Hollywood opens amid murky future

Hollywood Park begins its 75th anniversary season Thursday, but the

Inglewood, California, track is nearing its final curtain call. With eventual

closure and redevelopment looming on the horizon, it is not expected to remain

in operation beyond this year. The 49-day spring/summer season is likely to be

the penultimate one, assuming that the track conducts its customary autumn meet

in November and December. As a result, the summer's closing-day feature, the

Sunset Handicap on July 14, will have an even more poignant meaning.

Highlighting a stakes schedule worth more than $6.8 million are the $350,000

American Oaks and the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup. The 12th running of the

American Oaks will be July 13 along with the $200,000 A Gleam Handicap, the

$150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship and the $150,000 Landaluce.

When the Gold Cup is run for the 74th time on July 6, the program will also

include the $150,000 Royal Heroine Mile.

The $300,000 Shoemaker Mile and the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap, both to be

run June 29, as well as the aforementioned A Gleam, are Breeders' Cup "Win and

You're In'' races. The Breeders' Cup nominated winner of those races earns an

automatic berth in the corresponding BC event. The 30th Breeders' Cup will be

run November 1-2 at Santa Anita.

There are 47 stakes on the calendar, including six Grade 1 races, nine Grade

2 events and seven Grade 3s. There are 10 days with multiple stakes races,

beginning with the $1.1 million California Gold Rush Saturday.

The first Grade 1 of the meet is the $250,000 Gamely Stakes. The 1 1/8 mile

turf race for older fillies and mares will be run Memorial Day, May 27.

Thursday's opener features the $70,000

Harry Henson Stakes. A six-furlong turf sprint for three-year-olds, the

Henson honors the legendary track announcer who worked at Hollywood Park from

1959-1982.

Summer Exclusive, a smart debut winner sprinting on the dirt, switches

surfaces after fading badly in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby. The Peter Miller

trainee stalked early in that ambitious step up in class and distance, only to

retreat to a distant seventh. The Exclusive Quality colt will try turf for the

first time, but should appreciate the turnback in trip and class relief.

Trainer Doug O'Neill sends out a turf-proven pair in Meringue Pie and

Colburn. Meringue Pie, who broke his maiden at England's Epsom Downs last July,

shortens up off a seventh in the one-mile Pasadena Stakes. Colburn, well beaten

in four dirt maidens behind the likes of Govenor Charlie and Tiz the Truth,

broke through in his first turf try going about 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita's

downhill course.

Sacred Ovation just missed by a nose in an entry-level allowance on the same

downhill turf, with Henson rival No Contingency back in fifth. Rounding out the

field is My Jealous, who has not raced since his fifth in the Everett Nevin

Alameda County at Pleasanton last July.

The opening day program also includes the first two-year-old race of 2013 in

Southern California. Carded as the 2ND race and worth $52,000, the 4 1/2-furlong

contest attracted seven California-bred or -sired fillies.

There is only one deviation from the usual Thursday-Sunday schedule, the

special holiday card on Memorial Day, May 27. Post time is 1 p.m. (PDT) daily

with three exceptions -- 11 a.m. on the Triple Crown days (May 4, May 18 and

June 8). T

Regular prices are $10 for general admission and $20 for Turf Club. Seniors

55 and older will receive a $5 discount -- with Gold Club card -- Thursdays. All

prices include parking and an official program.

The popular Players' Pick 5 also returns. A 50-cent minimum bet, the wager

covers the first five races daily and continues to feature a reduced takeout

rate of 14 percent.

There is also a carryover provision, should no one be able to isolate all

five winners, with 100 percent of the net pool carrying over to the next racing

day.

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