Hollywood Opens With Turf

In its first spring-summer meet since being purchased by the Bay Meadows Land Co. from Churchill Downs, Hollywood Park will have something it hasn’t had since July 17 when it begins a 61-day season today.

To be specific, turf racing. Because of what management termed the unsuitability of the course, grass racing was canceled before the start of what was to be a 31-day fall meet late last year, wiping out significant stakes such as the Matriarch and Hollywood Derby. Because of the lack of a turf course, the fall meet was reduced to 27 days.

A new layout is ready and the first graded stakes of the meet, the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap, will be run on turf this afternoon. The Grade III race at one mile attracted eight fillies and mares, including 2004 American Oaks winner Ticker Tape, who will carry the high weight of 119 pounds.

Euall Wyatt, Hollywood Park’s general manager, is optimistic about the course, which consists of a type of Bermuda grass that is used on the Del Mar turf course.

“We’re more than satisfied,” Wyatt said. “We’ve been lucky with the weather and a lot of hard work went into the course. It really came out great and it’s only going to get better as the weather gets warmer.

“Everything we’ve heard so far from horsemen is very positive.”

Doug O’Neill, the leading trainer at the just-concluded Santa Anita meet and the leader here at the 2005 spring-summer season, worked Sunshine Millions Classic and Santa Anita Handicap winner Lava Man over the course Sunday. The California bred, who also won the 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup, was one of 17 horses who worked over the layout that morning.

“I thought it looked exceptional,” O’Neill said. “It sounded a little firm, but I didn’t see any divots and it seemed to handle the horses very well. I was talking to [trainer] Tim Yakteen and we were both very happy with the way it looked.”

Wyatt is hopeful that the momentum built at Santa Anita will continue in Inglewood. Santa Anita showed significant gains in attendance and handle on track.

“We’re hoping that what happened there is a sign that things are improving and that it will spill over to us,” he said.

*

The local jockey colony, which lost a prominent member when Garrett Gomez decided to head east to ride for trainer Todd Pletcher because of injuries that have sidelined John Velazquez, will gain a new face in a couple of weeks.

Apprentice Martin Garcia, who is well on his way to dethroning perennial champ Russell Baze for the riding title at Golden Gate Fields, will begin competing in Inglewood after the Northern California meet concludes May 7.

Garcia, 21, will be here Sunday to ride on the Gold Rush Day card. According to his agent Roger Olguin, Garcia will have mounts in four or five of the 10 races for California breds. Entries for the Gold Rush will be taken Thursday.

*

Victor Espinoza, who led jockeys at Santa Anita with 18 stakes victories, will be aboard Beautyandthebeast in the Wilshire, which will be run for the 45th time this afternoon.

Owned by Abergwaun Farm and trained by Neil Drysdale, she has won two of three at the Wilshire distance.

*

Opening day

Sunday’s $1.31-million program on California Gold Rush Day is the first big race at Hollywood Park:

Dates: Today through July 16 (61 days). Regular race schedule is Wednesday through Sunday; special racing on Mondays, May 15, 29 and July 3, and Tuesday July 4.

* Post times: 1:20 p.m. with these exceptions: 7 p.m. Fridays except May 5; 12:30 p.m. on April 30; noon on May 6, July 1, July 2 and July 8.

* Other significant races: $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap (May 13); $300,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile (May 29); $300,000 Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap (May 29), $300,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (June 10), $750,000 American Oaks (July 2), $300,000 Vanity Handicap (July 2), $300,000 Triple Bend Handicap (July 2), $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (July 8).