Hollywood: Baffert wins 4, and the one he wanted

Lookin at Lucky won the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on Saturday, his third Grade 1 win of 2009 and arguably his finest.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Lookin at Lucky raced on the inside, just behind pacesetter The Program on the first turn and backstretch. He kept his position on the backstretch, dueled for the lead at the three-eighths pole, took the lead turning for home and held off a late run from Noble's Promise to win the Grade 1 race over 1 1-16 miles by three-quarters of a length. He was timed in 1:43.30.

Trained by Bob Baffert, who won two maiden races earlier in the day and the Stuka Stakes for 2-year-olds, Lookin at Lucky won the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk Stakes earlier this year, and was beaten a head by Vale of York in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last month.

The CashCall Futurity win probably secured the 2-year-old championship for Lookin at Lucky and certainly confirmed that the colt will go into 2010 as the leading California-based 3-year-old.

Noble's Promise ran well in defeat. The pace was slow - 24.03 and 48.30 seconds - and he seems like a horse that wants more ground. 

Hollywood: Baffert has three wins - so far

Trainer Bob Baffert won the second division of a 2-year-old maiden race in Saturday's seventh race at Hollywood Park with the speedy Clutch Player, who led throughout a six-furlong race. He set fractions of 22.17 and 45.06 seconds and won by four lengths over Rauschenberg in 1:08.91.

Earlier in the day, Baffert won a maiden race with Quiet Invader and the Stuka Stakes with Tiz Chrome. Later today, he starts Lookin at Lucky in the CashCall Futurity.

Clutch Player, a first time starter by Malibu Moon, returned $9.80. His frontrunning style was typical of several main track winners on Saturday.

Hollywood: Uffizi wins, but Headache is pulled up

Uffizi won the sixth race for $25,000 claimers on turf at Hollywood Park on Saturday, but the race was marred by an apparent severe injury suffered by Headache, a 6-year-old gelding who was seeking the ninth win of his career.

Uffizi got an ideal trip stalking pacesetters One Shot and Headache through six furlongs in 1:09.18 before rallying from fourth. He has won 7 of 33 starts.

Icemancometh, who finished second, was claimed for $25,000 by Leonard Espinoza.

Fair Grounds: Late Saturday (3 more to go)

No biases.

The main track is definitely playing on the slow side, and that makes She's Our Annie's win in the Esplanade Stakes all the more impressive. She went 5.5 furlongs in 1:03.97, quick on a regular day, notably fast with final times a little slower than par. She's Our Annie now has won five races in a row, and shows a ton of speed without seeming to work at it. Bred to route.

She's Our Annie started a run of four straight short-priced favorites, capped a few minutes ago by Desert Wheat at 4-5 in the La. Champs Day Turf. Star Guitar was the shortest of all, winning easily at $2.40 in the rescheduled Champs Day Classic. He went 1:52.15 for nine furlongs, War Echo 1:52.20 a race later in the Daily Racing Form Stakes. Both looked good, not great, while crushing inferior foes.

Pulpit's Secret, odds-on in race 2 after being DQ'd from a CD MSW sprint win first time out, was a total flop going long, missing the board.

Seven Seventythree went from mid-pack just before the eighth pole to an eight-length winner in the Champs Day Ladies Sprint. Total pace meltdown, and no one behind her ran at all.

Hollywood: Tiz Chrome shines

The lightly-raced 2-year-old Tiz Chrome made a flashy debut in California in Saturday's Stuka Stakes at Hollywood Park, pulling away from five rivals to win the sprint stakes by four lengths.

Tiz Chrome ran 6 1-2 furlongs in a quick 1:14.56, winning in a style that suggest he wants more ground. By Tiznow, the breeding should not be a hindrance.

Domonation ran a game second, rallying from fifth on a track that may not be suited to closers.

CALDER: Overlay

Although she'd won two straight and beaten much the same kind in her previous start, Sailing Time was somehow allowed to go postward a generous 4-1 in Saturday's feature. An overlay for sure especially the way the red hot filly cruised to an easy victory under jockey Manoel Cruz who had her in hand for the final 70 yards after she whistled by pace setter Labadeel near midstretch. The victory was the third on the card for Cruz who continues to battle Eibar Coa for the Tropical riding title.  Coa, meanwhile, did not give the backers of La Chica Sensual much of a chance after the idled filly broke a step slow and dropped nearly a dozen lengths off the pace in the run down the backstretch. Coa pretty much just guided the 3-year-old around safely through the final 2.5 furlongs in her first start since October of '08.

Hollywood: What kind of day will Baffert have?

Trainer Bob Baffert got his Saturday off to a good start at Hollywood Park on Saturday when the second-time starter Quiet Invader ($3) won a six-furlong maiden race by two lengths, in 1:08.98. The colt is by Songandaprayer.

Baffert could have a big day on Saturday. Later, he starts favored Lookin at Lucky in the CashCall Futurity, attempting to win a third Grade 1 win of the year with the exciting 2-year-old.

Baffert also starts Tiz Chrome in the fourth race, the Stuka Stakes, and the maiden Clutch Player in the seventh race.

Hollywood: Hess reclaims Dave's Revenge

Trainer Bob Hess, Jr. reclaimed Dave's Revenge from Saturday's first race at Hollywood Park, but he had to pay a premium. Hess lost the filly for $16,000 at Del Mar in August, and claimed her for $40,000 on Saturday.

Dave's Revenge, a winner of 3 of 15 starts, finished second to Gumption in an optional claimer over 1 1-16 miles. After Hess lost Dave's Revenge to Peter Miller, she was claimed for $25,000 on Aug. 29 by Jerry Hollendorfer, who trained her until Saturday's race.

Gumption was timed in 1:43.10, winning by three-quarters of a length. This was her first start over 1 1-16 miles, after running in sprints and needing 11 races to beat maidens. Trained by Bruce Headley, Gumption has won two consecutive starts, and seems well suited to longer races.

CALDER: Catching up

More than half way through the card but just catching up now. Had to get Monday column and analysis into snowbound colleagues in New York a little earlier  than normal today to beat the big storm.

 As predicted, the headwind down the backstretch has really hurt speed horses with the lone front end survivor the ridiculously game Frosty Thunder who survived a race long battle to win to the tune of a $138.60 mutuel. His cause was aided when apprentice Luis Saez got himself completely trapped in behind horses along the rail with the loaded for bear Prettywonderanna L. who steadied several times before settling for third once clear. She'll go next time, likely at Gulfstream, for her new trainer Peter Walder off the claim.

 Saez also had Forty Nine Acres blocked behind runners in early stretch in the following race but extricated himself in time to get the favorite up in time to catch Pletcher firster Five Fifty Five. Both Vantaggio and Mined took money for their debuts but lost all chance when breaking poorly.

  After being blanked over the first six races, my analysis finally had a winner on top when 7-1 outsider Longlastinglove rallied three wide to the lead turning for home then withstood Palzee Walzee who hung late from along the rail. Odds on Witch Princess cruised to an easy lead along the rail but stopped to a walk in the third of the four races switched from the turf to the main track.

Fair Grounds: Saturday conditions (post race 1 :>/ )

Saturday conditions:
Main track fast
Turf yielding (rail 12 feet out) - only the Bonapaw Stakes (race 5) and the Champions Day Turf (race 10) are on turf; all other grass races moved to dirt

For all program changes, go here:

http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/racing-handicapping/program-changes

Sunny, 54 degrees
Northwest wind (cross/tail) 10-15 mph

Tupelo Playboy, the 4-5 favorite, just won the opener, an off-the-turf La-bred MSW sprint, with a perfect pressin trip. Five and one-half furlongs in 1:06.39 seems slow, but perhaps these were just slow LA-bred maidens.

We've got another 4-5 shot in race 2, Cecil Borel-trained Pulpit's Secret, who was DQ'd from an MSW win at Churchill. Tupelo Playboy I didn't even like to win, but Pulpit's Secret looks like a potential standout to these eyes.