Hollywood Park Opens Under New Management

At the beginning of Hollywood Park’s 67-day spring-summer meeting, R.D. Hubbard is optimistic.

The track’s new boss--he replaced Marje Everett as chairman of the board and chief executive officer earlier this year--Hubbard is hoping for an opening-day crowd of 25,000 today in Inglewood. If that figure is reached, it will be the best start for Hollywood Park since 25,662 showed up in 1986. Last year’s opening-day crowd was 18,250.

It hardly seems an unreasonable expectation. Parking and admission to the grandstand are free, and curiosity about the track under new management could well make for a healthy opening.

Closed for business is the Pavilion of the Stars, which will be used strictly as a simulcast facility. Gone is the second finish line, and with it one-mile races on the main track. All races will end at the original finish line, so, instead of the mile, welcome to the unusual distance of 7 1/2 furlongs.

Among other new things are the saddling paddock and walking ring and a completely redesigned winner’s circle, part of a $3-million renovation that will continue though the meeting.

“We’ll be closing sections of the grandstand at times to continue our renovation,” Hubbard said.

Another $6 million will be spent for 600-700 new barns on the backside, and they are expected to be ready for the fall-winter meeting, which begins in November.

“I’ve had a lot of fun the last 60 days and I’m glad the meeting’s here, but I wish we had another 30 days to get things done,” Hubbard said.

“But all of the major work we’ve got done. I’m anxious to see now how many people are going to show up. Everybody’s talking about it. Now we’ll have to see if they respond and come out and see the changes we’ve made and what we’ve got in store for them.

“This will be the first time in a long time the Turf Club will be full. It will be absolutely packed. Overall, we had sold more boxes and Turf Club memberships three weeks ago than were sold all last year.”

The wagering menu at Hollywood Park will also be different, and, as usual, will offer more variety than Santa Anita. There will be $2 exactas on every race, three $3 triples, a $1 trifecta and the Pick Six, which is now on Races 3-8 rather than 2-7. An added feature is a $3 late double on the day’s last two races in addition to the traditional $2 daily double on the first two races.

“One of the theories is that the $3 late double will give a player a chance to get even for the day,” Hubbard said. “We’ll try it and see how the public likes it.

“We’re going to be doing a lot of questionnaires getting a feel for what the public wants. What we’re starting out with (in betting) isn’t necessarily what we’re going to end up with. We want to give the people what they want.”

The feature race today is the $80,050 Harry Henson Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. Named for Hollywood Park’s longtime announcer who retired in 1982, the Henson was formerly called the Debonair Stakes.

There are only five entries, but two of them are Apollo and Letthebighossroll.

Back to sprinting after finishing fourth in the Jim Beam Stakes March 31 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., Apollo has had three workouts at Hollywood Park this month for trainer Gary Jones. The Falstaff colt is unbeaten in two starts in Inglewood and is perfect in four tries around one turn. He will carry 122 pounds and Chris McCarron will ride.

A gelded son of Flying Paster, Letthebighossroll is unbeaten in three appearances for trainer Bob Baffert. He broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita Feb. 23, came back to win the Zany Tactics by a head March 28, then went up to Golden Gate and was the easy winner of the Piedmont 13 days ago. The gray will also carry 122 pounds, including Eddie Delahoussaye, who was aboard for his first two victories.

Doc Of The Day, who drew the outside in the small field, is also coming off a stakes victory. He won the OBS Champion at the Ocala Training Center in Florida in March, his second victory in the last three starts. Doc Of The Day is trained by Neil Boyce, and Corey Nakatani will ride.

The two other entrants are What A Spell, who has won three of 10 starts for Craig Lewis, and Media Plan, the $450,000 purchase by M.C. Hammer’s Oaktown Stable who ran last in the Santa Anita Derby.

Horse Racing Notes

First post is 1 p.m. R.D. Hubbard will welcome the crowd over the public address system at 12:30 p.m. after being introduced by new track announcer Trevor Denman. Harry Henson will be honored in a ceremony after the race bearing his name. . . . The exactas will be $1 every Thursday. . . . The Hollywood Park replays will be on KDOC (Channel 56) every racing night at 8:30 p.m. and on non-racing nights Bob Baedeker and Mike Willman will have a half-hour show at the same time.