Hollywood Park Quarter Horse Race Is a Possibility

A steward at Los Alamitos Race Course indicated Thursday night that entries might be taken there today for a $100,000 quarter horse race Monday at Hollywood Park.

The proposed race, which was believed to have been scheduled for Sunday, has been opposed by thoroughbred horsemen, who say that their contract with Hollywood Park prohibits the running of a race by another breed during their season.

Hollywood Park received permission last month from the California Horse Racing Board to run a quarter horse race, but Ben Felton, chairman of the board, issued a stay of that action Wednesday, pending a review at a future board meeting.

“We may draw (take entries) for the race Friday,” said Los Alamitos steward Merlin Volzke. “It’s not finalized yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do that.”

Asked Thursday about the quarter horse race, Marje Everett, chief operating officer at Hollywood, said: “It’s up in the air. Neil Papiano (the track’s attorney) is handling everything.”

Papiano could not be reached Thursday. He had questioned the legality of Felton’s stay Wednesday.

Hollywood Park owns Los Alamitos, where a quarter horse meeting is being held. Hollywood had announced that entries for Sunday’s thoroughbred races would be taken Thursday, a day earlier than usual, but thoroughbred horsemen, citing their contract, were able to convince track stewards to postpone the taking of entries until today. The horsemen had indicated that they would not enter their horses if they knew a quarter horse race was going to be included on the program.

Entries for Monday’s thoroughbred races at Hollywood Park are scheduled to be taken on Saturday.