Diplo on the Turf

Diplo comes back to the races after breaking his maiden a scant 11 days ago. It's a pretty ambitious spot but it's also his first try over the turf so you never quite know if he'll jump up on the new surface. Would I like to have seen him have a few more days off? Of course. I also think that Doug O'Neil has forgot more about horses that I'll ever know.

The field is pretty tough, but small and there's a chance we could sneak up and get a piece of the the $37,000 purse in the $50,000 claiming race which will go a mile over the Hollywood Park turf course.

Here are the entries:

1. Summers in Del Mar - This one topped Diplo in a $32,000 Maiden Claiming race last out. He had 3 MSW races over the turf and the worst performance of the 3 came at the mile distance though he was steadied and very wide.

2. DIPLO

3. Gilligan - Dropping way in off of $80,000 Claiming and $32,000 Allowance races. Has shown some improvement since moving to the turf as well. Almost always competitive.

4. Camp Victory - Broke his maiden over this very turf course last year. Coming off a $32,000 claiming victory and earning an 83 Beyer.

5. Keen Bidder - English horse has not shown much since coming over to the States. Certainly needs the drop.

6. Siete Machos - A couple of close seconds over the turf and another one that comes back on short rest. Even shorter rest than our boy Diplo.

7. Seventh Star - Unlike his Commonwealth counterpart, this horse fired completely in his first try in the US leading every step of the way after some lackadaisical efforts in Ireland and earned an 88 Beyer to boot.

This is a tremendously difficult spot for our guy. If Seventh Star had it's light turned on coming to the US, he'll run away with this one. Gilligan is almost alone on the next level, consistently hitting the low- to mid-70's in his Beyer ratings. You can go to Camp Victory, but that nice 85 came over the synthetic and his turf numbers have not been as steady. There is a chance to grab a nice paycheck finishing third, but he could easily trail this field as well. It's an interesting spot for sure. I hope he enjoys the turf and surprises the hell out of me.