HOLLYWOOD PARK : Murray Handicap Draws Field of 14

The inaugural running of the Jim Murray Handicap, which this week highlights the last of Hollywood Park’s four consecutive Friday night racing programs, drew an overflow field of 14 when entries closed Wednesday.

Saratoga Passage, winner of the Grade I Eddie Read Handicap last summer at Del Mar, likely will go postward as the favorite in the 1 1/4-mile grass stake for 4-year-olds and upward that is valued at $84,200.

The 5-year-old gelding, trained by Robert Frankel, made his first start of this year on June 29 in the Fiesta Handicap. Favored at 5-2, Saratoga Passage finished fourth to Live the Dream in the 1 1/16-mile grass event. With that race under his belt, Saratoga Passage will carry top weight of 118 pounds and jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in the Jim Murray Handicap.

Charlatan III, who ran third to Sunday Silence in the Californian and second to Super May in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap this summer, gets into the Friday feature at a feathery 112 pounds with David Flores aboard.

New Zealand-bred Silent Prince II, fourth in the Inglewood Handicap, was weighted at 116 pounds and will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye. Also at 116, the field’s second high-weight, is Australian-bred Rogue’s Realm. Winner of an allowance race over the turf here on May 20, Rogue’s Realm will be handled by Alex Solis.

Murray, the Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist for The Times, will be saluted at Hollywood Park on Friday night when personages from the sports and entertainment world will join in the festivities.

The featured Jim Murray Handicap will be run as the seventh race on the card that begins at 7 p.m.

The complete field, in post position order, for the Jim Murray Handicap:

Capel Meister (Dave Patton) 110; a-Rogue’s Realm (Alex Solis) 116; Malo Malo (Ray Sibille) 113; Record Boom (Julio Garcia) 114; Kaboi (Kent Desormeaux) 115; b-Colson (Pat Valenzuela) 112; Lucky Song (Rafael Meza) 109; Shotiche (Corey Black) 114; a-Silent Prince (Eddie Delahoussaye) 116; Soft Machine (Corey Nakatani) 113; Saratoga Passage (Laffit Pincay Jr.) 118; Dream of Fame (Gary Stevens) 112; b-Charlatan III (David Flores) 112, and Mashkour (Robbie Davis), 113.

a-Charles Kenis, Kenis & 3 + U Stable entry; b-Paul & Andrena Van Doren entry.