Sunday is the end for Hollywood Park
In it’s heyday, celebrities such as Cary Grant, Lucille Ball and Fred Astaire would linger in the box seats at Hollywood Park, on Sunday, they will run their last race.
After 75 years of horse racing, Betfair Hollywood Park has reached closing day. The Inglewood track will close its doors permanently after Sunday’s 11-race card.
The $200,000 King Glorious Stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs is the final stakes to be run. The jockey champion could come down to the final race, with Rafael Bejarano and Joe Talamo in a tight competition. First post is 12:30 p.m.
Hollywood Park opened in 1938 and has seen some of the greatest thoroughbreds in history race on its track. There was Seabiscuit, Citation, Swaps, Ack Ack, Native Diver, John Henry, Landaluce and Zenyatta.
Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. used to duel in the jockey standings. Legendary trainers Charles Whittingham and Willard Proctor did battle on the backstretch. There was Harry Henson and his memorable race calls and Hollywood celebrities who used to hang out in the turf club.
“I’m going to miss this place,” said trainer Mike Mitchell, second all-time in training victories with more than 900. “A lot of memories.”
The stable area will remain open for another month, and an auction is planned to sell off memorabilia and other racing assets.
Santa Anita will take over as the Southland’s primary race track with its expanded winter meeting on the day after Christmas.
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