Event Of The Year Favored in LeRoy

Event Of The Year, who might have been favored had he run in the Kentucky Derby a year ago, is the prohibitive choice against five opponents in the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

Knocked out of the 1998 Derby by a knee injury, Event Of The Year has won one of four races since returning to action late last year, but is fresh off a strong second-place finish behind Free House in the Santa Anita Handicap.

Trained by Richard Mandella for owners John and Betty Mabee, the 4-year-old Seattle Slew colt is 4-5 on Russ Hudak’s morning line in the LeRoy, the first prep for the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup on June 27.

Laffit Pincay will ride Event Of The Year for the first time.

Rounding out the field are Wild Wonder, the defending champion and 3-1 second choice, Budroyale, River Keen, Klinsman and Moore’s Flat.

Five races later, Cliquot is the 5-2 favorite against 10 other California-breds in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

Owned by Marshall Naify’s 505 Farms and trained by John Shirreffs, Cliquot was third in last month’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and was second by a nose to Kentucky Derby contender General Challenge in his debut last Nov. 28 on this track.

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Gates at Hollywood Park will open at 7:30 this morning and the first Churchill Downs simulcast will be at 8:30. . . . There is a Pick Six carry-over of $90,014.69. . . . Jockeys Garrett Gomez and Corey Black won twice Friday.