Night Racing Resumes

Hollywood Park is not the only track in California where Friday night racing is resuming.

Approximately 15 minutes after Hollywood Park’s opener tonight, Bay Meadows will also begin to run under the lights, although the horses didn’t flood the entry box for the program.

Only 50 horses are scheduled to run in the eight races. Nine fillies and mares racing for a $6,250 claiming price in the sixth race is the night’s biggest field. Four races have only six entrants and two others drew only five.

Locally, things are better. The average field for the nine races is more than nine, including two races with 12, one with 11 and another with 10.

Of course, the number could shrink, considering how many horses were scratched off the program two days ago. Fourteen horses were scratched either in the morning or during the day on the first of 65 programs at Hollywood Park, meaning there were only two races that had more than eight runners.

The initial Friday night card features the first grade stakes of the spring-summer season. Six fillies and mares were entered in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap, a Grade III at one mile on the turf.

Chris McCarron, who has won the race five times, more than any other jockey, will be a longshot this evening. He will ride Eurolink Raindance for trainer Ben Cecil. The Irish-bred mare ended a long losing streak when beating Autumn Rhythm and three others in an allowance race at Santa Anita last month.

The one to beat is Crazy Ensign. An Argentine-bred mare owned by El Faruk Stable and trained by Richard Mandella, she won the Miss America at Bay Meadows three weeks ago and has won six of 16 in her career. She was a double Group I winner in her native land.

Race of the day: The eighth at Hollywood Park is an interesting allowance race at seven furlongs. Contention runs deep in the field of eight.

Who’s hot: Julio Canani. The trainer began the meet well, winning grass races with The Price Spirit and Ladies Din on opening day.

Who’s not: The field in tonight’s second race. The 12 participants are 0 for 64.

Exotically speaking: A pick four using Bull Ryder, Glitterbend and Full Strike in the sixth, Come Back Ronnie and Road To Slew in the seventh, singling Rimador in the eighth and using Fresh Broccoli, Like Magic and Sweet Potato in the ninth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 1/3. Money: Previous day/meet total: $5/$15. Total money bet: $32.