Las Vegas, NV – Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California will play host to the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap this Saturday, July 13. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be after the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse when they dash seven furlongs on Hollywood Park’s dirt track.
A very strong field of eight older ladies including three Grade 1 winners and three other graded stakes winner will line up in the A Gleam Handicap – race 8 on Hollywood Park’s Saturday card. Post time is 4:35 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all eight entries for this Grade 2 “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup qualifying race.
Teddy’s Promise – Teddy’s Promise is a graded stakes winner that struggled a tad in 2012 including an eighth in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint before a win in the minor Kalookan Queen Stakes December 29 by 5 1/4 lengths. She continued her stellar racing with a convincing three length win in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes January 26 and followed that with a decent second in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita March 10. She has two minor stakes starts since the Las Flores – a win in the Time To Leave Stakes May 5 was followed by a third last time out as 4-5 favorite in the Desert Stormer Handicap June 16. Her Grade 1 win was the 2011 La Brea. She goes for her sixth win on this track Saturday carrying the top weight and will be out to avenge a fifth place finish in this race last year.
Byrama – was decent in 2012 with three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 10 starts. She was an OK third as favorite in the Grade 3 Ken Maddy Stakes October 20 behind Broken Dreams and Kindle to follow a win in the minor Unzip Me Stakes September 29. She has five starts in 2013 – a good second in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland April 13, an OK third in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita, another third as favorite in the minor Wishing Well Stakes February 10 and a disappointing fourth in the competitive Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes January 6. Last time out was her best career result – an impressive win in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at 6-1 odds here June 15 after an ugly sixth in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs May 4. Byrama has placed in seven of her last nine starts and has to be on the radar based on her Vanity score last time out. Gary Stevens will be in the saddle.
Book Review – Bob Baffert trained filly had a very impressive win in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes over Reneesgotzip and the dominant My Miss Aurelia on December 26 after a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Gazelle. She had wins in the minor Imperial Gesture Stakes at Belmont Park October 24, the Charles Town Oaks in September and an Allowance at Saratoga in July as well. She enters off a pair of good seconds – the Grade 2 Santa Maria as 11-10 favorite last time out and the Grade 2 La Canada before that but Saturday marks her first start since February. However she does have four wins and two seconds in her last eight starts overall and has won four of five at the seven furlong distance.
Reneesgotzip – had nine starts last year with four wins and three second place finishes and a third – the most impressive result being a 7 3/4 length win at the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes last January. Since that time Reneesgotzip has finished in the money seven more times. She hasn’t been seen since a second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes behind Book Review in December after a win in the minor Skillful Joy Stakes December 1 to follow a decent third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against males and a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint. Reneesgotzip is a contender every time she enters a race but 10 months away from racing could be more of a story this weekend. She is undefeated in three starts on this track and will be looking for a statement return to the track.
A Gleam Handicap betting at Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Rumor – is a multiple stakes winner that has won six of 15 starts and placed in all but four. She finished a decent third last August in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo and won the minor L.A Woman Stakes here October 7 before a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint ended her 2012 campaign. She started 2013 with a disappointing seventh in the minor Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita February 10 but bounced back with a terrific win in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes March 10. Last time out was a pedestrian fifth in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs May 4. She has been somewhat inconsistent but is certainly a contender assuming she can find her Las Flores form.
Maker Or Breaker – Bob Baffert trained filly has just six career starts with three wins and a second place finish. Her only stakes action have come in her last two starts and resulted in her only off the board finishes – a fourth as the 7-10 favorite in the minor Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita April 14 and a fourth last time out in the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap May 18.
Winding Way – Carla Gaines trained filly won her first three career starts including the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar in August but has failed to place in just two starts since – a fourth in the minor L.A. Woman Stakes followed an eight month layoff. She returned June 16 to a fifth in the minor Desert Stormer Handicap on this track.
Conkate – Doug O’Neill trained filly has four wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 19 career starts and races in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday. She is coming off a fourth in the minor Desert Stormer Handicap here June 16 after a first, a second and a third respectively in Allowance races.
