Hollywood Park trends

[Dana666]

The main track seems to be coming apart again. Any horse on the outside paths turning for home has a distinct disadvantage as the ground comes out from under them and they slip and slide into oblivion. Inside is the only way to go,and speed has been decent, but it\'s more a factor of being inside, I think. Keep this in mind in the last few weeks of the meet. Usually the track holds together a little longer than it has this time around, but it is completely shot right now, even dangerous, I sincerely hope no one dies! The wax needs to be added, but I don\'t think they\'ll be doing any maintenance until the meet is over.

Interestingly, Bob Baffert\'s runners seem to be falling apart as well. He was so hot for a while there Del Mar through Santa Anita, but for whatever reason, his horses are dead. Doug O\'Neil, too, a perennial leading trainer at Hollywood is firing all blanks right now. Mike Smith (I\'m not a Mike Smith basher either) has been riding horribly, like he\'s not even in the race mentally for any part of it. He looks so bad on a horse right now, it is unbelievable. I don\'t know what\'s up with him, if anything? He\'s almost a complete throw out, and he\'s been on many odds-on favorites, too. Gomez and Tyler Baze are out, so other lesser known jocks are taking advantage, like Felipe Valdez, he\'s solid and has been paying huge prices. Look for the little guys to step up or consider this meeting the Los Al at Hollywood Park meeting! If you all see anything else let me know.

[Ill-bred]

Based on my admittedly limited action at Hollywood, the turf course seems to be playing to its usual bias -- inside and close to the pace.