Rail Trip, winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup in July and the likely favorite for Sunday's Grade 1 Pacific Classic, was clocked going a mile in 1:36 for trainer Ron Ellis yesterday. Larry Zap brings you some great footage of the work and also includes a look at Pacific Classic contender Song of Navarone, a quick glimpse of Well Monied jogging, and She's Cheeky, trained by Peter Eurton, going 5 furlongs in 1:01 in preparation for Friday's Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar. Enjoy!
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Rail Trip, a 4-year-old son of Jump Start owned by Jay Em Ess Stable and trained by Ron Ellis, will take on an impressive field in The Californian – including Ball Four, who provided Rail Trip’s first defeat in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 9. Rail Trip has won five of six career starts and earned $197,790.
The Californian, a Grade II event at 1 1/8 miles, is the final major prep for the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11. The Californian, which will be run for the 56th time on Saturday, boasts an impressive history. It has been won by ten champions: Swaps (1955), Porterhouse (1956), Dr. Fager (1968), Cougar II (1971 and 1972), J.O. Tobin (1978), Affirmed (1979), Spectacular Bid (1980), Precisionist (1986), Sunday Silence (1990) and The Wicked North (1994).
Four winners of the Mervyn LeRoy have won The Californian in their next start: Spectacular Bid (1980) Eleven Stitches (1981), Another Review (1992) and Even the Score (2004). The only horse to sweep the Mervyn LeRoy, The Californian, and the Gold Cup was Eleven Stitches.
Nine winners of The Californian have gone on to win the Gold Cup, the most recent being Lava Man in 2005.
Larry Zap caught some excellent footage of Rail Trip in early April, marking him as one of the talented Thoroughbreds to follow and noting: "Rail Trip -- a 4 year old gelding by Jump Start -- has as much upside as any horse we have seen in some time and has the makings of a superstar. He is 4 for 4 and will extend that to 5 for 5 this weekend in the Santana Mile." Enjoy the video!
For more information about Larry Zap, see Contributors on the About tab.
I caught a quick video of Rail Trip galloping at Hollywood Park on Thursday morning for trainer Ron Ellis.
The unbeaten Jump Start gelding will be looking for his 6th straight win and first graded stakes win in tomorrow's Grade 2, $150,000 Mervyn Leroy Handicap at Hollywood Park. He will once again face Dakota Phone, runner up to Rail Trip in last month's Santana Mile at Santa Anita.
Rail Trip, trained by Ron Ellis, on the main track at Santa Anita.
Rail Trip, a 4-year-old gelding, seeks his first graded stakes win Saturday in the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track. Trained by Ron Ellis for Jay Em Ess Stable, Rail Trip is undefeated in five career starts, including the Santana Mile at Santa Anita on April 4.
The Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy is the first major race for older horses leading up to the $700,000Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11. Second in the series is the $250,000 Californian on June 13.
The race is named for one of the track’s organizers and its president for 34 years, until 1985. Mervyn Leroy epitomized the track’s connection to the Hollywood movie industry, having produced and/or directed more than 75 movies including The Wizard of Oz. He was nominated for four Academy Awards and won the 1945 award as Best Director for the movie The House I Live In.
Rail Trip’s competition in the Mervyn LeRoy includes Dakota Phone, a close second in the Daytona Mile under Rafael Bejarano; and Dixie Meister, who finished third.
Jay Em Ess Stable's Rail Trip schooled at Santa Anita during Thursday's 2nd race for trainer Ron Ellis, in preparation for today's 2nd race, an allowance event at 1-1/16 miles. This lovely 4-year-old son of Jump Start is undefeated in three career starts, and looks every bit the part.
Rail Trip posted a bullet work on Sunday, going five furlongs in :59 -- the fastest of 85 works at the distance. In his last start on Jan. 30 at Santa Anita, Rail Trip was an impressive 5-1/2 length winner in an actual "rail trip" from the 1 post position at 1-1/16 miles with jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. aboard. Valdivia has the mount again today, from post position 3.
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