HOLLYWOOD PARK : 37,862 Turn Out for the Opener

If opening day is any indication, Hollywood Park is going to rebound under new management.

R. D. Hubbard, the race track’s chairman of the board, president and chief operating officer, was hoping for a turnout of about 28,000 Wednesday. What he got was 37,862, the largest opening-day crowd since 1967.

Parking and grandstand admission were free, but this was also the case in 1988, when 23,099 showed up for opening day.

The on-track mutuel handle Wednesday was $4,806,083. Last year, when the opening-day attendance was just 18,250, the handle was $4,091,641.

The surprisingly large crowd was one scratch away from being treated to Southern California’s second match race in four days.

Doc of the Day and What a Spell were scratched from the $71,050 Harry Henson Stakes, leaving only Apollo, Letthebighossroll and Media Plan as starters.

Apollo was unbeaten in four sprints, and Letthebighossroll hadn’t lost in his three starts.

Apollo cracked, finishing last at 7-10 as Letthebighossroll drew away in the final furlong to win by nearly three lengths in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

A gelded son of Flying Paster and the 17-10 second choice, Letthebighossroll sat third while Apollo and Media Plan went at it through some fast fractions--21 2/5, 44 and 1:08 3/5 for six furlongs. Then the winner took charge.

While he was moving away from his two rivals, rider Eddie Delahoussaye made a catch that would have done any NFL receiver proud. His goggles and the red-and-gold silk covering his cap came loose as the jockey and his mount approached the wire.

Although he didn’t grab the goggles, Delahoussaye managed to snare the silk in his right hand. “I was more worried messing with that than anything,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad there weren’t 20 horses in there or something.”

Last through the first six furlongs, trainer Bob Baffert’s 3-year-old rallied on the outside, and that certainly seemed the place to be on the main track.

“Bob just said to play it the way it came up, and that’s what I did,” Delahoussaye said. “He’s a pretty versatile colt. I didn’t know what would happen.

“Bob’s done a great job with him. He’s brought him along nicely this year, and I think he’s getting better and better. He’s more mature than the last time I rode him (on March 28).”

Letthebighossroll isn’t nominated for the Triple Crown races, and Baffert, who trains him for the Romi Stable of owners Mike Pegram and Bob Roth, isn’t sure where he will surface next.

“We’ll just try to find another spot for him now--maybe for a little more money--and try to keep his record intact,” the trainer said. “He’s always been the kind of horse who seems to get away a step slowly. Eddie said he had him behind there and that was the plan . . . to stay off them.

“He got a little dirt in his face and didn’t like it. So, Eddie swung him to the outside and kept him in the clear. He was like push-button from then on.”

Media Plan, the Henson longshot at 3-1, finished nearly two lengths ahead of Apollo, who lost his third consecutive race after winning his first four.

“He didn’t run his race,” Chris McCarron said of the favorite. “He didn’t kick it in at all.”

Prized, who was scheduled to make his 1991 debut in Sunday’s Shoemaker Handicap, will go instead in an allowance race Friday.

Sidelined since injuring himself in the Arlington Million, Prized drew the rail in the allowance, which will be at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The Shoemaker is at a mile on grass.

“He pulled a collateral ligament in his right hock,” trainer Neil Drysdale said of the 5-year-old son of Kris S., whose biggest victories were in the 1989 Breeders’ Cup Turf and his upset of Sunday Silence earlier that year in the Swaps Stakes.

“He’s been back in training for some time now and he appears to have healed up well.”

Prized, who ran only three times last year--he won the Arcadia Handicap and the San Luis Rey Stakes before the Million--is being pointed for the Hollywood Turf Cup next month and the Hollywood Gold Cup June 29.

“We have every reason to believe he’s as good or better than he’s ever been,” said Jeff Siegel, the racing manager of Clover Racing Stable, which owns Prized in partnership with Meadowbrook Farm.

The other five entrants in the race are Sadlers Congress, Mister Riv, Black Monday, Lazaz and Shotiche.

Compelling Sound, who was disappointing in the Santa Anita Derby, won his turf debut in the race before the Henson Wednesday.

The 3-year-old son of Seattle Slew, ridden confidently by Gary Stevens, beat 14-1 shot Timeless Account by nearly two lengths while covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 1/5.

Both Compelling Sound and Letthebighossroll were bred by Cardiff Stud Farm.

Dead Heat defeated favored Sun Brandy by a neck to win the $61,600 Matinee Stakes .

A 5-1 shot, Dead Heat was ridden by Julio Garcia and ran the mile on turf in 1:34 1/5.

In a ruling issued by Hollywood Park stewards Ingrid Fermin, Pete Pedersen and Thomas Ward, jockey agents will each be restricted to handling the engagements of one jockey, unless the stewards give permission to handle two.

Tony Matos has been working for both Corey Nakatani and Garcia, and Bob Meldahl, employed by Laffit Pincay, had planned to work for Pat Valenzuela, as well, when Valenzuela returns from his suspension on May 11.