Gold Cup Weights Given Out

With Cigar awaiting his tailor-made race at Arlington International Race Course next month, which will be announced officially at a news conference this afternoon, Soul Of The Matter will be the starting highweight for Sunday’s $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup.

Idle since finishing second to Cigar in the Dubai World Cup in March, Soul Of The Matter will carry 123 pounds against a Gold Cup field that is likely to include six other starters.

Second on the list released by racing secretary Martin Panza on Sunday afternoon was Tinners Way. The winner of the Californian in his 1996 debut was given 121 pounds.

The other probable starters and their weights are Helmsman (120), Geri, Mr Purple, Dare And Go (118) and Siphon (117). Entries for the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup will be taken Thursday morning.

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Twice The Vice made it three consecutive Grade I victories with a three-quarters- of-a-length victory over Jewel Princess in the $177,500 Milady Breeders’ Cup Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Reserved by Chris McCarron off the early pace set by race longshot Top Rung, the 3-2 favorite got the lead with a little more than an eighth of a mile to run and won in 1:40 4/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Jewel Princess, the 9-5 second choice, finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Urbane, then came Top Rung and Borodislew.

Owned by Martin and Pam Wygod and trained by Ron Ellis, Twice The Vice now has 10 victories in 18 lifetime starts. Her other Grade I scores this year came in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita and the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.

Horse Racing Notes

Heavily favored Skip Away won the $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. The runner-up in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 4/5 under Jose Santos. Victory Speech, ridden by Rene Douglas, was second and Clash By Night was third . . . Jockey Mike Hunter won with his first mount in California, scoring a $152.20 upset aboard Pellie’s Flight in Sunday’s sixth race. Hunter, 28, had previously ridden in Illinois and Maryland . . . There is a Pick Six carryover of $148,510.29 for Wednesday.