Hollywood trims race dates, stakes during autumn meet

Pioneerof the Nile burst onto the scene in last year's CashCall Futurity (Benoit Photo) Hollywood Park's autumn meet, which opens Friday, will be trimmer than last year in terms of both racing dates and the stakes schedule. The Inglewood, California, track has pared down to 27 racing days, compared to 40 a year ago, and dropped five stakes while reducing purses for a few others. The $750,000 CashCall Futurity (G1), an annual stop for future Triple Crown contenders, will once again be the richest event on the stakes schedule. The 1 1/16-mile test will be run for the 29th time on December 19, the penultimate day of the meet. The Futurity, in its third year of sponsorship by the consumer loans company founded by prominent horse owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam, has produced six winners of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and 14 Triple Crown races since it was inaugurated as the Hollywood Futurity in 1981.

Pioneerof the Nile, winner of the 2008 Futurity, became the 11th graduate to

win the Santa Anita Derby (G1), then finished second in the 2009 Kentucky Derby

(G1).

In total, the meet will feature 14 stakes races, 11 of them graded, with

purses of $2.85 million. The Futurity's companion race for two-year-old fillies,

the $300,000 Hollywood Starlet (G1), is scheduled for closing day, December 20.

In addition to the two premier juvenile events, the autumn meet is also well

known for its Turf Festival over Thanksgiving weekend. The Turf Festival will be

reduced to five races this season, with the suspension of the Hollywood Turf

Express (G3) for sprinters.

It will continue to feature three Grade 1 events, although each has undergone

a purse reduction to $300,000. The Hollywood Derby (G1) and the Matriarch S.

(G1) have each been reduced by $200,000, while the Citation H. (G1) has been

lowered by $100,000.

The Turf Festival will begin on November 27 with the 32nd running of the

Citation. A change in the Turf Festival format has the Matriarch scheduled along

with the $100,000 Generous S. (G3) on November 28, while the Hollywood Derby and

$100,000 Miesque S. (G3) will be run on November 29. Previously, the Derby and

Matriarch were run on closing day of the Turf Festival.

Hollywood also suspended the Hollywood Turf Cup (G1), Dahlia H. (G2), Real

Quiet S. and Sharp Cat S. for the autumn meet, in an effort to maintain its

overnight purse schedule.

"We will have the same overnight purse structure as Oak Tree (at Santa

Anita)," Martin Panza, vice president of racing, had stated when the stakes

schedule was first announced in late August. "This is a one-year suspension.

Hopefully, with more days at future meets, we will bring some of these races

back.

"Our goal was to protect the overnight schedule as everyone is feeling the

pressure in the difficult times the country is experiencing."

After the three-day opening weekend, racing will take place Wednesdays

through Sundays until the final week, when racing resumes on Thursday, December

17. Post time is 12:30 p.m. (PST), except for two special Friday night posts of

7:05 p.m. on opening day and November 20, and an early post of 11 a.m. on

Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

Hollywood will offer a number of special promotions throughout the stand,

including free general admission on Thursdays. On Wednesdays, patrons 62 years

and older with a Gold Club Card will receive reduced general admission of $5, a

discount from the regular admission price of $8. Admission includes parking and

a program.

The popular Show Me the Money contest -- featuring a winner-take-all prize of

$2,500 -- will return for the meet. Contestants pick one horse each racing day.

If the horse runs first, second or third, contestants remain in the contest. If

the horse runs out of the money, contestants are eliminated. The deadline for

contestants to make their first selections is 10 minutes before the 1ST race on

Sunday, the final day of opening week. Additional information is available by

visiting the Hollywood Park web site at www.hollywoodpark.com and clicking the

Show Me the Money logo.

Beginning with that first Sunday program, Hollywood will offer $1 specials in

Longshots Sports Bar to complement the NFL Sunday Ticket package. The popular

$500 weekly Pigskins and Ponies contest will return along with the Longshots

Players Football Pool, available to patrons viewing the action from Longshots on

the super mezzanine level of the grandstand. The first 100 patrons to sign up

each Sunday in Longshots will have the opportunity to win a $50 mutuel voucher

each quarter of the premier 1 p.m. game.

The Pigskins and Ponies contest offers a $500 prize for correctly picking the

winners of three late NFL games and the winner of three designated Hollywood

Park races. There is a carryover if no one hits all six. Dollar specials, which

include sodas, hot dogs and beers, will be available in Longshots only. The

special on beer will be from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., while the others will be

available throughout the program.

The meet will include two premium days with a Grab Bag giveaway on November

28 and a Hollywood Park Duffel Bag giveaway on December 19. Grab Bag items

include a T-shirt, baseball jersey, a Fan-tastic Cap and a Hollywood Gold Cup

Julep Glass set featuring three-time winners Native Diver and Lava Man. Patrons

will receive one item and bounce back admission coupons while supplies last.

On Saturday, Hollywood will host a "Meet the Jockeys" event. A special

ceremony will be held in the winner's circle, and several riders will be

available for an autograph session prior to the 1ST race. Saturday also kicks

off the meet's stakes action with the $75,000 On Trust H. for California-breds

at 7 1/2 furlongs.

Throughout the meet, the track will salute jockeys Alex Solis, Mike Smith,

Corey Nakatani, Garrett Gomez, David Flores, Victor Espinoza, Aaron Gryder and

Rafael Bejarano with a series of collectable program covers.