses paying higher odds worth a look in this one are Patricia’s Gem (#2) and Zardana (#1) at morning lines of 6-1 and 12-1, respectively. Patricia’s Gem has won two in a row at a mile on the Hollywood turf going gate to wire in both and will be carrying four pounds less than her last victory while keeping Victor Espinoza aboard. Zardana had an impressive victory back in May at Hollywood after drawing the rail and gets that post here again here at a bigger price.
Good luck to everyone on Saturday and check back next weekend as we head back to the east coast for the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs!
Dakota Phone gets the call to ring up Hollywood Gold Cup victory
By: Joe Freda | reload.mysbrforum.com
Seabiscuit was the first to win the Hollywood Gold Cup, and in today's 70th running of the prestigious event in Inglewood, CA, Dakota Phone looks to become the most recent winner.
Get out the shades and your favorite director’s chair as it’s time for sunlight, cameras, and action with a field of 13 taking the stage in the Hollywood Gold Cup going 1-1/4 miles. This is one of the top races of the summer and one of the West Coast’s biggest in the entire racing year. A big field like this provides a lot of value and money will be flowing in day and night as stars and racing fans alike come out for this one.
The field is led by the morning line favorite, Parading (#5), who has two solid wins in a row coming into this one with both being at 1-1/8 miles. But most of the racing in Parading’s lifetime has been on turf and I think bettors out there should be hesitant to back a low-priced favorite now having to go 1-/14 miles on the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park. While Parading enjoyed success at tracks in the east recently, coming to the west coast is a whole different story and I think the only parade that Parading will be a part of is one that does not involve finishing in the money. So look for those place, show, and exotic prices to possibly light up a little here.Another lower-priced horse I am avoiding today is Rail Trip (#8). Although you can tell trainer Ronald Ellis has gotten him running longer distances than when first starting out, all of the wins Rail Trip has had were going gate to wire in the lead. Performing that at the lengthy distance of 1-1/4 miles is much easier said than done and especially difficult against better competition. Rail Trip certainly has the speed to stay out in the lead long enough to finish in the money, but I see some others passing him in the stretch. He may even go off at less than the morning line odds of 5-1 due to dominating the California circuit and that is where a good chunk of the betting action will be coming in from. It has only been recently that he has faced better competition who shipped in for the bigger races and I could easily see him having an awful day against this field looking for the big paychecks.
Three Going for the Gold
My choice to win the Hollywood Gold Cup is Dakota Phone (#6) with Rafael Bejarano aboard and I find the 6-1 morning line odds to have good value. Bejarano just won his 2000th race at Hollywood Park on Thursday and is just who I would want aboard in a showcase distance race like this. He has been in the saddle for Dakota Phone’s last four starts which have included two third place finishes in a row at Hollywood which featured hitting speed figures of 100 and 104 in those efforts. This included an impressive closing effort going from 8th place to the money last month in The Californian prepping for today’s race.
Unlike Parading, it is also clear that Dakota Phone is very use to the synthetic surface and this should bring an easier time in going the longer 1-1/4 miles today than most others in the field will have. Dakota Phone has also had a few wide trips lately and with better positioning at this distance should be able to close nicely heading for the finish line. The right combination of everything is here and hopefully we will see even higher than 6-1 odds since the public may be reluctant to back a horse with a win ticket who has not tasted victory in eight months but has clearly stayed solid throughout that time.
A couple of other contenders that I like to finish in the money are Bullsbay (#4) and Life Is Sweet (#10). Bullsbay has had four of his last five starts at 1-1/8 miles and when getting ready to go 1 ΒΌ miles, there is no substitute for getting work in at the long distances. Although these efforts were not on the synthetic surface, he was a winner on that type of track at Del Mar last year in a one mile race and also finished in the money last fall at Keeneland where it is also used. With Bullsbay coming off a 4th place effort in his most recent race, the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, it likely causes a little extra value here and being 8-1 in the morning line instead of less. With going four-wide in that race, I will take my chances he gets a better trip here and will maintain all of the right ingredients that I am counting on for a good performance today.
Life Is Sweet is paying fairly low odds at a morning line of 9-2 but even at that price, I feel inclined to include him among my top three. Earlier this year, he came off a long layoff to win three straight big races at Santa Anita with two being at 1-1/8 miles. He closed solidly in all three of those efforts which shows he should have enough to handle even more distance today. Several of those races even had him going four wide at the end, but Garrett Gomez being very familiar with the west coast tracks was able to guide him on to victory. A recent speed figure of 105 on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita shows that he has the same kind of speed as Rail Bird but can pack the closing kick instead of having to stay out in front the whole way.
The Royal Heroine Mile Stakes
In case anyone needs to chase some losses on the Hollywood Gold Cup or did not get to this article quite in time, I also wanted to include some selections for the Royal Heroine Mile Stakes on Hollywood’s card. This will take place about an hour after the Hollywood Gold Cup concludes and features fillies and mares going 1 mile on the turf.
One of the bigger contenders in the race is Gotta Have Her (#6) and is my selection to win the race at a morning line of 7-2 odds. She just went a mile on the Hollywood turf last month and closed nicely in a second place finish going four wide. If a better trip comes today, she should get her picture taken.
Two horses paying higher odds worth a look in this one are Patricia’s Gem (#2) and Zardana (#1) at morning lines of 6-1 and 12-1, respectively. Patricia’s Gem has won two in a row at a mile on the Hollywood turf going gate to wire in both and will be carrying four pounds less than her last victory while keeping Victor Espinoza aboard. Zardana had an impressive victory back in May at Hollywood after drawing the rail and gets that post here again here at a bigger price.
Good luck to everyone on Saturday and check back next weekend as we head back to the east coast for the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs!