Horse Racing: Today at Hollywood Park, June 27

TODAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK

By Richard Eng

Post Time 1 p.m.

Race 1 - 6 furlongs, Purse $26,000, Claiming $25,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

5 Saturday Nite Wish - Looks like potential lone early speed; subtle class drop can only help.

2 Smil’n From Above - Dead late closer will need a fast pace to chase; Irving Orozco has looked good so far.

Long Shot - 3 Metaxa

Race 2 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $23,000, Msiden claiming $30,000, 3-year-olds and up

2 Single Launch - Showing steady improvement, now dropping in class too; need not be much to handle these.

5 Congregationalist - Speedy sort has had 10 chances already; starting to be a nibbler, but this is a slow group.

Long Shot - 3 Alkaray

Race 3 - 7 furlongs, Purse $21,000, Claiming $16,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

4 Full’s Figurehead - Speedy sort is sliding down the claiming ladder; this is an easier spot to sport a win.

6 Light of Life - Claimed by Dean Pederson, one of many underrated trainers; will sit mid-pack and rally late.

Long Shot - 7 Briteness

Race 4 - 6 furlongs (turf, rail at 20 feet), Purse $52,000, Maiden special weights, 3-year-olds and up

5 Cacau - If you read my comments you know I like speed horses cutting back in distance; should last a bit longer.

1 Major Affair - The rail is an edge in Inglewood turf sprints; saves all the ground and grinds it out late.

Long Shot - 6 Blame It On Tekela

Race 5 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $26,000, Claiming $16,000, 3-year-olds and up

1 Rock This Way - Was a sprinter stretching out in last; lead all the way until the last 50 yards.

6 Big Wags - Claimed by Peter Eurton off 2 sharp wins for Bill Spawr; cheaper horses have trouble maintaining their top form.

Long Shot - 5 Trucial State

Race 6 - 6 1/2 furlongs, Purse $36,000, Claiming $32,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

5 Nihilist - Runs first time for a price tag; from the hot John Sadler barn, she figures to pop the gate and keep going.

3 Victoriously Jewel - NoCal invader has won 4-of-7 starts there; has earned this step up in class to SoCal.

Long Shot - 8 Woebegon

Race 7 - 1 1/16th miles (turf, rail at 20 feet), Purse $54,000, Allowance, 3-year-olds and up

1 Unbridled Giant - This if Bob Baffert’s only starter on the card; blinkers off, lost to a good one in Joelito last time.

3 Horizon Sky - Was right behind Joelito and Unbridled Giant in a blanket finish; four U.S. starts, four thirds.

Long Shot - 5 Little Jerry

Race 8 - 6 furlongs, Purse $19,000, Maiden claiming $20,000, 3-year-olds and up

8 Wise Boss - Claimed by Molly Pearson off a beaten favorite role; his race 2 back, if repeated, would beat these.

4 J Men - Tepid chalk in a slowpoke finale; in 10 starts has run third 5 times, gets to be habit forming.

Long Shot - 9 Destino

Best Bet - 1 Unbridled Giant (race 7)

Hollywood Park Sunday - Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 17/4/$26.20; Long Shots, 8/0/$0; Best Bet, 1/0/$0

Hollywood Park Totals - 622/157/$1,022.40; Long Shots, 300/40/$447.20; Best Bets, 36/13/$56.80

SIMULCAST PLAY OF THE DAY - #8 Precious Metal (4/1) in race 9 at Belmont Park. For scoring purposes, we’ll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Sunday, Mills won at Belmont Park paying $5.00 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show. Stats - 102/67/$497.40; Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick