12/18/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Results

Race 6 - # 7 Nextdoorneighbor (Final Odds 2.30) - "A" Selection
Race 7 - The King Glorious - # 1 Ann Arbor Eddie (2.60) - No Selection
Race 8 - # 1 Merilore (1.90*) - "A" Selection
Race 9 - # 5 Iliad (4.20) - "B" Selection

Ann Arbor Eddie took it to our single, # 4 California Diamond (0.40*), from right out of the gate, out-battling that one all the way around the track right to the wire; and in the process turning all our tickets into trash.

Oh well; onto the next race.

Meanwhile, those who had the correct Pick Four sequence of  7 / 1 / 1 / 5  were rewarded with a payout of $175.50 for their fifty cent wager.  May God bless them as they spend their winnings.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

12/18/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Preview

It's the final day of the Blink And You Miss It Meet at Los Alamitos, with The King Glorious Stakes for juvenile California breds serving as Sunday's featured event.  We'll be looking at that contest below, as we take another run at The Late Pick Four at Orange County's own Los Alamitos Race Course.

RACE 6 - Alw 12500s - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 7 Nextdoorneighbor (Morning Line 2-1)

B’s

# 1 Ultimate Luck (ML 5-2)
# 5 Accelerant (ML 3-1)

C's

# 2 Eleven Zip (ML 12-1)
# 3 Jackson Sundown (ML 8-1)

Note for future reference that there is no lifetime Win restriction for entrants in this contest, as is frequently the case in SoCal Starter Allowances.  Rather, this one is for runners that have started for a claiming price of $12.5k or less either this year or last, and have not won a Claiming, Starter, or Optional Claiming race in excess of $12.5k since.

Nextdoorneighbor is back in Trainer Peter Miller's barn, being re-claimed after having been claimed away from Miller two starts ago.  Nextdoorneighbor has won six of his last seven starts with Peter Miller as his conditioner.

Ultimate Luck missed victory by just a neck at this class level two starts back over this track.  Accelerant could improve with the return to two turn racing.  Eleven Zip is trained by Blaine Wright, who often enjoys success when moving his runners off the grass.  Jackson Sundown has finished in the Trifecta five of the six times that he has competed over this track.

RACE 7 - [S] The King Glorious $100k - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 4 California Diamond (1-1)

B's

None

C's

None

Scratch # 2 Mr Ability

California Diamond has yet to finish out of the Exacta in eight career races, all but his debut against stakes competition.  California Diamond is Graded Stakes placed, having played second fiddle behind Mastery in the Grade 3 Bob Hope.  In my opinion California Diamond is a deserving single; so if he loses, this play loses.

RACE 8 - (F) Alw 25000s - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 1 Merilore (ML 9-2)
# 4 Lob City (ML 5-1)
# 10 Margie's Minute (ML 7-2)

B’s

# 3 Backintheacademy (ML 8-1)

C's

# 7 Melanistic (ML 12-1)

Like Race 6 above, there is no lifetime Win restriction for entrants in this contest, as is frequently the case in SoCal Starter Allowances.  Rather, this one is for fillies and mares that have started for a claiming price of $25k or less either this year or last, and have not won a Claiming, Starter, or Optional Claiming race in excess of $25k since.

Merilore missed victory by less than a length against $25k Claimers at Churchill Downs the last time that she competed on dirt.  Lob City has shown a steadily improving form since joining the barn of Trainer Gary Sherlock.  Margie's Minute was victorious last time out over Lob City and next out winner Midnight Candy.

Backintheacademy certainly fits well here on class despite a penchant for settling for too many minor awards.  Melanistic could contend if she can return to the form that she showed earlier this year.

RACE 9 - MSW - Six Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 8 Caustic (ML 5-2)
# 9 Stone Hands (ML 3-1)

B's

# 1 Momma's Baby Boy (ML 20-1)
# 2 The Party Factor (ML 10-1)
# 4 Menace the Dennis (ML 5-1)
# 5 Iliad (ML 5-1)
# 12 Kimbear (ML 8-1)

C's

None

Scratch # 10 First Degree Burn (No Line)

Caustic is a first time starter for Trainer Phil D'Amato that has been working well over this main track.  Stone Hands has finished in the Trifecta in each of his two career starts.  Momma's Baby Boy, a first time starter for Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, is out of a dam that has seen eight of her prior foals get their picture taken.

The Party Factor has shown good early speed in each of his two career starts.  Menace the Dennis flashed some early speed in his debut last time out, and has been working well over this main track.

Iliad showed good early speed for Trainer Bob Baffert in his debut last time out.  Kimbear's bullet work over the Santa Anita main track last Sunday suggests that he should do well with the surface switch.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 7 with 4 with 1,4,10 with 8,9 $6.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 1,5,7 with 4 with 1,3,4,10 with 1,2,4,5,8,9,12 $42.00

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 2,3 with 4 with 1,4,10 with 8,9 $6.00

$0.50 P4: 7 with 4 with 7 with 8,9 $1.00

Total: $55.00

Post Time for Race 6 is 5:58 EST / 2:58 PST.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

12/17/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Results

Race 6 - # 5 Forest Blue (Final Odds 0.80*) - "B" Selection
Race 7 - # 4 Americanize (0.70*) - "A" Selection
Race 8 - # 1 Hoffenheim (2.80) - "B" Selection
Race 9 - The Winter Challenge - # 10 California Chrome (0.10*) - "A" Selection

When the "price" horse in the sequence is a 5-2 second choice; when three of the four winners are odds-on Favorites; well, the know it ain't gonna pay much.  And so it was today, as the correct Late Pick Four sequence of  5 / 4 / 1 / 10  paid $12.90 for a fifty cent wager.  Since our investment was $40.00, we cash at a loss; and while that definitely beats not cashing at all, it certainly wasn’t what we had in mind when we placed our wagers.

Oh well; onto the next race.

But to be quite honest, it's all good; because today wasn't about us.  Today was a day for the fans of perhaps the greatest "Horse of the People" since Seabiscuit to say goodbye, as California Chrome made what is almost definitely his final California start; and he did so going out in style, winning at the track that he has called home for nearly his entire career by as many as he pleased, with his Chromies cheering him home every step of the way.  Truly a great moment for the sport.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

12/17/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Preview

And so we come to the final Saturday of the Two Weeks Vacation Meet at Los Alamitos; more importantly, we come to the final hometown race for one of the most beloved runners in the game; as California Chrome says goodbye to California, in what is scheduled to be his final race in The Golden State.  We'll be looking at that contest below, as we take another run at The Late Pick Four at Orange County's own Los Alamitos Race Course.

RACE 6 - Clm $25k N2L - Six Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 1 Big Champion (Morning Line 7-2)

B’s

# 2 Jimmy the Juice (ML 8-1)
# 4 Tribal Roar (ML 6-1)
# 5 Forest Blue (ML 5-2)
# 6 Big Energy (ML 6-1)
# 7 Always Never (ML 8-1)

C's

# 3 Red Car Mac (ML 20-1)

# 8 Pete's Play Call (ML 6-1)

# 9 Zarqa Star (ML 15-1)

Scratch # 10 Blue Ridge Mtn (ML 30-1)

Everyone into the pool; or onto the ticket, as the case may be.  Yeah, this one looks pretty wide open to me; mostly because the horse that looks to be clearly the best on paper, Forest Blue, seems determined to avoid the winner's circle at all costs.

Forest Blue was victorious in his debut, and has taken either the Place or Show in nine of his twelve starts since.  This horse obviously did not enjoy getting his picture taken; but he's just too talented in my opinion to leave completely off our big ticket.

Big Champion graduated last time out, but this is not his first time taking on winners; as Big Champion took the Place against Starter Allowance company three starts back while still a maiden.  Tribal Roar drops back into a class level where he has proven to be competitive.  Big Energy took the Place against Starter Allowance company two starts back.

Red Car Mac is on the ticket because everyone else is.  Always Never removes the hood; Trainer Mike Puype tends to do well when making this move.  Pete's Play Call could improve going second off the freshening.  Zarqa Star could get a nice tracking trip from the widest post.

RACE 7 - MSW - Six Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 4 Americanize (ML 5-2)

B's

# 6 Gotnoquit (ML 6-1)

# 10 Lord Simba (ML 3-1)

C's

None

Scratch # 1 Pageau (ML 20-1) and # 8 Blame It On Kenji (ML 20-1)

Americanize, trained by Bob Baffert, took the Place in his debut in front of a next out winner last time out.  Gotnoquit has proven to be competitive at this class level on the grass; and Gotnoquit's bullet work over this track on the first suggests that the neither the surface switch nor the layoff should pose any problems for him today.  Lord Simba, the "other" Baffert, took the Place at this class level over this track in his debut last time out.

RACE 8 - OC 40k/N$Y - Eight Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 4 Indygo Holiday (ML 9-2)

B’s

# 1 Hoffenheim (ML 5-1)

# 2 Curlin Road (ML 5-1)
# 6 Ebadan (Ire) (ML 6-1)

C's

# 8 Terzetto (Brz) (ML 6-1)

Indygo Holiday returns to two turn racing, where he seems to do his best.  Hoffenheim, trained by Bob Baffert, tries winners for the first time, having graduated last time out, in his fifth race as the Post Time Favorite.

Curlin Road took the Place at this approximate class level two starts back.  Ebadan (Ire) gets some much needed class relief.  Terzetto (Brz) has won multiple allowance races in his native Brazil; and besides, it must mean something that his connections are running him on the dirt here rather than waiting for the grass at Santa Anita.

RACE 9 - The Winter Challenge $180k - Eight and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 10 California Chrome (ML 1-5)

B's

None

C's

# 4 Point Piper (ML 6-1)

# 7 Avanti Bello (ML 10-1)

Scratch the Also Eligibles, # 11 Air Pocket (ML 30-1) and # 12 Ground Rules (ML 20-1)

In a stakes that was written specifically for him, California Chrome makes what is expected to be his final California start, as well as his only at his home base track.  Looking at the rest of the field, it's my opinion that California Chrome could walk out of the gate backwards and still stand an excellent chance of winning today.  But, this is horse racing, so we're tossing a couple of backups on the ticket just in case.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 1 with 4 with 4 with 10 $1.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 1,2,4,5,6,7 with 4,6,10 with 1,2,4,6 with 10 $36.00

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 3,8,9 with 4 with 4 with 10 $1.50

$0.50 P4: 1 with 4 with 8 with 10 $0.50

$0.50 P4: 1 with 4 with 4 with 4,7 $1.00

Total: $40.00

Post Time for Race 6 is 5:58 EST / 2:58 PST.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

12/11/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Results

Race 6 - # 1 Hot Rodin (Final Odds 2.00*) - "A" Selection
Race 7 - # 4 Smack Talk (2.20*) - "B" Selection
Race 8 - # 3 Dadtaughtmewell (3.90) - "C" Selection
Race 9 - # 11 Pampers n' Boots (4.80) - "C" Selection

We started well but faded before the wire; as we got an "A" Selection home to begin the sequence, but then watched the second half of the sequence in vain, as runners that we had on our big ticket had to settle for the Place behind two of our "C" Selections.

Oh well; onto the next race.

Meanwhile, those who had the correct Pick Four sequence of  1 / 4 / 3 / 11  were rewarded with a payout of $312.95 for their fifty cent wager.  May God bless them as they spend their winnings.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo

12/11/16 Los Alamitos Race Course Late Pick Four - Preview

We come to the Sunday card for Los Alamitos' opening weekend, and our focus turns to runners that are California bred or sired; as seventy-five percent of the final four races today are restricted to state breds only.  So with that as prelude let's get to it, as we take another run at The Late Pick Four at Orange County's own Los Alamitos Race Course.

RACE 6 - [S] MSW - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 1 Hot Rodin (Morning Line 5-2)
# 5 Sir Studleigh (ML 3-1)

B's

# 3 Am I Blue (ML 4-1)
# 8 Mizter Kool Kat (ML 4-1)

C's

None

This contest for state bred non-claiming maidens is for older horses, those three years old and upward.  The finale, also for state bred non-claiming maidens, is for juveniles.

Sir Studleigh missed graduation by just a neck last time out at this class level, back on Veterans Day, with Hot Roddin taking the Show less than a length behind him.  Am I Blue and Mizter Kool Kat are a pair of first time starters trained by Mike Harrington.  To be honest, I couldn't find much to separate this non-coupled entry; and, based upon the fact that they have identical Morning Line odds, I presume that at least one other person agrees.

RACE 7 - [S] OC 20k/N$Y - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 7 K Thirty Eight (ML 4-1)

B’s

# 2 Eddie's First (ML 5-2)
# 4 Smack Talk (ML 4-1)

C's

# 3 Ultimate Luck (ML 7-2)
# 5 Kenny Benny (ML 10-1)

K Thirty Eight has run well in the past on dirt, and is getting some tremendous class relief here.  Eddie's First and Smack Talk are a pair of recent claims by Trainer Robertino Diodoro who have both run well in the past over this track.

Ultimate Luck fits well with the contenders here but settles for way too many minor awards.  Kenny Benny tries winners for the first time after graduating last time out in front of our two "A" Selections in the opening leg of this sequence.

RACE 8 - Alw 25000s - Eight and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 6 Indygo Bo (ML 5-2)
# 7 Deep Consideration (ML 3-1)

B’s

None

C's

# 2 Mucho Besos (ML 15-1)
# 3 Dadtaughtmewell (ML 4-1)
# 4 Freddies Dream (ML 6-1)

Note for future reference that there is no lifetime Win restriction for entrants in this contest, as is frequently the case in SoCal Starter Allowances.  Rather, this one is for runners that have started for a claiming price of $25k or less either this year or last, and have not won a Claiming, Starter, or Optional Claiming race in excess of $25k since.

Indygo Bo goes first off the claim for Trainer Jonathan Wong, who tends to do well with such.  Deep Consideration was an easy winner versus $25k Claimers last time out, albeit for different connections.

Mucho Besos is coming back from a nearly ten month layoff; and while he may need a race, this looks like a good spot for him to be slotted.  Dadtaughtmewell defeated a next out winner in a $20k Claimer last time out.

Freddies Dream, going first off the claim for Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, is intriguing here.  After claiming Freddies Dream out of a turf race at Del Mar in August, Hollendorfer has Freddies Dream work out on the main dirt track at Santa Anita in September and October,  Freddies Dream is then shipped up north to Golden Gate, where he has been working out over the synthetic surface for the past six weeks.  But instead of finding a spot for Freddies Dream to race on either the Golden Gate main track or its turf course, Hollendorfer has him shipped back down to SoCal to make his first career start on a dirt track in this race.

Why?  I have no idea; but I feel that if the plan when claiming this horse was to run him or dirt, or if running him on dirt was an idea they came up with after seeing him work out, then Freddies Dream would have been left at Santa Anita to keep working there, and not sent to Golden Gate.

Now, Hollendorfer is a great trainer, and Freddies Dream fits here on class; but I'm only going to use this horse as a "C" Selection, because I have to presume that his being in this race is a stop gap measure intended to just get him some work, and that competing on dirt tracks is not what this barn ultimately has planned for this runner.

RACE 9 - [S] MSW - Five and a Half Furlongs Dirt

A’s

# 9 Lil Awecim (ML 5-2)

B's

# 8 Vidaks Back (ML 6-1)
# 10 Potente Alba (ML 3-1)

C's

# 11 Pampers n' Boots (ML 6-1)

Scratch # 1 Cal Cal Li Gowchris (No Line) and # 12 Patience ofa Saint (ML 6-1)

As mentioned above, these are juveniles.  Lil Awecim took the Place at this class level last time out, with Potente Alba taking the Show behind him; both runners were making their career debuts in that contest.  Vidaks Back is a first time starter sired by Tannersmyman, whose progeny tend to do well at first asking.  Pampers n' Boots took the Place in his debut last time out, and may have enough early speed to pull off the step up in class.

OK, that's the analysis.  Playing our tickets in Crist fashion, we get:

All A Entries

$1.00 P4: 1,5 with 7 with 6,7 with 9 $4.00

All A Entries with All B Entries

$0.50 P4: 1,3,5,8 with 2,4,7 with 6,7 with 8,9,10 $36.00

A's with One C

$0.50 P4: 1,5 with 3,5 with 6,7 with 9 $4.00

$0.50 P4: 1,5 with 7 with 2,3,4 with 9 $3.00

$0.50 P4: 1,5 with 7 with 6,7 with 11 $2.00

Total: $49.00

Post Time for Race 6 is 5:58 EST / 2:58 PST.  Good luck to all.

Peace and Love,

Jimbo