Hollywood Park kicks off 71st spring/summer meet

Hollywood Park's 71st spring/summer meet opens Wednesday, with the $60,000

Harry Henson S. as the day's featured event. The six-furlong turf dash has

attracted a field of 10 sophomores, including SMILING TIGER (Hold That Tiger),

last seen finishing third to champion Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike) in the Del

Mar Futurity (G1); FACE AND AN ACE (Came Home), exiting a pair of scores over

the downhill turf at Santa Anita; speedy Emerald Downs shipper HOLLYWOOD HARBOR

(Harbor the Gold), who makes his debut for Jenine Sahadi; and BIG MAN HAS A SIGN

(Petionville) from the Julio Canani barn. All promise to show early speed, so

the stalker DIXIE TROUPER (Dixieland Band) could get an ideal set-up in his

first start for David Hofmans.

The Harry Henson is the first of 45 stakes worth a total of $5.8 million that

Hollywood will offer over the course of the 60-day meet. The Inglewood,

California, track's calendar includes seven Grade 1 events, 10 Grade 2 events

and 11 Grade 3 races. There are seven days with two or more

stakes races, commencing with the $860,000 California Gold Rush on Saturday.

As ever, the stakes schedule is highlighted by the 71st running of the $500,000

Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on July 10. The $250,000 Triple Bend H. (G1) will also

be run on that day.

Hollywood has made some adjustments to its stakes schedule for this season. The Jim Murray Memorial H. (G2) and the Will Rogers H. (G3) will return to

the calendar, while the Ack Ack H. (G3), Cinema H., Gallant Man H., Flawlessly

S., Khaled S. and Round Table H. (G3) will be placed on hiatus for 2010.

The ninth running of the $250,000 American Oaks (G1) is scheduled for July 3,

along with the $150,000 Royal Heroine Mile (G2). There will be five stakes

contested over the Fourth of July weekend with the $150,000 American H.

(G2) scheduled for July 4 and the $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3)

on a special Monday program on July 5.

The Hollywood Gold Cup and American Oaks programs are among seven multiple

stakes days at the meeting, beginning with Gold Rush XI for California-breds on

Saturday. The $200,000 Snow Chief S. is the feature race, but has significant

company in the $150,000 Melair S., $125,000 B. Thoughtful S. and $125,000 Tiznow

S.

The first Grade 1 on the schedule is the $250,000 Gamely S. on May 29. The

$250,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) will be run on Memorial Day, May 31, along with the

Honeymoon H. (G2) and the $60,000 Willard L. Proctor Memorial S.

The Shoemaker, first run as the Premiere H. on Hollywood Park's inaugural

opening day on June 10, 1938, will be contested for the 66th time.

In keeping with recent tradition, the prestigious $250,000 Charles

Whittingham Memorial H. (G1) will be run on June 5, Belmont Stakes Day. It will

be accompanied by the $100,000 Los Angeles H. (G3) and the $60,000 Redondo Beach

S.

The $150,000 Californian S. (G2), last major stepping-stone to the Hollywood

Gold Cup, will be run on June 12, along with the $60,000 Desert Stormer H.

Closing weekend will feature the $200,000 Swaps S. (G2) and $150,000 A Gleam

H. (G2) on July 17, with the $100,000 Sunset H. (G3) on July 18.

The $150,000 Milady H. (G2) and the $250,000 Vanity H. (G1), races

that unbeaten two-time champion Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire]) swept the past two years, will be

contested on May 16 and June 13, respectively.

First post time is 1 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and

Sundays, with the usual 7:05 p.m. start on Friday nights. The lone

exception to the Friday night calendar will be a 1 p.m. post time on April

30, Kentucky Oaks Day and the eve of the Kentucky Derby.

There will be three other post time differences -- all relating to the Triple

Crown -- during the meet.

Post time will be at 11 a.m. on Kentucky Derby Day, May 1, as well as Preakness Day (May 15) and Belmont Stakes Day (June 5).

There are also deviations from the normal Wednesday-Sunday schedule. Hollywood

Park will be open for simulcasting only, beginning at 10:15 a.m., on the

following Thursdays -- April 22, April 29, June 3, July 1, July 8 and July 15.

Free box seats will be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Regular prices are

$8 for general admission, $10 for clubhouse and $20 for Turf Club. Seniors 62

and older will receive a $3 discount on Wednesdays. All prices include parking

and an official program.

For more information, visit hollywoodpark.com.