Hollywood Handsome

HOLLYWOOD HANDSOME c, Tapizar–Ladyflickerflacker, by Forestry)

O-Nancy & Mark Stanley. B-North Hanover Bloodstock (KY). T-Dallas Stewart. Sales History: $200,000 Ylg '15 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 9-2-0-3, $123,430.

Last Start: 1st, Allowance, CD, May 14

Equineline PPs

Hollywood Handsome will attempt to parlay a first-level allowance win at Churchill Downs into a Belmont S. upset. He required five starts (several as a beaten fave) before breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds back in January, and although he was not badly beaten in subsequent stakes attempts, neither his fourth in the Louisiana Derby nor his fifth in the Illinois Derby carried enough oomph to signal imminent progression against the division's best this Saturday. Perhaps this is a horse who will just relish 12 furlongs at long odds (eight of his nine starts have been at a mile or longer, giving him a solid foundation, distance-wise). But my gut feeling is that Hollywood Handsome would need to run the race of his life and have the top four or five contenders all fail to fire in order for him to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown. That's not an impossible task (in fact, that's the scenario that more or less unfolded in this year's inexplicable Blue Grass S.). But it's certainly not a bankable one unless you're getting more than double this colt's morning line price of 30-1.

VIDEO PPS