Records set at Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park concluded its 63-day Spring/Summer Meet on Sunday with large

gains in on-track business compared to the 61-day meeting in 2006. Handle jumped

8.9 percent to a record

daily average of $11,335,575, which eclipsed the mark of $11.1 million set

in 2002. On-track, the daily average handle increased 1.3 percent to $1,697,597. On-track attendance

rose 4.8 percent to an average of 6,443. On-track per capita wagering was $263.

"I was pleased by our on-track efforts where the average daily attendance and

handle figures were up, especially when, unfortunately, those figures were down

off-track in Southern California," Hollywood Park President Jack Liebau said.

"The

increase in advance deposit wagering (27 percent) was certainly important to the

overall success of our meet. All and all, we are very pleased with the results."

Friday night on-track business surged, led by CashCall Mile Night when an

on-track crowd of 14,683 helped generate total handle of $11,080,256. On-track

attendance for the 11 evening programs averaged 9,689, an increase of 32.7

percent from the figure of 7,300 a year ago. On-track Friday night handle

averaged $1,469,767, a 12.7 increase, while total Friday night handle increased

by 13.6 percent to an average of $8,733,971. Friday night per capita wagering

was $152.

The increase in business spiked when a Kentucky Derby Day record $27.7

million was wagered on May 5, shattering the mark of $26.7 million -- the largest

single-day handle in California in 2006. The Derby Day handle is the highest in

California to date in 2007. The per capita wagering of $349 helped generate the

second-highest handle in Hollywood Park's 68-year history, surpassed only when

the track was host to the Breeders' Cup in 1997. A record $20,774,020 was

wagered on Preakness Day, breaking the mark of $19,178,524 set in 2005.

LAVA MAN's (Slew City Slew) successful bid to match legendary Native Diver with his third

consecutive Hollywood Gold Cup S. (G1) victory generated a Gold Cup record handle of

$22,058,795, a 44 percent increase from the figure of $15,292,324 in 2006. The

previous record of $18,272,223 was set in 2003.

The biggest non-holiday weekday handle in track history came on Monday, July 2,

when a record four-day Pick 6 carryover of $3,274,505.48 generated a

single-day record Pick 6 handle of $7,596,347.12 and a record Pick 6 pool of

$10,870,852.60. Total handle was $18,407,581. Thirteen perfect tickets were

worth $576,064.40 each, while 807 consolation tickets with five winners each

were worth $2,240.40. A single winning ticket would have paid a record $7.4

million.

Eight of the tickets were purchased in California with investments ranging

from $2 to $14,400. A father/daughter team had two perfect tickets at Los Alamitos

-- one on a $2 ticket and one on a $4 ticket. There was a $24 winning

ticket at Victorville and a $432 winning ticket at Santa Anita. At Hollywood

Park, one player cashed twice, once with a $768 ticket and once on a $960 wager.

The previous record Pick 6 pool of $7,303,848 was set on March 3, 2004, at

Santa Anita Park when a three-day carryover of $1,413,136.14 generated an

additional Pick 6 handle of $5,889,712. The former single-day North American

record Pick 6 pool of $6,494,193 was set when there was a $5-million guarantee

on Breeders' Cup Day in 1998.

Purses at the meet averaged a record $448,343, breaking the mark of $418,769

set in 2002. Field size was on par with an average of 8.1 starters per race. On

Cushion Track, fields averaged 8.4 starters per race compared to an average of

8.05 per race on the main track a year ago.

Lava Man, who won the Gold Cup by a nose over A. P. Xcellent (A.P. Indy), was voted Horse

of the Meet in the annual media poll, while Michael Baze was leading jockey with

73 wins and Jeff Mullins and Doug O'Neill tied for leading trainer with 26 wins

each.