Saturday Horse Plays from Hollywood Park in California

Race-day: 7/18/2009

Race-time: 6:30 pm est.

Before three year old males take to the cushion track for the Grade II Swaps Stakes this Saturday at Santa Anita, fillies and mares three years old and up will strut their stuff in the Grade II A Gleam Stakes.

The Grade II A Gleam will showcase some of the speedier gals at the track. That should be music to ears of horseplayers who no doubt should find a nice overlay in this Grade II sprint.

Let’s take a look at Race 6 at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Hollywood Park – Race 6

Grade II A Gleam Stakes

$150,000

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward

7 furlongs on cushion track

Lady Lumberjack – - 3/1 fair online odds

The daughter of Forestry has 3 victories and 4 second place finishes out of 7 lifetime races. This includes a 2nd in the Grade II Hollywood Oaks to Carlsbad. The biggest thing to like about Lady Lumberjack, besides the fact that Julio Canani trains her, is that she should be in the perfect stalking position behind expected front runners Coco Belle and Cry and Catch Me. If she can get into good position early, and young jockey Michael Baze is patient with her, she could easily turn it on in the stretch and win this Grade II event.

Coco Belle – - 5/2 fair online odds

She’s just a brilliant horse with 7 victories out of 23 lifetime races. She’s also coming off of two straight wins and figures to be the first or second choice in this, but the problem, and it’s a big one, is that the last time, and only time, she ran 7 furlongs she failed miserably. She’s fast and should put away Cry and Catch Me, but she might not have enough to hold off Lady Lumberjack.

Cry and Catch Me – - 5/2 fair online odds

The Bob Baffert trained miss has been absolutely brilliant with 3 victories out of 5 lifetime races. She has enough speed to stick with Coco Belle and could hold off Lady Lumberjack, but her odds will be short and she’s had some physical issues in the past. She’s been working lights out on the cushion track. So there’s a good chance that she goes off the favorite ahead of Coco Belle in this.

Wagering Strategy

I like Lady Lumberjack and will bet her to win and place. I will also bet an exacta with Lady Lumberjack over Cry and Catch Me and Coco Belle. I will reverse for less.