Horse Racing Fantasy Community

Chantal Sutherland Says:

Rail Trip will be favored in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Hollywood Park. He captured the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup last year and most recently finished third in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2009. He is coming off a long layoff, but his trainer Ron Ellis can usually get them ready to fire and Rafael Bejarano rides, so he is in good hands. Dakota Phone might be the one to upset the race if Rail Trip proves a little rusty. Although Dakota Phone has never won a graded stakes, he has finished in the money in graded stakes five times including a third place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap this year. Slews Tiznow came in second in the Santana Mile most recently, and is the track record holder for the 1 1/16 mile distance here at Hollywood Park, so if he can return to anything near that record setting performance, which was accomplished in 2008, he will give Rail Trip a run for his money. Cigar Man and Sangaree look to be a cut below. Cigar man has lost to Slew\'s Tiznow two times in a row. Tres Borrachos is one of those horses that sometimes run a huge race, then at other times finish up the track. He did finish to Rail Trip in last years Hollywood Gold Cup, but he has not approached that level of performance recently. Art Currency rounds out the field.