Hollywood numbers slip

Hollywood Park concluded its 36-day Autumn Meet on Monday with a slight drop

in daily average handle and attendance compared to last year.

The daily average of $8.94 million was down less than 1 percent from the

daily average of $8.99 million during a 30-day meet in 2003. Total handle for the meet was $321,995,649,

including on-track handle of $47,287,928. The on-track daily average of $1.3

million was down 2 percent compared to last year.

Total attendance for the meet was 506,303, including 223,766 on-track. The

daily averages of 14,064 overall and 6,216 on-track were down 5.1 and 4.6 percent, respectively.

"While we are generally pleased with the results, we continue to see erosion

of the fan base," Hollywood Park President Rick Baedeker said. "There is no

question, the competition from the $8 billion Native American gaming industry

continues to take its toll and we're doing our best to work with the Governor

and legislature to protect the future of the industry in California."

The Autumn Meet featured 17 Breeders' Cup starters, including

Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Better Talk Now (Talkin Man) and Breeders' Cup

Juvenile (G1) shocker Wilko (Awesome Again).

In addition, last year's Breeders'

Cup Sprint (G1) hero Cajun Beat (Grand Slam) proved himself on the grass in the

Hollywood Turf Express H. (G3).

The highlight of the meet, however, came in the

closing-weekend feature, the Hollywood Futurity (G1). The Futurity featured a

clash

of three potential Eclipse Awards candidates: the aforementioned Wilko,

Champagne S. (G1) victor Proud Accolade (Yes It's True), and the eventual

winner, the undefeated Declan's Moon (Malibu Moon), who is likely to be named

champion two-year-old.

Rene Douglas was aboard 37 winners to claim his first Southern California

riding title and Doug O'Neill garnered his second Autumn Meet title and third

Hollywood training title with 17 winners.