Whittingham Memorial Handicap
 

Hollywood Park - June 9th, 2007 - Race 10
Charles Whittingham Memorial H. - Grade: 1
Estimated Local Post Time: 4:50 PM
Distance: 10f
Surface: Turf
Post Horse Name Age Weight Jockey

1 After Market (KY) 4 118 Solis
2 Porfido (CHI) 5 114 Espinoza
3 Fitz Flag (ARG) 7 113 Almeida
4 Obrigado (FR) 4 118 Valdivia
5 Lang Field (KY) 4 115 Court
6 Red Fort (IRE) 7 117 Flores
7 Valiant Effort (CA) 4 110 Enriquez
8 Lava Man (CA) 6 124 Nakatani


Two big questions in this one:
1) Will somebody finally beat Lava Man in SoCal?
2) Is there any way Vic can top his ridiculously over-the-top race call from last year?

I know how frustrating it is to continue trying to beat Lava Man in California, but he could be vulernable in this spot, especially being his first since Dubai (I think English Channel is also vulernable at Belmont on Saturday).

Lang Field is going to try and steal this race on the front end, and that may be the only way Lava Man loses. Unless Obrigado fires big, but it would be nice to have Gomez aboard rather than Valvidia Jr.

I don't remember Vic's call on the race from last year? Was it obnoxious?

It was beyond obnoxious.

"He's soaring like an Eagle....LIKE A BALD EAGLE!!!!"

No way he can top that one this year.

Past Performances: http://www.drf.com/row/pps/07charles.pdf

I don't think there is any way Lang Field will wire the field. If Lava Man gets beat, I suspect it will be by Obrigado or After Market.
Betting against Lava Man in Cali however, is not usually a smart proposition. He always runs like a mule away from there, but it never seems to affect him much when he returns home.

Wow, people really have no interest in this race whatsoever!
I guess when you compare the quality of the horses here to some of the races in New York on Saturday.......that makes some sense.

I'll try Red Fort here...what the hey!

third big question...

where's papi chullo? i thought he ran in all these!!

He's running in the Birdstone Stakes (3rd race) at Belmont tomorrow.

the birdstone... they named a race after birdstone?!

I think it's more triple crown wind down. Lava Man is training well, but this is the time for a case of Dubai Flu to show up. If Lava Man wins this and the Hollywood Gold cup his owners will be talking about SHIPPING to ?????????

More shockingly---they actually named a street after his half sibling Bird Town.

I had the exact same reaction. What do you think the over/under is for how long this Stakes will retain it's name? 3 years?

--Dunbar

While I too am a bit surprised that he has a race named after him.....he did win three of New York's most prestigious races, so naming a race for him there does make some sense.
I think there are worse horses with stakes races named after them.

There's plenty of interest.

If Lava Man is to be defeated it will be by After Market. Those are the two for me in the P4, P6. I'm not stupid enough to leave Lava Man out, but I do think if someone is going to get him in CA, this is the race.

After Market will be content to watch Lava Man pressure Lang Field through the early running and may shoot through on the rail as Lang Field tires and get the jump on Lava Man.

You don't think Obrigado has a chance?
His last race at 10f over this course was pretty strong and he put together a lot of nice races in a row over here before going to Dubai. What made you toss him?

Pending a perusal of the TG sheets, I think he is a notch below. He'll have to run the race of his life and first off a layoff has not been his game in the past. He is the obvious third choice for me though.

What makes me leary of Lava Man (i.e. crap race in Dubai and all the travel) makes me leary of Obrigado. Why ship all the way around the world to trail the field all the way around and beat one horse?

Obviously if Lava Man is on his game, he wins. I just think After Market being a lightly raced 4yr old (this is his 10th lifetime race) has more upside than Obrigado, seems to be figuring out what it is all about and may run a lifetime best again.

From just skimming the form I am going to say there is a good chance Red Fort was prepping in the last race for this race. He should be sharper here.
Of the two to use underneath, I probably lean toward Red Fort over the possible underlay of After Market for the reason of form cycles. After Market also basically had that scenario handed to him on a silver platter last out with a razor sharp Get Funky(off a 6.5downhill) dueling Willow O Wisp(wants to lead) on the front end.

they are trying to stretch out Lang Field and hope his momentum carries him through before he realizes that this is 10 furlongs! He looks like a machine running very efficiently on the front end. DRF went and picked him as their top choice! :( , I don't really like him as a win overlay unless he is like 10,15-1 and that may not happen now.
If Lang Field can at least BLUFF it, and loom a winning threat going into the stretch, it will force Lava Man to run a big one or yeild to an Obrigado, Porfido, Red Fort tomato tomado ahh lets call the whole thing off. :rolleyes: