Gold Cup Field May Number Only Six

Entries will be taken this morning for Sunday’s $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup and only two trainers might have horses in the 1 1/4-mile race.

With the handlers of Will’s Way opting to remain in the east and with River Keen considered doubtful, the Gold Cup field may number only six, five trained by Richard Mandella.

Mandella, who finished 1-2-3 in the Santa Anita Handicap in March, is expected to start defending champion Siphon, Gentlemen, Sandpit and Talloires. He also might start Region.

Marlin, trained by Wayne Lukas, is the other possible.

Supplemented for $25,000 eight days ago, River Keen, upset winner of the Californian earlier this month, would need to put up an additional $15,000 to start and that seems unlikely.

“He started coughing [Tuesday],” trainer Bob Hess Jr. said. “He’ll be fine, but it doesn’t look good for [the Gold Cup].”

Horse Racing Notes

The $500,000 Swaps Stakes, scheduled to be run July 13, is not listed on that day in the condition book that came out Wednesday and there is speculation Hollywood Park will run the Swaps on July 20 and is seeking sponsorship to increase the purse, hoping to entice Touch Gold and Free House to compete here rather than in the $1-million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 3 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.