McCarron Adds Mount in Bid for 7,000th Win

Jockey Chris McCarron will have an extra opportunity to win his 7,000th career race today at Hollywood Park.

Originally scheduled to ride only Duke Of Green, the 5-2 morning line favorite in the fifth race, McCarron picked up Coil N Strike, the 7-5 favorite in the first, Wednesday morning.

Trainer Mike Machowsky had named Iggy Puglisi to ride Coil N Strike but didn’t realize when entries were taken on Sunday that Puglisi would be at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., today to ride Polaire in the Bewitch Stakes.

McCarron, who has reached several milestones at Hollywood Park--his 2,000th, 3,000th, 5,000th, 6,000th and 6,500th victories have all come at the track--is trying to become the seventh rider to win 7,000 races.

Through Wednesday, Laffit Pincay was on top of the list with 9,123 victories, then came Bill Shoemaker (8,833), Pat Day (7,944), David Gall (7,396), Russell Baze (7,328) and Angel Cordero (7,057).

*

Entries were taken Wednesday morning for Hollywood Park’s second California Gold Rush, a day devoted entirely to California-breds.

The 10 races, with total purses of $1.26 million, drew 107 entrants and the day’s pick six will feature a guaranteed $1-million pool.

Hoovergetthekeys, who dropped off the Kentucky Derby trail after a dismal performance in the Lone Star Derby in Texas earlier this month, and Takin It Deep, the surprise winner of the California Derby, were among a dozen 3-year-olds entered in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes, the most lucrative Gold Rush race.

Claimed by trainer Brian Koriner for $32,000 for owner Carl Odegaard last fall, Hoovergetthekeys won the El Camino Real and Golden Gate derbies earlier this year, then reportedly suffered an ankle injury when finishing seventh in the race at Lone Star Park.

He has trained well since, however, and it was decided to ship him south for the Snow Chief, which will be run at 1 1/8 miles. A win by Hoovergetthekeys, who, along with Takin It Deep, will carry top weight of 124 pounds, could lead to a start in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

The rest of the field, in post position order, includes Stocks Are Rising, Jacquie’s Delight, Noble Kinsman, Romanceishope, Mr. Joe C, Champagne Day, Cherokee Kim, Upsanddowns, Tony’s Loc and My Two Sons.

Earlier in the program, Lazy Slusan, the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap winner at Santa Anita, faces six in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes at seven furlongs.

Notes

Jockey Goncalino Almeida, who recently returned to riding in California from his native Brazil, scored his first victory since Oct. 16, 1999, when 6-1 longshot Halo ‘N Stars won Wednesday’s sixth race. . . . Kudos, a 9-1 longshot, made it three victories in a row and established a track record for 1 3/16 miles on the turf when capturing the seventh, a $55,000 allowance. Alex Solis rode the winner for trainer Richard Mandella and owners Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss. The 4-year-old gelded son of Kris S. completed the seldom-run distance in 1:51 4/5, bettering the previous mark of 1:52 3/5 set by Algenib on May 16, 1992.