It’s closing day at Hollywood Park
Since the Hollywood CashCall Futurity was first run in 1981, only two jockeys have won the race in successive years.
Laffit Pincay Jr. won with River Special in 1992 and Valiant Nature in ’93. Alex Solis won on 35-1 longshot Matty G in 1995, then on Swiss Yodeler in ’96.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who is wrapping up a solid year, has a chance to match Pincay and Solis today when he rides Massive Drama in the $750,000 Futurity, the closing-day feature at Hollywood Park.
A victory by the 2-year-old son of Kafwain would enable Desormeaux to equal Pincay and Solis in another category. Each of them has four Futurity wins, one more than Desormeaux, whose victories have come with Afternoon Deelites in 1994, Real Quiet in 1997 and Stormello last year.
A winner of more than 200 races this year and ninth nationally in terms of purse earnings with more than $13 million, Desormeaux will be riding Massive Drama for the second time in less than a month at Hollywood Park.
The jockey, who has ridden regularly in Florida, New York and Kentucky in 2007, was here on Thanksgiving to guide the colt to a win in the Hollywood Prevue for Zayat Stables LLC and trainer Bob Baffert.
A win by Massive Drama would also be the fourth in the Futurity for Baffert, tying him with Wayne Lukas for the top spot among trainers. Baffert’s last victory came with Point Given in 2000.
The presence of Massive Drama and Colonel John, who was impressive winning the Real Quiet in his two-turn debut Nov. 18, did not scare anyone away. Eleven others -- after the scratch of Slew’s Tiznow on Friday -- are scheduled to run in the Futurity. If the 13 that remain participate, it would be the biggest field in the race since 1991.
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Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer remains two wins shy of 5,000 in his career after failing to win with any of his eight starters on Friday at Golden Gate Fields and Hollywood Park.
Trying to become only the fourth trainer to reach the milestone -- joining Dale Baird, Jack Van Berg and King Leatherbury -- Hollendorfer is scheduled to run three horses today.
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Curiously Sweet, the 3-5 favorite, won for the fourth time in six starts since being claimed for $40,000 Jan. 10, taking the $107,200 Cat’s Cradle Handicap at Hollywood Park.
In winning by one length over pacesetter Kalookan Year, Curiously Sweet completed the 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.15.
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