The undefeated Rail Trip looks to extend his win streak in Hollywood Park’s Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (gr. II) on Saturday. The $150,000 race has drawn a short field of six, and Rail Trip will be a clear favorite. The gelded son of Jump Start took was unveiled in a Hollywood maiden race in November, and that win led to an allowance over the same strip in December. Trainer Ron Ellis moved the horse steadily through the available conditions, taking a non winners of two and then another allowance before winning the Santana Mile by a nose on April 4th. That narrow victory is deceiving, as jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. eased up on Rail Trip, unaware that Dakota Phone was charging from behind to just miss.
Dakota Phone is the second choice in this race and has a CASE rating of 99.79. The four-year-old gelding by Zavata has won four times in sizteen starts, most recently in November’s Forty Niner Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. Prior to that effort, Dakota Phone won a Hollywood Park allowance going the same mile and one sixteenth distance as today’s race. Rafael Bejarano has the call for Jerry Hollendorfer.
The CASE choice in here is Fire Wood with a rating of 100.00. At twelve to one morning line, Fire Wood may be worth a play. The son of Woodman finished fourth in the Tokyo City Handicap in March, and is a hard knocking campaigner who has a strange record of thirty eight starts, four wins, and fourteen seconds. Fire Wood has never won at Hollywood, but had a bullet six furlong workout here on April 26.
Ball Four is the eldest in the field at eight years of age, and is coming off one of the more disappointing efforts in his career. Before finishing ninth in January’s San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II), Ball Four ran third in the Native Diver at Hollywood, and won Keeneland’s Fayette (gr. III). After a brief stint with Todd Pletcher, Ball Four has been transferred back to the barn of Patrick Biancone.
Aggie Engineer and Unusual Suspect round out the small field. Aggie Engineer is a four-year-old son of E Dubai trained by Patrick Gallagher, who has guided this gelding through three wins in six lifetime starts. Unusual Suspect, unraced since finishing third in the Sunshine Millions Turf in January, has earned over $622,000 and will get the services of Joel Rosario today.
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Emily Shields is a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
