Hollywood Gold Cup scouting report
Saturday, July 11, Hollywood Park
The Low-Down: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't writing this piece without a little melancholy; this will probably be the last Hollywood Gold Cup to ever run. All reports indicate that the demise of the storied Hollywood Park racetrack is eminent. The 70-year history of the Hollywood Gold Cup, which was first won by a horse you may have heard of named Seabiscuit, is about as storied as any race in this history of the sport. Other greats included Citation, Swaps, Round Table, Gallant Man, Native Diver and Cigar. No, this year there aren't any participants that can be spoken in the same zip code as the names just mentioned, but it's a still a solid field of 13 with, most importantly, some good wagering opportunity.
Our Eyes: Trainer Bobby Frankel brings back defending champ MAST TRACK, but he looks like he might need a form reversal to be a contender to repeat. Trainer Doug O'Nell has won this race 4 times in the last 7 years and sends out former claimer INFORMED, who upset the field in the Gold Cup's last major prep (The Californian) and is following a similar pattern with ex-claimers he won this race with in the past like Lava Man and Sky Jack.
Most intriguing might be the presence of a filly named LIFE IS GOOD, who finished second to her stablemate Zenyatta, maybe the best horse in training right now! Other strong contenders include DAKOTA PHONE for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who has run well in his last pair over this track; RAIL TRIP, who was upset by INFORMED as the 2-1 favorite in the Californian; and shipper PARADING for Shug McGaughey, who ran a very game second on Preakness day in the Dixie Stakes.
The Bottom Line: As always, the pace situation is going to play a big factor in the outcome of this race. For that reason, I think it sets up well for the filly LIFE IS GOOD and her red-hot trainer John Shirreffs -- winning at an amazing 30 percent for the meeting. She closed ground strongly in the Milady, only to get run down by Zenyatta. Top jock Garrett Gomez returns to the irons for the fifth straight time. I'm looking for the shipper PARADING to also get a very good trip from off the pace and I'll throw RAIL TRIP in there as well. I like this horse a lot, but I'm just not convinced he's cut out to run the classic distances. My play is an exacta and trifecta box of LIFE IS GOOD, PARADING and RAIL TRIP. Good luck in the Hollywood Gold Cup!
For more on this weekend's Arlington Million Preview Day card, please join Horseplayer PRO handicappers Joe Kristufek and Brian Spencer for a live chat Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at Horseplayerpro.com.
Horseplayer PRO Alerts - live "horses to watch" e-mailed to your inbox every morning. This service is a simulcast player's dream. For a free one-week trial, e-mail us at staff@horseplayerpro.com.
Get more handicapping picks, analysis and tools at Horseplayerpro.com!
