Two to Beat in Second

The second race at Hollywood Park today is not your average concluding half of the early daily double.

The $57,000 allowance for fillies and mares at six furlongs drew only five entrants, but two of the participants are stakes winners.

Behaving Badly and Hollywood Park specialist Alphabet Kisses top a lineup that includes the speedy Papa To Kinzie, last-out winner Fire Bolt and Laurel import Fantastic Roma.

Owned and bred by John Harris and trained by Marty Jones, Alphabet Kisses, a 4-year-old daughter of Alphabet Soup, has won five of her six starts in Inglewood. Her lone loss came the day Andujar rolled to an impressive win in the Milady Breeders’ Cup Handicap earlier this year.

Most effective around one turn, Alphabet Kisses will be ridden for the first time by Garrett Gomez when she makes her first start since finishing eighth in the Clement L. Hirsch Handicap on Aug. 7 at Del Mar. Jones also trains Papa To Kinzie, who is always a threat to go wire-to-wire, and she will be handled by Patrick Valenzuela.

Behaving Badly has won all three of her main track races in California for owners Hal and Patti Earnhardt and trainer Bob Baffert. This will be her first start at Hollywood Park. Victor Espinoza will ride the 4-year-old Pioneering filly.

Race of the day: Bahama John will look for his fifth win in 10 starts and his third in a row at Aqueduct when he takes on eight others in today’s eighth. Norberto Arroyo Jr. will ride the 5-year-old Saint Ballado horse for owner-breeder Timber Bay Farm and trainer Jimmy Jerkens in the $58,000 optional claimer at a mile and 70 yards.

One for the road: Now Battling looked good winning around two turns in his debut at Suffolk Downs and can come right back in today’s seventh at Laurel Park. Horacio Karamanos will ride the 2-year-old More Than Ready gelding in the $28,000 optional claimer at one mile.

Exotically speaking: A late pick four using Identique and Deputy Chairman in the fifth, Governor Lee, Too Mean and Gasin The Turbo in the sixth, Dancing General and Carisolo in the seventh and Talega Creek, War Gael and Mino Ona in the eighth.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 1/71. Money: (previous day/meet total): $9.20/$391.80. Total money bet: $388.