HOLLYWOOD PARK / QUARTER HORSE MEETING : Southern California Industry Gets a Boost

In 1986, quarter horse racing interests looked toward the first meeting at Hollywood Park as an opportunity to boost a sagging industry.

Texas and Oklahoma, two of the leading sources of quarter horses, had no major tracks, and many other states were offering purses too small to support the sport. The racing at Hollywood Park, both that first year and in 1987, was the best in the nation, but the business picture was bleak. The track’s average handles were $820,897 and $775,143 during those two years, far below expectations.

Since then intertrack wagering has taken over Southland racing, giving track officials reason to believe this year’s quarter horse meeting at Hollywood Park, which begins tonight and runs through Oct. 25, could net better results.

The 39-night meeting offers racing four nights each week, with simulcasts throughout California. This is the first year of a year-round quarter horse circuit in Southern California, giving the industry much-needed stability. The circuit included three months at Los Alamitos this summer and will return there in November for two months.

In the past, quarter horse racing struggled at Los Alamitos, where California harness racing also is based, and up north at Bay Meadows, where it was an annual money loser--not only for management, but also for the majority of horsemen.

“The Hollywood meet does two things,” said Brad McKinzie, general manager of the Horsemen’s Quarter Horse Racing Assn., which conducts racing in Southern California. “It gives quarter horse racing a year-round circuit in Southern California, which is a must for our horsemen. And second, it should give us exposure to new people. Hopefully, it will create some quarter horse fans who will watch us when we go back to Los Alamitos (in November).”

The spring-summer quarter horse meeting at Los Alamitos ended with an average handle of almost $1 million. McKinzie has that as a goal for Hollywood.

As in 1986 and ‘87, the Hollywood meeting will help decide the world champion. In 1986, Gold Coast Express won the Dash for Cash Derby, and in 1987, First Down Dash won the Hollywood Park Championship. This year, Corona Chick and Refrigerator, two of the leading contenders for World Champion Quarter Horse, probably will meet in the Breeders Championship Classic on Oct. 3. Both are undefeated in 1992 and won major stakes at Los Alamitos this summer.

The richest races of the meeting, however, are for 3-year-old Arabians. The Daughters of the Desert and Drinkers of the Wind Futurities are Oct. 16 and 17, and carry estimated purses of $200,000.