Sunday Silence Draws No. 4 Post Position for Hollywood Cup

Horse of the Year Sunday Silence and Criminal Type, racing’s current giant-killer, head a field of seven entered to for Sunday’s $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup.

Sunday Silence, who will carry high weight of 126 pounds and be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, drew the No. 4 post position. Ruhlmann, who will tote 124 pounds and jockey Gary Stevens, will be alongside in No. 5.

Sunday Silence, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic last year before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in November, returned to the races at Inglewood June 3 when winning the $300,000 Californian by three-quarters length over Stylish Winner.

Sunday Silence concluded his preparations for the 1 1/4- mile Gold Cup’s 51st renewal with a handy five-furlong work in :58.1 on Wednesday.

“Perfect,” said trainer Charlie Whittingham. “He’s in good shape for Sunday’s race.”

The winner of over $4.5 million last year, Sunday Silence will race coupled with stablemate Ruhlmann, who won the Santa Anita Handicap in March while leading the entire 1 1/4 miles. Hollywood Park linemaker Russell Hudak has installed the Whittingham-trained entry as the 4-5 favorite to capture first prize money of $550,000.

Sunday Silence and Criminal Type will be confronted by the hottest horse in the country, Criminal Type. The Calumet Farm five-year-old upset Easy Goer and Housebuster in Belmont Park’s Metropolitan Mile on May 28. One race previous, the D. Wayne Lukas-trainee upset Ruhlmann by a neck in the $1-million Pimlico Special.

Criminal Type, a winner of $66,800 last year, already has earned close to $1.8 million in 1990.

He will be ridden by Jose Santos, who became Criminal Type’s jockey prior to the Pimlico Special, and has been assigned 121 pounds. The son of Alydar will be 2-1 on the morning line.

Linesmaker Hudak made Opening Verse, 119 pounds and jockey Angel Cordero Jr., the field’s third choice at 4-1. Opening Verse has been freshened since running fifth in the Pimlico Special as the 3-2 betting favorite.

” got beat 3 1/2 lengths and never really ran his race,” commented trainer Richard Lundy. “He needed a little break, and I think he comes into the race a fresh horse. He’s been training real well, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t win.”

The complete field, in post position order, for the 51st Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be run at approximately 5:20 PDT:

Stylish Winner (Corey Black) 113, 15-1; Criminal Type (Jose Santos) 121, 2-1; Santangelo (Julio Garcia) 110, 30-1; a-Sunday Silence (Patrick Valenzuela) 126, 4-5; a-Ruhlmann (Gary Stevens) 124, 4-5; Mi Selecto (Jerry Bailey) 114, 15-1; Opening Verse (Angel Cordero Jr.) 119.