Smooth Player was sent off at odds of 5-1 in each of her two most recent races, but the 4-year-old Bertrando filly probably won't offer quite so much value in Saturday's $150,000 Dahlia Handicap (gr. IIT), for which she has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Park turf race also features defending Dahlia winner Lady At Peace and Beautiful Noise, a recent runner-up to Smooth Player in the Las Palmas Handicap (gr. IIT).
Smooth Player will break from post position two under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who has guided Smooth Player in all four of her races since she returned from a brief freshening in late July. Smooth Player has won three of those four races and finished second in her other start during that time. The Dan Hendricks-trained filly has won eight of 18 career races and earned $730,496.
The field for the Dahlia will consist of:
1--Janet, Ignacio Puglisi, 114, 8-1
2--Smooth Player, Eddie Delahoussaye, 120, 5-2
3--(E)Speaking of Time, Danny Sorenson, 112, 8-1
4--Lady At Peace, Garrett Gomez, 117, 6-1
5--Diamond White, Alex Solis, 115, 15-1
6--Follow the Money, Victor Espinoza, 115, 8-1
7--Coracle, Kent Desormeaux, 116, 9-2
8--(E)Brianda, Matt Garcia, 111, 8-1
9--Strawberry Way, Gary Stevens, 113, 20-1
10--Beautiful Noise, Chris McCarron, 117, 7-2
