BOTH THE MATRIARCH and HOLLYWOOD DERBY

[Claimboxx]

Were extremely roughly run, troubled races..

Here are the Trip Notes I wrote

8102 - 5TH: 1 mile FM (t) 23.35 46.09 1:09.76 1:21.95 1:34.18 V +4 AR=113 PR=114rt 3+WSTAKESGF
Shipping in from the East Coast for Albertrani, BETTER LUCKY, who was just beaten by DAYATTHESPA in the Queen Elizabeth II last time out, turned the tables on that foe in a big way here, taking the Matriarch at 35/1 under Eddie Castro. The Ghostzapper homebred tracked inside, was steadied a bit and forced out when ‘SPA propped and nearly lost the rider nearing the backstretch, moved into a tracking spot off the runaway leader midway down the backside, began to edge closer leaving the far turn, rallied in the stretch, hit the front past midstretch, kicked away deep stretch, held off the runner-up. Par rating, she will be kept in training and race in 2013. TIZ FLIRTATIOUS lacked speed inside, was forced out entering the backside, recovered and angled back to the rail down the backside, got shuffled back and lost position early on the far turn, cut the corner into the lane, Bejarano tried to angle her and couldn’t near midstretch, had to keep her inside and wait then came out past midstretch (by that time the winner had first run), rallied well the final 1/16th, too late. With a better trip, she is right there. SUMMER SOIREE set a measured early pace, opened up when her pace adversary propped onto the backside, had a commanding lead past the half-mile pole, saw her advantage diminish in the stretch, collared and passed past midstretch, outrun, held third. FUTURE GENERATION pulled her way into a stalking spot two-deep early, was in closest attendance to the runaway leader inside down the backside, moved closer in the lane, came off the rail with dead aim upper stretch, flattened out the final furlong, hung for the show. Favored DAYATTHESPA stalked close up inside early, appeared to jump shadows, propped and nearly hit the rail as Castellano barely stayed on leaving the first turn and onto the backside, regained her stride but lost position to race midpack inside, hard urged around the far turn, came out into the lane, angled further out midstretch, no rally. Considering what happened, she ran well to be this close. Classy Euro import EMULOUS didn’t appear to handle the shipping as well as she appeared light and dull in the paddock, broke slowly, had one beat early then was forced out onto the backside, remained well back outside then between horses around the far turn, came three-wide into the stretch, offered nothing. STAR BILLING was another that was forced out onto the backside while racing well off the pace, three-deep around the far turn, came four-wide for the drive, nothing. VAMO A GALUPIAR trailed badly throughout.
1. BETTER LUCKY 114 rt (+) 5. DAYATTHESPA 106 rt (+++)
2. TIZ FLIRTATIOUS 112 rt (++) 6. EMULOUS-GB 104 rt (Lx) (+)
3. SUMMER SOIREE 108 rt 7. STAR BILLING 102 rt (+)
4. FUTURE GENERATION-IR 107 rt 8. VAMO A GALUPIAR-CH 89 rt

8106 - 9TH: 1 1/4m FM (t) 24.32 47.91 1:12.44 1:36.86 2:01.07 V +0 AR=116 PR=112rt 3-WSTAKESGC
Fourteen horses over the Hollywood Park turf course led to a very rough running of the Hollywood Derby, but New York invader UNBRIDLED COMMAND, shipping west for Thomas Bush, unleashed a huge turn of foot to score well under Castellano. The Master Command colt settled inside then came out off heels leaving the first turn, raced well back between horses then in the clear down the backside, showed a quick turn of foot to pass horses around the far turn and into the lane, hit the front upper stretch, scampered away passing midstretch, well clear deep stretch, held off the runner-up. Subpar rating, but the gray has won five in a row and should be among the elite turf horses next year. Favored GRANDEUR trailed badly inside, came out six-wide while still last into the lane, passed horses in the middle of the course through the drive, had too much to do to catch the winner, up for second. He ran well, Gomez gave him an awful lot to do. LUCKY CHAPPY had only GRANDEUR beat down the backside, came out leaving the far turn, wide-wide into the stretch, rallied into second late, outfinished near the wire for the place. Euro filly RJWA raced midpack between horses then one off the rail down the backside, was between and behind horses in a difficult spot leaving the far turn then steadied a bit in tight while waiting behind horses nearing the stretch, angled down to the fence nearing midstretch (did not come out for the drive as stated in the charts), even along the rail the final furlong. POWER FOOT lagged far off the pace, four-wide around the far turn, was fanned out even wider into the stretch, one paced in the lane. Look for Mandella to drop him into a NW1X soon. SUMMER FRONT raced well back outside, three-deep into and around the far turn, had to steady when forced out wider to drop further back into the stretch, couldn’t recover. MY BEST BROTHER stalked by the stands the first time then moved up to set the pace into the first turn and down the backside, collared by the winner into the stretch, outrun upper stretch, faded readily the final furlong. ALL SQUARED AWAY tracked three-deep, between horses around the far turn, was forced out in tight into the lane, no rally. BIG BANE THEORY tracked inside, steadied hard in tight and nearly went down as SPEAKING OF WHICH tried to go through a very tight hole and was unable to get through nearing the stretch, lost all chance, not persevered with in the drive. He would have been much closer. HANDSOME MIKE moved up to stalk the pace two-deep early then between horses down the backside and around the far turn, outrun into the lane, stopped. GOLDEN TICKET led early then relinquished command and stalked inside down the backside, within range leaving the far turn, outrun the final furlong. SMART ELLIS lacked speed inside, checked leaving the first turn, well back down the backside, came out around the far turn, steadied between horses in traffic then was fanned out wide into the lane, no chance from then on. He seems to always find trouble. GENERAL LOGAN stalked the pace, was put to a drive three-wide into and around the far turn, steadied and was forced out between horses while all done nearing the stretch, fell apart. SPEAKING OF WHICH stalked between horses, appeared to have a lot of run and tried to squeeze through a very tight hole nearing the stretch, took up sharply and nearly went down causing several horses to check, dropped back to last, was not persevered with. Put a line through this race.
1. UNBRIDLED COMMAND 112 rt (+) 8. ALL SQUARED AWAY 104 rt (+)
2. GRANDEUR-IR 110 rt 9. BIG BANE THEORY 100 rt (+++)
3. LUCKY CHAPPY-IR 110 rt 10. HANDSOME MIKE 99 rt (Boff)
4. RJWA-IR 106 rt (+) 11. GOLDEN TICKET 97 rt
5. POWER FOOT 104 rt 12. SMART ELLIS 92 rt (++)
6. SUMMER FRONT 104 rt (++) 13. GENERAL LOGAN 85 rt
7. MY BEST BROTHER 104 rt 14. SPEAKING OF WHICH-IR 65 rt (+++)

[Hollywoodmike]

I thought Tiz Flirtatious should have been closer up from her rail position with the Euro next to her breaking slowly. Tiz
had never run a half mile in over 46 seconds and had just completed a win down the hillside turf course in one of the
fastest times of the autumn meet (1:11 and change). Suffice to say we all know who the rider was without a planned
trip once again. I won't divulge the name of the jock but his initials are R.B.

[Goofonroof]

Boxx does a very good job with his trip notes. Believe me. It's a lot of work.

[Claimboxx]

Boxx does a very good job with his trip notes. Believe me. It's a lot of work.

Thank you Vic, very kind of you to say...These two races were a lot of work, there was a lot of trouble, some very flagrant, other a little more subtle...However, I am sure calling a fourteen horse field live is a lot more difficult than me analyzing fourteen horses trips AFTER the race has been run...

It seemed in your call of the Matriarch that you wanted to talk about the favorite propping, trying to figure out what happened then realizing, in midstream you might be talking about it so much that you were missing the other horses and quickly went back to your call...and then in the Hollywood Derby when Speaking of Which was trying to go through that hole (that may or may not have existed) and racking up the field, it occured as the winner was in the midst of his powerful rally, as a caller, you are probably torn between calling the winner and spotting the trouble.

[Goofonroof]

Boxx does a very good job with his trip notes. Believe me. It's a lot of work.

Thank you Vic, very kind of you to say...These two races were a lot of work, there was a lot of trouble, some very flagrant, other a little more subtle...However, I am sure calling a fourteen horse field live is a lot more difficult than me analyzing fourteen horses trips AFTER the race has been run...

It seemed in your call of the Matriarch that you wanted to talk about the favorite propping, trying to figure out what happened then realizing, in midstream you might be talking about it so much that you were missing the other horses and quickly went back to your call...and then with Speaking of Which trying to go through that hole and racking up the field, it occured as the winner was in the midst of his powerful rally, as a caller, you are probably torn between calling the winner and spotting the trouble.

Many times that's a tough juggle. In that case I didn't see Speaking of Which's trouble until I was watching the replay thereby making the decision much easier.

[Nittz]

I thought Tiz Flirtatious should have been closer up from her rail position with the Euro next to her breaking slowly. Tiz
had never run a half mile in over 46 seconds and had just completed a win down the hillside turf course in one of the
fastest times of the autumn meet (1:11 and change). Suffice to say we all know who the rider was without a planned
trip once again. I won't divulge the name of the jock but his initials are R.B.

Nothing wrong with the ride at all.

[Hollywoodmike]

I thought Tiz Flirtatious should have been closer up from her rail position with the Euro next to her breaking slowly. Tiz
had never run a half mile in over 46 seconds and had just completed a win down the hillside turf course in one of the
fastest times of the autumn meet (1:11 and change). Suffice to say we all know who the rider was without a planned
trip once again. I won't divulge the name of the jock but his initials are R.B.

Nothing wrong with the ride at all.

Placed where he had no chance to win. Let the winner get first run on him while rider was dicking around in the back.

[Hollywoodmike]

There are three types of riders: Riders who make things happen ( currently Tyler Baze, PVal when he was at his best,
Dominguez, etc.), riders who wait for things to happen (classic Bejarano right now who justifiably was taken off
Baffert mounts) and riders who asked what happened (90 % of the rest of the riders)?

[Nittz]

Baze is not anywhere near the planet to Bejarano. Gave the horse every chance to win came a little short out ran his odds. If I took your analogy I could make a complaint about every ride that every rider does every race

[Southieboy]

I wonder how much longer before Bejarano is reduced to the 2nd or 3rd call for Baffert behind Talamo and Garcia or outright gone from the barn?