Stevens Heading East for Experimental Run

Jockey Gary Stevens’ decision to move east for several months later this year is not something he will necessarily do in future years.

The top money-winning rider in America in 1998, Stevens, 35, will ride primarily in New York and Kentucky, starting with the final days of the spring-summer meeting at Belmont Park in July.

“It’s something that has been discussed for the last four or five years,” Stevens said. “It’s something we’re doing on an experimental basis. The last couple of years I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and it seems like I’ve been riding on weekdays at Del Mar and weekends at Saratoga.”

Stevens, who rode in Hong Kong for three months in 1995, is scheduled to go to Saratoga, which coincides with Del Mar, after Belmont Park closes, then return to Belmont Park in the fall, then head to Churchill Downs for the meeting which includes the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 7. He probably will come back to California on occasion for important stakes events during those months.

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Racing resumed Thursday at Hollywood Park, the day after an eight-race card was canceled because of an uneven track surface caused primarily by a surprise downpour late Wednesday morning.

Although jockeys agreed the track was safe to ride Thursday, it definitely was slow and the outside lanes seemed the place to be rather than along the inside.

There were 14 scratches off the program, meaning only 53 horses competed Thursday afternoon.

Hollywood Park Notes

Hollywood Park will offer advance wagering on the Preakness today; gates will open at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and the first of the simulcasts from Pimlico will go at 9 a.m. . . . Trainer Ben Cecil won twice Thursday, scoring with first-time starter Trapshut in the sixth race and taking the featured seventh with Lady Tap. . . . In light of the cancellation Wednesday, Hollywood Park will honor the dated page from that day’s program for one clubhouse admission for any future date at the meeting, which concludes on July 20.