TP R9: Holiday Cheer S.

[Rick B.]

A late, last gasp for a price this year...

#12 River Bear ships in for 2nd try at this stake (decent 2nd last year) but with key jock change. Has numbers to run back to and is in sharp form. Expect more than ML 8-1.

#2 Mathewsburg is the key rival and most likely winner: repeating exact pattern and spacing that yielded stakes win at TP three back. No 9-1 this time, though.

I\'m desperate to beat #5 Hollywood Hit and #6 Conchacer.

Hollywood Hit is a nice 5 year old stakes sprinter that rarely runs a bad one but is showing signs of slowing down -- no finishing punch in his last two even after plenty of rest between starts. Seems to need confidence boost but this race came up tougher than normal for a $50K. Underlay.

Conchacer has been sharp and has reeled off 3 sprint wins: 2 on dirt and one on the fake stuff. As a bonus, regular rider Julio Felix makes the trip to the Florence oval (a 5 hour drive) after riding a full card at Hawthorne today. I wish I could throw him out, but I\'d be doing it out of stubbornness. Contender.

I\'ll box Mathewsburg, Conchacer and River Bear, and bet River Bear WP if 8-1 or more.

[TreadHead]

Excellent call Rick, was the easiest of winners.  Appreciate you sharing this one, I ended a pk3 here with the huge longshot in the race before and am still alive in the pk4, probably wouldn\'t have noticed this horse as much without your post.  Thanks again and happy new year!

[drbillym]

Nice call on the winner, close on exotics.  Rick B. is BACK!  I need the 1 in the 1oth for the DD.