Headed to the track now. Gonna stay until they kick me out tomorrow. Don't want it to end.
Today may be emotional. Tomorrow WILL be.
Checking my man card tomorrow for sure. HollyPark is worth it.
:-X
Woodman's Luck and Soul Candy are in the last race tomorrow.
I'd love one of these guys to close it out.
The "biter" Woodman's Luck would symbolize the track going down fighting to me. He's run there many times and its his favorite track. He always hits the board there.
Soul Candy is the classy old vet. Former stakes pony. And hey ... its Inglewood ... so nothing wrong with a little soul! He's doing pretty well lately, so it could happen. I think he would symbolize the track well ... former glory and still fighting!
Danderek may upset the apple cart. He scares me.
I'd write more eloquently, but I'm in a moving vehicle ... but you guys get my point I'm sure.
Go Woodman's Luck and Soul Candy!
Thanks for the insight. Good luck and hope you soak it all in
Quote from: The Tin Man on December 21, 2013, 08:29:52 AM
Headed to the track now. Gonna stay until they kick me out tomorrow. Don't want it to end.
Today may be emotional. Tomorrow WILL be.
Checking my man card tomorrow for sure. HollyPark is worth it.
:-X
So agree - not a bad crowd today - need to get myself up and out early - from all reports - track should be packed.. geez I do not how I will take this...
Hope everyone at the track has a blast today; I will be watching from the rainy east coast, but have some picks for today's races.
Not betting all of these (in fact, probably only a select few), but just for fun picks for all races today.
race 1: #3 Wicked Finance, #5 Aqua Revelation
race 2: #8 Hugger of Trees, #7 Valarta
race 3: #7 Highly Rated, #5 Prettypriceygirl
race 4: #10 Captain Salt, #3 Boss of Me
race 5: #3 Just After Sunset, #7 Jet Blue Girl
race 6: #9 Miss Go Free, #10 Moon Ride
race 7: #7 Korban, #8 Dixieland Blues, #4 Gal has To Like It
race 8: #6 Zensational Beauty, #3 Elda
race 9: #4 Pulpit's Express, ##6 Volkonsky
race 10: #11 Life's a Joy, #9 Aotearoa (#4 would have been my top pick, but scratched)
race 11: #9 Danderek, #5 Woodman's Luck, #2 Moonlit Meteor
good luck all
Farewell Hollywood Park! :rhrse:
:(
Quote from: Dusty on December 21, 2013, 06:27:08 PM
So agree - not a bad crowd today - need to get myself up and out early - from all reports - track should be packed.. geez I do not how I will take this...
"Packed" --- 10,000 people, maybe?
#6 Apostle Paul is a 1st time gelding in the first at HOL. Might be worth a look given the pedigree and surface. I'm sticking with Wicked Finance and the Baffert horse does look good.
#7 Maxx the Giant wins the first. Jock on the 5 made a mistake letting the 7 go by early imo...
The chalk was nowhere in that last (and normally I'm no chalk eating weasel either). On to race 3.
Watching the last five races ever at HP on the computer was really sad. Horse racing in the US is in such bad trouble when an iconic track like HP goes down the tubes.
But just like so many days in recent years, nobody is at the track today. See the view of the apron before the final raced? Looked like 100 people were there. Sure, others in the stands and keeping warm inside, but still, HP drew 7,000 for the Cashcall Futurity last week, 6000 on the final Saturday yesterday, and probably about the same today.
Nationwide, year after year total betting handle is flat, and being split between too many race tracks. Just my opinion, but the industry needs a bunch of smaller tracks to go under, so that the flat national handle can better support the stronger tracks.
On the positive side, I really liked Vic Stouffer's call of the final race.
He paid tribute to the equine stars who once graced HP, and the history of HP while still calling the race.
Smart, appropriate and classy, IMO.
I'm looking forward to posts by the Tin Man and anyone else who was at HP for the final day.
Here's the LA Times story on the last day, along with a video.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-hollywood-park-20131223,0,6099589,full.story#axzz2oGLgn19f
Also, I thought Vic Stauffer's call on the final race was, not surprisingly, superb!
I see that HP drew at least 13,000 for its final day.
Glad that many folks came out to say goodbye.
Quote from: Dave in TJ Mex on December 22, 2013, 07:08:15 PM
I see that HP drew at least 13,000 for its final day.
Glad that many folks came out to say goodbye.
My guess is 15,000-20,000 today. The main part of the track was packed. Lines for burgers were like 100 people long. Its been a long while since I've seen a crowd like that there! Pretty happy with the turn out.
Very happy Woodman's Luck won the last race ... in such dramatic fashion too! I had the win bet on him. He's the biter ... love that Guy!
Heading home now and tired. HP lives on in our hearts.
LA Times said paid attendance was 13,000, then they opened the gates at 2 pm and let a bunch of people in free.
Love to hear from about your day at HP when you have time, Tin Man.
Quote from: Dave in TJ Mex on December 22, 2013, 08:12:49 PM
LA Times said paid attendance was 13,000, then they opened the gates at 2 pm and let a bunch of people in free.
Love to hear from about your day at HP when you have time, Tin Man.
It definitely filled in BIG time as the day went on. If it was 13,000 at 2PM ... I'm betting it was pushing 20K then,
And yeah ... I'll post more in the next day or two. Wiped out for tonight.
Here's my boy Woodman's Luck's photo finish win for the last race in HP history. What a way to go out!
http://betfairhollywoodpark.com/images/4361.jpg
Was watching on Xpressbet and saw you waving to the camera a couple of times, Tinny. :)
Quote from: ThreeMustangs on December 23, 2013, 10:45:33 AM
Was watching on Xpressbet and saw you waving to the camera a couple of times, Tinny. :)
Oh you did? That's awesome! :)
Sometimes it pays to be buddies with the cameraman! ;)
Wish I could have seen it ... wish there was a way for me to. But ... its still pretty cool that you and others did! I'm famous now! :thumbsup:
Slightly off-point here, but I read elsewhere that Ed Burgart of Los Al says he will call both the thoroughbred races during the day and the quarter horses at night when both run at Los Al.
Wonder what Vic Stouffer will do now. Try and get race-calling gigs out of state?
Didn't he try being a jockey's agent for a while a couple of years back? Wonder if he will try that again just to stay local.
I wish him the best of luck, whatever he decides to do.
Vic said yesterday that he's sent resumes to about 40 tracks. Said positions aren't commonly open. Calling races is his strong preference. He said any track anywhere.
He also mentioned being a jockey agent ...
But he wants to call races.
I hope he stays in Cali somehow in some capacity. He loves the ponies he calls. He's a good Guy and a great asset to the game.
Quote from: The Tin Man on December 23, 2013, 11:40:00 AM
Vic said yesterday that he's sent resumes to about 40 tracks. Said positions aren't commonly open. Calling races is his strong preference. He said any track anywhere.
He also mentioned being a jockey agent ...
But he wants to call races.
I hope he stays in Cali somehow in some capacity. He loves the ponies he calls. He's a good Guy and a great asset to the game.
Thanks for the info, Tin Man.
Hope he can catch on somewhere. He is a terrific race caller, IMO. Clear and fast and often exciting.
Another HollyPark last ...
The last horse ever claimed at Hollywood Park was ... Hugger Of Trees
Claimed from Eric Kruljac by Bill Spawr. She is a 3 year old chestnut filly, She was claimed in yesterday's 3rd race.
Her claim price was $ 16,000.
Quote from: Dave in TJ Mex on December 23, 2013, 11:30:35 AM
Slightly off-point here, but I read elsewhere that Ed Burgart of Los Al says he will call both the thoroughbred races during the day and the quarter horses at night when both run at Los Al.
Wonder what Vic Stouffer will do now. Try and get race-calling gigs out of state?
Didn't he try being a jockey's agent for a while a couple of years back? Wonder if he will try that again just to stay local.
I wish him the best of luck, whatever he decides to do.
Ed is good at QH calls...not sure he can keep up with thoroughbreds!
Wouldn't it be the other way around? If a caller is accurate and fast enough to keep up with Quarterhorses, IMO, calling TBs should be a breeze. ;)
Quote from: BaroqueAgain1 on December 25, 2013, 04:11:08 PM
Wouldn't it be the other way around? If a caller is accurate and fast enough to keep up with Quarterhorses, IMO, calling TBs should be a breeze. ;)
Not as many moves in QH racing you gun em and the race is over in a blink. In TB racing you need to pay a lot more attention as the horses move position.
Quote from: The Tin Man on December 22, 2013, 09:21:31 PM
It definitely filled in BIG time as the day went on. If it was 13,000 at 2PM ... I'm betting it was pushing 20K then,
And yeah ... I'll post more in the next day or two. Wiped out for tonight.
Here's my boy Woodman's Luck's photo finish win for the last race in HP history. What a way to go out!
http://betfairhollywoodpark.com/images/4361.jpg (http://betfairhollywoodpark.com/images/4361.jpg)
Is this the same Woodmans Luck who gained fame (or became infamous) in this photo when he tried to bite another horse last year at Del Mar?
(http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac349/islandgirl452009/WoodmansLuckampRomeoRoyale018-11-12BA_JPG_zpsbe4bf08a.jpg)
Benoit & Associates
A frustrated Woodmans Luck tries to take a bite out of Romeo Royale during the sixth race on Saturday at Del Mar. Romeo Royale went on the win the race and came out of it unscathed.Good for him that he figured out it's better to keep his head straight near the wire.
:D
Quote from: Islandgirl45 on December 26, 2013, 09:50:39 PM
Is this the same Woodmans Luck who gained fame (or became infamous) in this photo when he tried to bite another horse last year at Del Mar?
(http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac349/islandgirl452009/WoodmansLuckampRomeoRoyale018-11-12BA_JPG_zpsbe4bf08a.jpg)
Benoit & Associates
A frustrated Woodmans Luck tries to take a bite out of Romeo Royale during the sixth race on Saturday at Del Mar. Romeo Royale went on the win the race and came out of it unscathed.
Good for him that he figured out it's better to keep his head straight near the wire. :D
That is him!
I got to visit Woodman's Luck yesterday at SA ... first time I've gotten to meet him .. although he's been a favorite of mine for the last 3 years ...
And he didn't disappoint. He's a big, strong, handsome guy. He's a fairly intense kid, as one would figure. I was pleased to see that he likes to try to nip you, he enjoyed chewing on my jacket and tried some actual biting towards the end of the visit. I loved it. Just the image I had of him! :)
Besides mixing in some nipping and bite tries, while still being receptive to being stroked and pet ... he was actually pretty calm and still. Not getting worked up or head bobbing.
Just basically a good, but intense, mischievous kid.
So glad he was HP's last winner. A horse with spunk and fight, who historically ran his best races at HollyPark was, in my opinion, the perfect type of final winner. Love HP!