July 2009 Archives

She's already won the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose Stakes by record margins, and in May she became the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness. On Sunday, she'll attempt to join Serena's Song as the only fillies to win the Haskell Invitational Handicap, and if she does it, she could become the first filly ever to sweep the Haskell and Travers.

Still don't think she's perhaps the best filly since Ruffian came along in the mid-70s? Well, listen to her co-owner, Jess Jackson, talk about the daugher of Medaglia d'Oro.

"Well, we've already proven we can run against colts, and I would hope that she will perform well in (the Haskell)," Jackson said. "And if she should win, I think it just lengthens her legacy and claim to be one of the best of her generation.

"It was delightful for her to beat Ruffian's record in the Mother Goose, and Ruffian was truly one of the best ever fillies, as you know. But that said, if she races against boys and continues to beat them, that is also a major part of her legacy and history.

"We're not necessarily trying to run against fillies. For one thing, the purses are light. And for another, she's proven herself to be 20 lengths (better) than - in both races that were against fillies -- the (Oaks) and the (Goose).

"So we have to look at the competition and have the champions run against champions, whether they're colts or not. And including colts, in our view it's a fair thing for the industry, for her legacy, and for her fans."

Rachel Alexandra, hands down the leader in the Horse of the Year race, certainly has her fans. Monmouth Park officials are expecting a record crowd for the Haskell.

No, it has not been a good first week for Del Mar's synthetic Polytrack surface, seeing as though there have been four fatalities -- two during live racing and two during morning workouts -- dating back to Sunday, July 19. An additional breakdown on the turf during afternoon racing makes it five horses total that have had to be euthanized so far this summer.

Those are the type of numbers that led to these mandated artificial tracks in the first place. Del Mar's stats in 2006 concerning breakdowns were dreadful, setting into motion the move by the California Horse Racing Board -- led by then chairman Richard Shapiro -- to force all major California race tracks to install synthetic surfaces by the start of the 2008 racing calendar.

While the number of catastrophic injuries is up, so too are the number of gate-to-wire winners at the seaside oval. Here are some surprising numbers through the first five days of Del Mar racing, especially when you consider that speed horses were up against a severe bias in 2007 and '08:

* There have been 25 sprint races, ranging from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 furlongs, over Polytrack and eight horses, or 32 percent, have gone virtually gate to wire.
* Four of the sprint winners (16 percent) were second after the opening quarter mile, meaning almost half (48 percent) of the sprint winners so far this meet have been no worse than second early on.
* Seven sprint winners, or 28 percent, have been sixth or worse after the opening quarter, meaning that as well as speed has fared so far, come-from-behinders are not at a distinct disadvantage like speed horses were the past two summers.
* Of the six races on the main track at one mile or more, there has been one gate-to-wire winner and the other five have all come from fourth or farther back after the opening half-mile.

So far, it's been a very fair track for bettors. Now whether it stays that way, depending on if management tinkers with it because of the early fatalities, is open to debate. But it's nice to be able to bet speed on this track and know your horse isn't going to need an oxygen tank at the eighth pole.

The fifth horse of the current Del Mar meet, Maggie and Hopie, had to be euthanized Tuesday morning after breaking down in the stretch during a morning workout.

The meet total through the first five days of racing? Two racing fatalities on the so-called safer Polytrack synthetic surface, one racing fatality on the turf and two morning breakdowns on Polytrack that led to the horses being euthanized.

Perhaps all that money that was spent on these "safer" artificial tracks -- more than $40 million -- could have been used to improve the existing dirt tracks in Southern California. They would have had enough money left over to sweeten purses or use in any number of ways to aid an industry that is clearly struggling because of one bad decision after another by its leaders.

I didn't see all these fatal breakdowns during the Belmont Park meet that ended over the weekend, and guess what folks? They use good, old-fashioned dirt. So does Saratoga. We'll see how Saratoga's numbers stack up against Del Mar's as far as fatal breakdowns go when its meeting begins Wednesday.

I'm not saying Polytrack was the reason for the breakdowns. What I am saying is that, unfortunately, breakdowns are going to occur over any type of surface because these huge, powerful horses are so fragile. I am blaming an increase in soft-tissue injuries on these synthetic tracks, though.

As one trainer told me nearly two years ago, "They might not be breaking down as often (right now), but they're just dying a slower death."

Sunday's Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, the major prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Sept. 6, is shaping up as a top-flight handicap race, what with the connections for Well Armed, Colonel John, Life Is Sweet, Mast Track, Kelly Leak, Magnum, Ball Four, Cigar Man and Temple City all considering the race.

It was thought a few weeks ago that trainer Eoin Harty might ship Colonel John east so he could keep the two main handicap stars in his barn -- he also trains Well Armed -- separated until the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. But Harty would rather keep Colonel John at home and prep him for the big race here. Colonel John's considered only "possible" for the San Diego, whereas Well Armed is pretty well set to go.

Well Armed, off his monster 14-length score in the $6 million Dubai World Cup, is considered one of the top handicap horses in the country. He also had a great year in 2008 that ended on a disappointing note when he finished well out of it in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Life Is Sweet, whose connections prefer to duck stablemate Zenyatta by running her aganst the males again, finished a credible third in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11. She was one of the only horses in the field that closed any significant ground late.

Mast Track, who looked to be in poor form heading into the Hollywood Gold Cup, showed some of his old life by finishing fourth and could be a major player the rest of the way if he's back to the way he was when he went gate to wire to win the 2008 Gold Cup.

When the CHRB and its chairman at the time, Richard Shapiro, mandated the installation of synthetic surfaces at all major California race tracks, we were told they would be safer for the horses and significantly decrease the number of fatalities.

But Del Mar's Polytrack surface has gotten off to a bad start this summer after three horses broke down and had to be euthanized in the past six days -- one last Sunday during a morning workout and two in the first three days of racing.

More than $40 million, which could have been put to much greater use, has been spent by Del Mar, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita on these artificial tracks when all that really needed to be replaced were the bases, which then could have been topped off by quality dirt.

We're still receiving conflicting data, which helps explain why two Southland newspapers reported different statistics this past week when reporting the number of fatalities at Del Mar the first two years of Polytrack.

It's a good thing for the CHRB that there's never been an official list of all the horses that have come down with soft tissue injuries since the synthetics were installed. That would be a mighty long list.

Ten days ago, trainer Papa Clem wanted no part of Rachel Alexandra in next Saturday's $1.25 million Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park. But in a 180-degree turn, Stute has decided to run his talented 3-year-old colt in the Haskell. It might not hurt that the purse was increased $250,000 a few days ago.

"She'll lose one of these days, and I'm hoping my horse will do it," Stute said from his headquarters at Del Mar.

Stute had hoped to reunite Papa Clem with Rafael Bejarano, who rode the colt when he won the Arkansas Derby in April. But with Bejarano sidelined indefinitely because of multiple facial fractures suffered in a riding accident on opening day of Del Mar on Wednesday, Stute will stick with Elvis Trujillo, who rode Papa Clem to a third-place finish in the Long Branch Stakes on July 11.

Stute was also considering the Jim Dandy Stakes on Aug. 2, but that's a $500,000 purse. Makes more sense to run for $750,000 more. Even a second-place finish in the Haskell would mean $250,000 -- or only $50,000 less than the first-place check for winning the Jim Dandy.

The hike in the Haskell purse did not lure Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird away from the West Virginia Derby on Aug. 1.

Stute reiterated this weekend what he told me two weeks ago -- if Papa Clem runs well in his next start, he'll likely return to California and run in either the $350,000 Del Mar Derby or $1 million Pacific Classic on Sept. 6.

With Rafael Bejarano sidelined until at least mid-August with multiple facial fractures suffered in an ugly breakdown on opening day Wednesday at Del Mar, who's going to challenge Hollywood Park spring-summer meet champ Joel Rosario for the seaside title?

How about Tyler Baze, who won the opening day Oceanside Stakes aboard Afleet Eagle for trainer Vladimir Cerin? Baze was fourth during the recent Hollypark meeting, behind only Rosario, Bejarano and Victor Espinoza, and fourth at Santa Anita behind the big three of Rosario, Bejarano and Garrett Gomez. He's tied with Rosario atop the Del Mar standings, both with three wins, through the first two days of the 37-day meet.

Even though Gomez figures to miss a lot of time here because of riding commitments elsewhere, you really can't count him out either, although when a rider misses as many weekend days as Gomez might, it will be tough.

John Sadler, the defending Del Mar training champion, has signaled his readiness for another big meet by saddling three winners in the first two days. Mike Mitchell, fourth at Hollywood Park, expects to have another big Del Mar meet after finishing second here in 2008.

Even though Cerin saddled two winners on opening day, don't expect him to challenge for any titles.

"I'm not set up that well for this meet," Cerin said in the winner's circle following the Oceanside. "I have maybe less than half the horses that I had last year. But you do the best you can with what you have, right?"

Jockey Rafael Bejarano, leading jockey at Del Mar a year ago, suffered multiple facial fractures today, including a broken jaw, nose and bones around his eye, in a spill on opening day at the seaside oval. He will be admitted to Scippps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla tonight and further X-rays will be taken. There was no fracture of the clavicle, an original area of concern, but further tests will be conducted because Bejarano was complaining of pain in the area.

Bejarano was riding Mi Rey, an 8-year-old gelding, in today's third race at Del Mar when the Doug O'Neill trainee broke down at the head of the stretch and dumped the 27-year-old Peruvian. Mi Rey continued to try to run on his injured right leg until stopping in front of the winner's circle. According to CHRB equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur, Mi Rey suffered a compound fracture of the right front fetlock, which is similar in nature to the human ankle.

Arthur said the gelding undoubtedly made the injury worse by trying to run after he was injured. He was loaded onto the horse ambulance and there was no chance to save him. He was euthanized in the ambulance.

According to a Del Mar racing official, Bejarano's jaw will be wired and there is a strong possibility of surgery for the facial fractures.

Just learned that the main areas of concern with jockey Rafael Bejarano, injured in a spill during today's third race at Del Mar, is the left clavicle and the left side of the 27-year-old rider's jaw. He's still at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla undergoing precautionary X-rays.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who's dominated the SoCal rider standings since relocating here full time in December 2007, was involved in a spill during the third race today on opening day of the Del Mar meet, going down at the top of the stretch when Mi Rey suffered a life-ending leg injury.

Bejarano, who was attended to for several minutes on the track following the spill, was taken to first aid and then transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla for precautionary X-rays. We'll update when we receive word on his condition.

Mi Rey, an 8-year-old gelding trained by Doug O'Neill, had to be euthanized.

Mi Rey, an 8-year-old gelding, suffered a front right leg injury at the head of the stretch in Wednesday's third race at Del Mar, dumping jockey Rafael Bejarano. Mi Rey, trained by Doug O'Neill, had to be euthanized, becoming the first afternoon fatality of the Del Mar meet. Another horse, maiden claimer Mad for Plaid, broke down during Sunday morning training and had to be euthanized.

Bejarano, who had his streak of six consecutive SoCal riding titles snapped by Joel Rosario at the just-concluded Hollywood Park spring-summer meet, remained down on the track for quite a few minutes before being taken to first aid to get checked out. No official word yet on Bejarano's condition.

* The first race was won from well off the pace by 10-1 long shot High Stakes Silver, bringing back memories of the first two years of Del Mar's Polytrack surface when speed was much less effective than during the recent Hollywood Park spring-summer meet. But just when you think speed is no good here, along comes Via Zavata to post a gate-to-wire victory in the second. Guess we're going to have to watch a few races to see how the track's going to play this summer.

* High Stakes Silver was ridden by apprentice Christian Santiago Reyes, who has been riding well since arriving at Hollywood Park. There are some press box observers who believe he's going to have a big Del Mar season. Victor Espinoza, who won aboard Via Zavata and finished a strong third in the Hollywood Park rider standings behind Joel Rosario and Rafael Bejarano, is having a nice year and could very well crack the top five here at Del Mar as well.

* Monterey Jazz, coming off an impressive victory in the Grade 2 American Handicap on July 4 at Hollywood Park in his most recent start, heads a top-flight field of eight for Saturday's $350,000 Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the grass. Other runners entered in the 36th running of the stake include Whatsthescript, Artiste Royal, Awesome Gem, Thorn Song, Global Hunter, Dakota Phone and Richard's Kid.

* John Sadler, second behind Doug O'Neill in the Hollywood Park spring-summer trainer standings, believes he has the horses to successfully defend his 2008 Del Mar title. "We're looking to have a nice summer here," said Sadler, who won his first Del Mar title last summer by easily outdistancing Mike Mitchell, 31-19. "We'll let the horses take us where they can. We've brought a nice bunch down here."

* Eoin Harty is hoping to run both Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed and 2008 Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes champion Colonel John in the $250,000 Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on Aug. 2. The San Diego Handicap will be Well Armed's first start since his 14-length score in the $6 million World Cup. If they run well, Harty said he may start both in the $1 million Pacific Classic, Del Mar's signature race, on Sept. 6. Life Is Sweet, a credible third in the $700,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11, may try the boys again in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap.

* It took a while, but trainer Lisa Lewis' first California stakes win was worth the wait. Lewis, who moved her stable from New York to California during Hollywood Park's 2006 autumn meet, saddled Black Astor for a front-running victory in Sunday's closing-day Sunset Handicap at Hollypark. "It took quite a while to get to this, but it's very nice," said Lewis, who added that Black Astor will probably go next in the Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 30.

As Del Mar prepares to begin its 70th season today and optimism -- at least for a day -- runs high among California horsemen, we are painfully reminded of two comments made recently by members of the California Horse Racing Board that point out how badly we need a change in attitude at the top.

Yes, I know how much owner Jerry Jamgotchian has been a thorn in their side for years now, constantly sniping and taking shots at them. There is no doubt that Mr. Jamgotchian could be a little less caustic and still get his point across, but there is also little doubt about this -- he has a lot of good ideas, something even chairman John Harris admitted in a recent article in the North County Times.

But no matter how annoying Jamgotchian can be, no matter how much he buzzes around their heads like a little gnat, there was no excuse for the following comments, and they are very troubling to me.

It doesn't even matter who said them, so we're going to keep their names out of this, even though one of the quotes appeared in the North County Times and the author of said quote is well-known.

"I can't speak for the board, but since he (Jamgotchian) so vocally dislikes it here, his departure is fine with me. He was never a major player here anyway."

Here's what's wrong with that statement: No one owner, no matter how small or large, should be discarded when California has such a shortage in horses today. They should be coddled and encouraged to stay, rather than riducled and shown the door. I mean, these CHRB members are high-ranking officials in the industry and should be a little more thick-skinned. It's dumbfounding to me that such a statement would be made when we need MORE owners, not less.

This next one I am going to paraphrase, because I don't have the exact quote. One of the commissioners, when Jamgotchian sent out an e-mail to media members and a large segment of industry officials second-guessing for the umpteenth time the synthetic track mandate, took umbrage with the fact that Jamgotchian was blaming the synthetics for co-owner Jess Jackson's decision to skip the November Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita with Rachel Alexandra.

The commissioner's attitude? In essence he said, Who cares? We'll still have a great Breeders' Cup.

Well, I have no doubt we'll have another successful Breeders' Cup, as well. But this commissioner SHOULD care that Rachel Alexandra may not be here. I mean, she's one of the two most popular race horses, along with Zenyatta, in America today. This state's racing leaders and Breeders' Cup officials should be bending over backwards to convince Jackson to send his marvelous filly out here. She's a huge drawing card, not to mention the incredible positive media coverage -- something this sport desperately needs as often as possible -- a possible Rachel Alexandra-Zenyatta showdown would attract.

I sure hope these two CHRB members' thoughts are a minority view. If not, we have bigger problems than even I thought. Folks, this industry needs to come together and get this mess straightened out before it's too late, rather than flippantly dismissing valid issues because you despise the messenger.

I've talked to three trainers in the past two weeks -- Ron Ellis, Gary Stute and Doug O'Neill -- who told me that Hollywood Park's Cushion Track was playing more like a dirt track by the end of the 55-day meeting Sunday.

"It's a little bit more firm and it's not as velcro-like as Santa Anita and Del Mar can be," said O'Neill, who returned from a 10-day Mediterranean cruise with his family Saturday night and wrapped up his fourth Hollywood Park spring-summer training title, outdistancing runner-up John Sadler 37-22 while saddling 78 more starters than his rival. Sadler saddled a meet-high seven stakes winners.

Ellis said he likes the Cushion Track better than Santa Anita's Pro-Ride and Del Mar's Polytrack surfaces, and O'Neill gave the Southland's oldest synthetic track a ringing endorsement before winning Sunday's opener with A Lil Dumaani.

"Knock on wood, we had a tremendous amount of luck training on this track," he said. "We really didn't have many hiccups, and that helped us start a lot of these horses two or three times throughout the meet. We were real happy with (Cushion Track), that's for sure.

"We had a lot of starts ... we were at a definite strong advantage winning a title like this because of the numbers that we run. But at the same time, hats off to the clients for investing in the horses and letting us run them as often as we do."

Both Darrell Vienna and Jose DeLima enjoyed strong meets with small stables, winning with seven of their 25 starters -- a 28 percent clip. Mike Mitchell saddled only 69 horses but finished fourth in the standings with 15 victories, a 22 percent success rate.

Garrett Gomez, Joel Rosario and Rafael Bejarano. There's not a better trio of jockeys anywhere riding at the same race track. The 70th Del Mar meet, which begins Wednesday and runs through Sept. 9, is going to be something special, because except for the days when Gomez and/or Bejarano are out of town to ride in big stakes races, these three guys will be vying for the title that was won by Bejarano last summer.

Rosario just snapped Bejarano's streak of six consecutive SoCal riding titles, winning the Hollywood Park spring-summer meet, 79-69. Bejarano had 73 less mounts because he spent a lot more time out of town riding in the Triple Crown races and other selected stakes. The reaction by Rosario and his agent, Vic Stauffer? Who cares. When they look back at the 2009 meet five to 10 years from now, the only thing that counts is that Rosario's name will be atop the standings.

After all, when Bejarano joined Chris McCarron (1982-83) as the only jockeys to win six consecutive Southland titles since the Hollypark autumn meet was added in 1981,
the 27-year-old native of Peru had 151 more mounts than Gomez, who took off in early April to ride full time at Keeneland before returning to the Southland for good last month during the Hollywood Park meet.

"I thought I had a chance to win this meet," Rosario said of Hollywood Park. "I was second last year and second at Del Mar and third at Santa Anita. You need to be a little lucky, but I thought if I tried hard it could happen."

This will be only the second summer that Gomez, Rosario and Bejarano have ridden together at Del Mar. It should be a treat for racing fans.

Hollywood Park made it two consecutive SoCal meets that have shown an upswing in on-track attendance, however slight it may be, when the track announced on closing day Sunday that on-track crowds were up 0.8 percent for the 55-day spring-summer meet. This follows a 1 percent hike by Santa Anita for its 2008-09 winter-spring meet.

Of course, it's no surprise that Hollypark's on-track handle was down 9.1 percent and all-sources handle dipped 11 percent. We're in hard economic times, folks, and a lot of people don't have the money to be risking at the race track. They're still going though, choosing horse racing as a means for entertainment, which is a positive for management.

There's no doubt that Santa Anita's Free Fridays promotion, unveiled for the first time last meeting, and Hollypark's popular Friday night concerts after the races were a major factor in both tracks showing slight increases in on-track attendance. Now the powers that be just need to come up with additional ways to lure potential fans to the races.

According to a Hollywood Park press release, handle showed a significant increase when the track went to a four-day race week from a five-day week in mid-May because of a shortage in the horse population.

"Judging by results across the country, we feel we did OK -- the best we could under the circumstances," Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau said in the release. "We feel the move to a four-day week was the correct course of action. At the time business was off close to 20 percent and a purse cut would have been necessary had we continued to run five days a week."

Santa Anita's on-track handle fell 3 percent this past season, and all-sources handle was down 12 percent from a year ago.

Santa Anita's gain in on-track attendance was the first in the Southland since the 2007 Del Mar meet, and Hollywood Park kept the streak alive. Now the pressure's on Del Mar to see if it can give SoCal racing a hat trick.

I've got friends who think that when I cover the races at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park or Del Mar, all I do is sit around and eat, drink and bet the races. Well, they're wrong! I don't eat quite as much as I once did.

Yes, the tracks feed the media, make sure we don't go thirsty and make it too easy for us to lose our money. Two of the three major SoCal racing venues -- Santa Anita and Del Mar -- have a pari-mutuel clerk in the press box, along with self-service betting machines. Hollywood Park pulled its pari-mutuel clerk midway through the 2008 autumn meet, but there are a couple of machines for us degenerates to use. Sometimes they can be worse than those one-armed bandits in Vegas they call slot machines.

But we also work hard, too. When the average fan is counting his or her money after the day's final race or heading to the nearest ATM machine to recoup their losses while heading home, the writers' work has just begun as we carefully construct our stories that are torn apart, first by our editors, and then by the readers who disagree with what we write.

There aren't as many of us in the press box as there were, say, 10 or 15 years ago. Many daily newspapers have drastically scaled back their coverage of the sport, choosing to cut out full-graded handicaps and results charts because they feel they take up too much space in an era when the price of newsprint increases each year.

The past few years, as on-track numbers have dwindled, management has taken that as a sign that this is a dying sport, when in reality it's a sport that has changed because of off-track betting and the advance-deposit wagering companies. I'm still waiting for those same editors to eliminate some of their baseball coverage because more than half of the major league teams this season are showing a decline in attendance.

There are still a lot of people who care about horse racing, but they choose to drive to an off-track site that is closer to home or wager from the comforts of their living room while not having to pay $8 for a carved sandwich. Let's face it, the era of on-track crowds of 50,000 or more at race tracks have gone the way of the 25-cent candy bar. They are long gone because it's just way too easy now to get a bet down without getting in your car and paying three bucks a gallon for gasoline just for the privilege of paying three or four dollars to park and then forking over another five or six dollars to get into the track and lose your money.

Yes, the sport is in trouble, but more so because of a lack of leadership and bad decisions than a drop in popularity. Give the fans a good show -- i.e. the Santa Anita Handicap and Santa Anita Derby, opening day at Del Mar and Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness -- and the interest is still there. It's just that with the old clientele moving on, the tracks need to do a much better job of attracting new fans to the sport. This is an industry that needs to come up with a way to make it, not only worthwhile for new fans to show up, but also for potential thoroughbred owners to buy and claim horses. Right now, it just doesn't make economic sense.

While us writers were sitting around in the Hollypark press box this past weekend, eating all that food, drinking all those beverages and losing our fannies at the windows, we did toss around a few ideas about some of the problems that all race tracks in America -- not just Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar -- face today.

One of the largest, and one you don't hear much about, is the time between races. In this day and age of instant gratification, there are many young people who don't want to wait 30 minutes between races. They are the same people who love the NFL, NHL and NBA because of the non-stop action, but they detest the amount of time it takes between the fourth and fifth races.

They also might be dazed and confused about all these different types of wagers nowadays. I mean, it's gotten so bad that you can almost bet on whether No. 5 in the sixth race will change leads or whether No. 4 in the eighth will be the first or last horse to return and be unsaddled.

This is a simple game, or at least it should be. During it's heyday, horse racing had win, place and show wagering, a daily double on the first and second races and exactas in selected races. Now you can bet superfectas, super high-fives, super dupers, super scoopers. OK, maybe not the last two, but you catch my drift. Sometimes more is not better, and in this instance I agree with some of my colleagues in the press box.

I welcome your feedback. What can race tracks across America do to attract new fans? How can Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar survive, even if the industry's kingpins don't deliver better leadership? Is it even possible? Are editors right? Is this a sport that will fail to exist in five or 10 years? I don't think so, but I might be wrong. What do you think?

The great unbeaten mare Zenyatta, who ran her unbeaten streak to 11 with victories in the Grade 1 Vanity and Grade 2 Milady handicaps this meet, was voted Horse of the Meet in the media poll as Hollywood Park closed up shop on its 55-day summer/spring meet Sunday.

Zenyatta, scheduled to race next in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 9, received eight of the 10 votes. She was a unanimous choice as top older female.

Other unanimous winners included Hollywood Juvenile Championship victor Necessary Evil as 2-year-old filly, Hollywood Gold Cup champ Rail Trip as older male, Doug O'Neill as top trainer, Joel Rosario as best jockey and Christian Santiago Reyes as top apprentice jockey.

Gozzip Girl, winner of the American Oaks, was voted outstanding 3-year-old and 3-year-old filly and shared top female turf horse honors with Tuscan Evening.

Other meet winners: Necessary Evil, top 2-year-old; Classical Slew, 2-year-old male; Swaps winner Misremembered, 3-year-old male; Whittingham Handicap winner Midships, turf horse; Triple Bend winner Zensational, sprinter; and Roi Charmant, claiming horse.

I've talked to three prominent Southland trainers today who all think there's very little chance that racing will cease to exist at Hollywood Park after this spring-summer meet. In fact, one trainer told me he thinks we'll be racing here for more than one or two more years.

Please check out my story in Monday's editions of the L.A. Daily News, Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group publications. I think I've dug up some pretty good input from these guys who have been around a while and know what they're talking about.

I like Obrigado in today's closing-day feature at Hollywood Park. He's sharp, coming in off a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Round Table Handicap here on June 13, he gets the services of leading rider Joel Rosario and he's trained by Neil Drysdale, who's quietly having a strong meet. He's won with 20 percent of his starters after a slow Santa Anita meet.

Of course, if either Porfido or Black Astor inherits an easy lead in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 2 turf event, they could be tough to catch. Porfido, a 7-year-old Chilean-bred son of Mash One, has the most class of the two and would seem to be a bigger threat to wire this field. He's also two for eight at the distance and David Flores knows him well, having ridden the horse in his past nine outings.

Actually, any of the four runners in this short field can win, but my top two choices are Obrigado and Spring House, who just seem to be better horses at this point than either of the other two.

The last summer shootout at Hollywood Park? Bet against it. That $2 billion price tag on the development project is going to be tough to secure in this economic climate. I'm making plans to be here for opening day next spring.

It was Candy Ride day at Hollywood Park on Saturday, with both Grade 2 stakes races -- the $284,000 Swaps and $150,000 A Gleam Handicap -- being won by offspring of the 2003 Pacific Classic winner.

Misremembered helped trainer Bob Baffert forget about the disappointing career-ending injury to Pioneerof the Nile, if just for a few moments, by going gate to wire in the Swaps, giving Baffert a record-tying fourth win in the race (D. Wayne Lukas also has four). Baffert also won with Captain Steve (2000), Congaree (2001) and During (2003).

"It's exciting to have a horse like this," Baffert said of Misremembered, who has won three of five and gave the trainer his first victory as a breeder. "It looks like distance is not a problem, and he's getting better. Hopefully, we'll keep him healthy and he'll get better with age."

Baffert, who says he's had terrible luck as a breeder, doesn't know what's next for the talented colt who is co-owned by his wife, Jill. He joked that he was in shock and had no definitive plans for the horse.

"You don't know how much money I've wasted, how many hundered of thousands of dollars (in breeding)," he said. "I've never bred a horse like this (Misremembered). All our horses are terrible."

Baffert said his exceptional sprinter Zensational could race next in the $300,000 Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 8 if his workouts indicate he likes the Polytrack surface. The $300,000 Grade I Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 6 is also a possibility as he points the colt to the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. Baffert has won the past two Breeders' Cup Sprints with Midnight Lute.

Trainer John Sadler was pleased with Evita Argentina's come-from-behind victory in the seven-furlong A Gleam, seeing as though she trailed the field early on before unleashing the usual closing kick she shows in sprints. She's now three for six at seven furlongs.

"Keeneland (seven-furlong Beaumont Stakes on April 8) didn't work out for her too well, but she came out of that race with a bruised foot, so she had an excuse," said Sadler, who will finish the meet second, well behind Doug O'Neill in the race for top trainer, but won his meet-high seventh stakes.

He said Evita Argentina will probably go next in the 6 1/2-furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares at Del Mar on Sept. 4, saying, "We'll see how that track plays down there. If it plays for closers, that will help her."

"I'm hoping she'll be nice and strong by the fall for the Breeders' Cup (Filly and Mare Sprint)," Sadler said.

Here's who I like tonight, the final Friday night program of the meet at Hollywood Park:

1st -- Apache Annie had a wide trip last out, drops a peg to $16,000 and gets the services of talented apprentice Christian Santiago. I think he's a good single in the early double, pick three, and pick four.

2nd -- Walther Solis is enjoying a strong meet, winning with 19 percent of 47 starters. He sends out Chatty Lula here, who is showing gradual improvement and appears ready to graduate in this $40,000 state-bred maiden claimer. Martin Garcia stays aboard.

4th -- Christy's Bullet raced four-wide into the stretch last time, losing by only 3 1/4 lengths for the same price as tonight. She's gone postward at 2-1, 3-2, 3-2 and 5-2 in her past four, and you might get better here.

7th -- Trainer Brian Koriner uses Joe Talamo on many of his live horses, and "Smokin' Joe" will be aboard Onefunsonofagun in this $25,000 optional claimer on the grass. It's her second race back after a long layoff and she should be ready to fire here.

Good luck tonight!!

Spend 30 or 45 minutes talking to Dr. Jack Robbins, president and founding director of the Oak Tree Racing Association, and you'll come away with a ton of stories and memories of what it was like on the backsides of Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar during the good old days.

Robbins, one of the most respected men who ever worked in the horse racing industry and one of its best veterinarians until his retirement 25 years ago, has a ton of stories about the all-time great horses he cared for, all the legendary trainers he came in contact with during his career and the memorable jockeys during the golden era.

He remembers gelding the great Native Diver and Ancient Title, recalls working for John Longden when the Hall of Fame jockey trained 1969 Kentucky Derby winner Majestic Prince. Recalls Robbins: "I had a great time with (Longden and Majestic Prince). I was supposed to go back to the Derby with him, but I had a previous engagement. I wish I could have gone back."

He vividly recalls arguably the most popular gelding of the past 50 years, John Henry, although he didn't make much money caring for the cantankerous champion.

"John Henry was a horse where, and I've been quoted before saying this, if you had a barn full of John Henrys, (a vet) would starve to death," Robbins said. "He was sound almost all of his life except for an occasion or two."

He also has fond memories of Calumet Farms, which campaigned in the West in the late '40s and early '50s.

"When I took care of Citation out here (1950) and Calumet (Farms) was on the West Coast, Citation had a low bow (tendon) they had to play with pretty carefully. He was never the same horse while he was out here when Noor was beating him as he was when he was a 3-year-old.

"Calumet, when they had their string out here, it was something to behold. I mean, they had 40 horses and the first three were all champions in their own right. It was kind of a pleasure to be around those horses."

Of the great Charlie Whittingham, Robbins said: "He was a very good, dedicated kind of a horseman. Every evening he'd go down with his hands and examine each of his horses, see which ones ached and which ones were slow eating and things of that sort. He was a very thorough horseman."

Robbins also dabbled in ownership for a while, co-owning a horse named Most Host, who upset the great Damascus in the 1968 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita.

"It was a muddy race track and we just got lucky," he said. "The horse loved that kind of a track and he came on and beat Damascus by a nose. I'll never forget that day because Bob Strub (Santa Anita president) had the Damascus family in the winner's circle -- they were pretty ancient and couldn't move around very fast -- and they were in the winner's circle before the race. It was a little embarrassing."

Robbins also co-owned a filly named Honeys Gem, who he said they bought for a song before she went on to win the Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park and the Bevery D Stakes at Arlington Park in 1959. She was eventually sold for what at the time was a world record price for a broodmare -- $137,000.

"She'd bring back millions of dollars today," he said. "I think the Arabs have stimulated the prices a whole lot, plus some of these ego-maniac owners."

Perhaps some of those same owners whom his son, trainer Jay Robbins, has parted ways with in the past.

"Jay's only problem is he can't take owners that tell him what to do," Jack Robbins said. "He's fired more good opportunities than he's preserved over the years."

Maybe so, but Jay's dad has more than made up for it by preserving so many golden memories.

Good news for those who enjoyed the premiere season of the docu-drama "Jockeys" -- the second season will debut on Aug. 21 with two new riders -- two-time Eclipse Award winner Garrett Gomez and Corey Nakatani -- joining the original six of Mike Smith, Alex Solis, Joe Talamo, Aaron Gryder, Chantal Sutherland and Kayla Stra.

The show will increase from 30 minutes to an hour this season and include new storylines outlined by Animal Planet:

Gomez -- Viewers discover how well-respected this guy is because of the way he's battled back from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of the profession. He's first class all the way.

Nakatani -- Known for his short fuse and fierce competitiveness, he's featuerd prominently on the first episode, which airs at 10 p.m.

Smith -- We'll learn more about his exploits aboard the super mare Zenyatta and also find out how his girlfriend's (Sutherland) decision to move back to Woodbine Park in Toronto affects their relationship.

Solis -- The roller-coaster ride that was The Pamplemousse's 3-year-old season is showcased as the veteran native of Panama hopes to ride his first Kentucky Derby winner.

Talamo -- Only 19 and already approaching the top of his profession, "Smokin' Joe" hopes that I Want Revenge can lead him to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs.

Gryder -- Always in search of his signature mount, Gryder travels across the globe to ride Well Armed in the $6 million Dubai World Cup. Finally, he's found that horse he hopes puts him on the map as a rider.

Sutherland -- The best female jockey since Julie Krone wants to win the Kentucky Derby and ride some live Breeders' Cup horses. Will her decision to return to Woodbine Park in search of those goals adversely affect her relationship with Smith?

Stra -- The Australian native continues to get precious few mounts, most of which go postward at boxcar odds. Is she tough enough, possess the needed patience to stick it out?

The first season was very enjoyable, and we can only hope the encore is as good if not better. We'll find out beginning Aug. 21.

The proposed sale of Santa Anita has run into a road block because of the economic climate, according to an industry source who didn't want to be indentified because he is not authorized to speak on the subject.

"I'm hearing that guys are dropping out because they can't get financing," the industry insider said. "I hear that (Frank) Stronach will get it back."

Santa Anita's parent company, Magna Entertainment Corp., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March after defaulting on conditions of a bank loan. In May, a Delaware bankruptcy judge gave Magna the go-ahead to sell Santa Anita, its most valuable asset, in order to help pay down debt.

The decision by the federal judge outlined that potential buyers for Santa Anita and other Magna race tracks -- Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Thistledown in Ohio, Portland Meadows in Oregon and Magna's interest in Lone Star Park near Dallas -- had to declare their interest by May 27 and officially submit bids by July 31. The new owners are scheduled to be selected in an auction in New York on Sept. 8.

Santa Anita president Ron Charles has met with potential buyers, one of whom reportedly is a Chinese group. Charles traveled to China shortly before this year's Kentucky Derby, but it's not known for certain if the trip had anything to do with the possible sale of Santa Anita.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California at one time were believed to be interested in submitting a bid, along with Martin Wygod, a prominent thoroughbred owner and breeder.

A Santa Anita official said recently that track employees "are on pins and needles" in regards to the possible sale because of the uncertainty of the situation. No one knows if the track is sold whether the new owners will come in and clean house or even want to keep racing at the site. However, it's pretty certain that new owners would have a major fight on their hands with Arcadia city officials if they tried to turn Santa Anita into anything but a race track.

Santa Anita will become the first track to host back to back Breeders' Cups this year during the Oak Tree meeting. Breeders' Cup XXVI is scheduled for Nov. 6-7.

Wonder why there's a shortage of race horses in the state? Hmmmm, well, cut and paste the following link to Ray Paulick's blog. Our "astute" state legislators are the main reason why we're in the economic mess we're in, and it's others who are asked to sacrifice to help make up for their long trail of mistakes and bad judgment. If I performed my duties at work like they've performed theirs, I'd have been fired long ago.

http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/california-to-out-of-state-owners-iou/

There are still roughly 5 1/2 months left for viable Horse of the Year candidates to strut their stuff and show why they should be voted the most prestigious of the Eclipse Awards. Here's how we see the race as the field approaches the quarter pole, including probable odds:

1. Rachel Alexandra -- A Haskell-Travers sweep could be the crowning blow, 7-5
2. Zenyatta -- Brilliant mare's camp needs to step up, take a chance, 7-2
3. Einstein -- Looking for Arlington Million-Pacific Classic-Breeders' Cup Classic trifecta, 6-1
4. Mine That Bird -- Derby winner can't afford any more slip-ups, 12-1
5. Well Armed -- Must add to that 14-length romp in Dubai World Cup, 15-1
6. Gio Ponti -- Turf specialist needs to keep winning, hope others stumble, 20-1
7. Rail Trip -- Needs Pacific Classic-Breeders' Cup Classic double, then some help, 25-1
8. The field -- Time running out for Summer Bird, Macho Again and others, 50-1

Even if Rachel Alexandra doesn't sweep the Haskell and Travers and wins only one of the two, that will give her two victories over males this year. A sweep would give her three and make it highly unlikely Zenyatta could challenge her for Horse of the Year unless the two meet on the track and Zenyatta beats her and then goes on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.

If Rachel Alexandra wins her next start -- the Haskell on Aug. 2 -- she'll score more points with the Eclipse voters in the Horse of the Year chase. If Zenyatta wins her next race -- the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 9 -- it won't do her a bit of good with the voters. Sure, she'll be in line to defend her title as top older female, but owner Jerry Moss already has gone on record as saying Horse of the Year is a goal -- a goal that will be virtually impossible to reach unless the 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry ventures outside her comfort zone.

Right now, Rachel Alexandra is proving as difficult to catch in the HOY race as she is on the race track.

Reader Jim Tierney advised on 7/15 that there are six horses that have won both the Haskell and Travers.
Reader BC advised on 7/16 that there are seven horses that have won both stakes.

Rachel Alexandra, on the verge of possibly establishing herself as the greatest 3-year-old filly ever, will race next against the boys in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Aug. 2.

The move sets it up for Rachel Alexandra to try to become the first filly ever to sweep the Haskell and the historic Travers Stakes on Aug. 29 at Saratoga. Seven horses have swept both Grade 1 events for 3-year-olds, Point Given being the most recent in 2001. Coronado's Quest (1998), Holy Bull (1994), Forty Niner (1988), Wise Times (1986), Wajima (1975) and Holding Pattern (1974) also accomplished the feat.

If Rachel Alexandra, who's won all six of her starts in 2009, including record victories in the Kentucky Oaks (20 1/4 lengths) and Mother Goose (19 1/4 lengths), won both races it would give her three victories over the boys and stamp her as an overwhelming favorite to be named Horse of the Year, pending a meeting with Zenyatta, which at this point is not planned.

"Rachel Alexandra is progressing well after her stakes record victory in the Mother Goose," co-owner Jess Jackson said in a statement. "She is in top condition. If this preparation continues, our target is to race in the Haskell Invitational in about three weeks. We are all looking forward to seeing this great athlete perform again against both colts and fillies."

The Haskell, won last year by Big Brown, is a 1 1/8-mile race run on dirt.

Jackson also announced there are 11 more days to bid on Rachel Alexandra's training halter worn while she was preparing for her Preakness victory, when she became the first filly since Nellie Morse in 1924 to win the middle leg of the Triple Crown series. The Kendall-Jackson/Rachel Alexandra Running Auction is a five-month-long charity auction taking place on www.kj.com. Proceeds will be donated to The V Foundation to aid in cancer research.

Just as we surmised, it was announced about 30 minutes ago through a Jess Jackson press release that Rachel Alexandra will run next in the Haskell Invitational against the males on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

We'll post more on this in a bit.

Reader Jim Tierney advised on 7/15 that there are six horses that have won both the Haskell and Travers.
Reader BC advised on 7/16 that there are seven horses that have won both stakes.

Seven horses have won both the Haskell Invitational and historic Travers Stakes since the former race was established in 1968. But no filly has ever turned the trick, until maybe now. Think that Rachel Alexandra's co-owner, Jess Jackson, who likes to raise the bar and set the standard, isn't thinking about what a coup it would be for his immensely popular 3-year-old filly?

We're still waiting to hear when Rachel Alexandra will make her next start. Of course, everyone is still holding out hope that the 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d' Oro will eventually take on the country's most popular older distaffer, the unbeaten Zenyatta, but there's no further word on that front. Zenyatta's next start will come in the $300,000 Grade 2 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 9.

There are three races where Rachel Alexandra could logically make her next start -- the $1 million Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on Sunday, which would be her first race against older fillies and mares; the $300,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 25; or the $1 million Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on Aug 2, which would be her second matchup against the boys after a victory in the Preakness Stakes on May 16.

The American Oaks is probably out, seeing as though it carries a much smaller purse than the two million-dollar races. Entries for the Delaware Handicap will be taken Wednesday, so a decision is needed immediately if Rachel's connections want to go that route. She certainly signified her readiness for racing Monday morning, when she worked five furlongs in 1:01.38 at Saratoga.

A start in either of the aforementioned three stakes means she would be set up for a start in the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on Aug. 23 or the $1 million Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 29, both of which will be run at Saratoga. If it comes down to a choice of the two, bet on the latter.

It's my guess she'll go next in the Haskell and then try the Travers. Holding Pattern (1974), Wajima (1975), Wise Times (1986), Forty Niner (1988), Holy Bull (1994), Coronado's Quest (1998) and Point Given (2001) are the only horses to win both. If Rachel Alexandra accomplishes the feat, meaning she would have beaten the boys three times this year, well, you can make her 1-5 to win Horse of the Year.

Rachel Alexandra is unbeaten in six starts this year and has won nine of 11 lifetime. Her past three starts have all been most impressive -- a record 20 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks on May 1, the victory in the Preakness and a record 19 1/4-length win in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 27.

Hollywood Park track announcer Vic Stauffer, who according to doctors suffered a mini stroke Saturday night, says he's be given the OK to return to work calling the races when the meet begins its final week Thursday.

Stauffer, who was hospitalized for tests Saturday night after complaining of fatigue and missed Sunday's card, also is the agent for the meet's leading rider, Joel Rosario, who is trying to snap Rafael Bejarano's co-record streak of six consecutive Southland riding titles. Rosario, who's never won a major riding title in the U.S., holds a 74-66 edge over Bejarano with four days to go.

"I am absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes," Stauffer said in a statement. "Tina, Lilly and I can never properly say how much we appreciate it. I know that I am going to feel better when I'm doing what I enjoy most, and that is calling the races."

The 50-year-old Stauffer began calling the races at Hollywood Park in 2001. He began booking mounts for Rosario during the past Hollypark autumn meet.

Here's what we know -- Bobby Frankel is ill. The Daily Racing Form reported last week that the only trainer to win five Eclipse Awards is at his home in Pacific Palisades instead of New York, where he normally spends his summers. Speculating on Frankel's illness or its severity is irresponsible and something we won't get into. There are all sorts of rumors and stories floating around out there that are just that -- rumors and stories -- and until they become fact, we won't comment on them.

What we will comment on is how we hope this is something that will not keep Frankel from returning to his training duties on a fulltime basis. Horse racing is a sport the 68-year-old Brooklyn native loves, and he's one of the best trainers I've seen during my more than 30 years following the sport. It's tough to put anybody up there with the incomparable Charlie Whittingham, but Frankel ranks right up there with the other greats of the past 30 to 40 years.

One industry icon, Dr. Jack Robbins, president and founding director of the Oak Tree Racing Association and one of the most respected track veterinarians in the business before his retirement more than 20 years ago, told me recently that Frankel just might be the best trainer he's ever worked for. That's high praise indeed.

"I worked with Bobby when he first got to California and I worked with him until I retired," Robbins said. "He's a very astute, if not diplomatic, horse trainer. Bobby, I wouldn't want him to hear it, but he probably was the best trainer I ever worked for. He has a knack with a horse. You don't know why, because he's never been able to get on a horse to my knowledge, but he seems to know what to do with a horse at the right time. He was a little bit of an ornery guy with his owners, but he was very pleasant as far as I was concerned."

Word of Frankel's sickness comes at a time when he's struggling to win races, particularly at Hollywood Park. Heading into the final week of the 55-day meet, Frankel's horses have won only once in 35 tries, and that was a victory by Midships in the Whittingham Handicap on June 6. On Saturday, a pair of Frankel runners finished fourth in the two stakes -- Mast Track in the $700,000 Hollywood Gold Cup and Visit in the $250,000 Royal Heroine Mile.

After Rail Trip won Saturday's $700,000 Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park, trainer Ron Ellis was asked how it felt to win what possibly could have been the final Gold Cup in the track's history.

"Well, it would be sad," he said. "I wouldn't be able to rejoice in it very much. I train here, this is my home track to train at now. So I'm really hoping that this isn't the last go-around for this track. You never know, but it certainly would make it bittersweet. I'd like another couple years so I can enjoy this Gold Cup for at least a year or two."

Said winning jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr.: "Who knows, this might have been the last Gold Cup. So to add my name to the list, it means the world."

We've been hearing about the demise of Hollywood Park for years now. In fact, three years ago the Inglewood race track was said to be destined to close at anytime. Well, here we are three years later and Hollywood Park is still running its signature race and holding its annual Turf Festival each Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Will it go on forever? Of course not. Some day, and probably sooner than later, Hollywood Park will close up shop as a racing venue and the land will be turned into a business and residential venture called "Hollywood Park Tomorrow." It's going to happen someday, but maybe not tomorrow like many people believe.

The fact that the Inglewood City Council approved ordinances and zoning changes, clearing the way for the development project, last week by no means suggests that Hollywood Park will be holding its final Turf Festival in November. Far from it. First of all, there's something about that $2 billion loan the developers need to secure before the construction can begin. Two billion in this economy, particularly the real estate market, might as well be five billion.

A man who should know a little somthing about the matter, Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau, continues to maintain a stance he's taken for two or three years now -- he's proceeding with racing as scheduled. Chances are that since racing secretary Martin Panza had to delay drawing for last Thursday's and Fridays cards because it was tough to fill the races, Hollywood Park will close down because of a shortage of horses before it shuts its doors due to redevelopment.

The rich got richer at Hollywood Park today, with Doug O'Neill, the runaway leading trainer at the spring-summer meet, winning both ends of the stakes races for 2-year-olds.

O'Neill swept the two Grade 3 races -- the Hollywood Futurity and the Landaluce Stakes -- with fillies, beating the boys in the Futurity with Necessary Evil and then coming back two races later to take the Landaluce with Repo. Assistant Leandro Mora saddled both winners because O'Neill is vacationing in Spain with his family.

Necessary Evil is now unbeaten in two races after her three-length, gate-to-wire victory in 1:09.98 for the six furlongs as the 6-5 favorite. She won her debut in gate-to-wire fashion as well, beating eight fillies on May 31 at Hollywood Park in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

"Boy is she fast," winning jockey Joel Rosario said. "She won nicely first time but I think she did even better today. She's a very nice filly. At the top of the stretch she changed leads perfectly. In fact she does everything perfect."

It seems O'Neill is doing everything perfect this meet as well. He went into the day assured of his fourth spring-summer Hollypark title with a 34-20 lead over runner-up John Sadler in the trainer standings. He's up by 16 now after his pair of stakes wins with only four racing days to go.

In the Landaluce, Corey Nakatani guided Repo, the 9-5 second choice, to a gate-to-wire, three-quarter length victory over 3-5 favorite Well Deserved, running the six furlongs in 1:10.07. Repo, a daughter of In Excess, won her debut at Hollywood Park on May 10 against state-breds in a maiden special weight, breaking on top and never looking back en route to a four-length score. She finished second in the Cinderella Stakes to Well Deserved in her next start, breaking slowly and awkwardly in the 5 1/2-furlong race on June 11 and closing well only to come up one length shy of Well Deserved.

"Normally she's a good gate filly but she was a little excited last time and she broke so hard that the ground broke out from under her," Nakatani said. "After that, I just sat and waited and tried to relax her. She showed a lot of courage. Today we got a flyer and the race was over."

Just like the trainer's race.

It was easy to overlook some notable items from Saturday's Hollywood Gold Cup after Rail Trip ran away and hid from his 12 rivals in the Grade 1 event.

But looking back, there were some significant sidelights:

* Yes, Life Is Sweet never threatened in her bid to become the first distaffer to win the Gold Cup in 41 years. But she was hardly disgraced, either. Laying next-to-last in the 13-horse field much of the way under Garrett Gomez, she closed willingly to finish third, three-quarters of a length in front of defending champion Mast Track. Owner Marty Wygod deserves kudos for trying the males. "Hats off to them for trying," winning trainer Ron Ellis said. "I think they should have tried. It could have thrown her into the picture for a championship if they'd beaten Zenyatta at Santa Anita."

* We hadn't heard much from Tres Borrachos after he won the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park last July as an 11-1 surprise. He flopped in the Travers Stakes six weeks later, finishing last while beaten by 16 1/4 lengths, and he suffered five more losses before finding the winner's circle again in a $62,500 optional claimer on May 25 at Hollywood Park. He ran big again in defeat Saturday, setting the pace and then having enough left to hold second by 4 3/4 lengths over Life Is Sweet. Good training job by Beau Greely, who says the 4-year-old gelding will be pointed to the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 6.

* It's hard to believe that a jockey of Gomez's stature still hasn't won a Gold Cup, even though he's spent a lot of time back east after the Santa Anita meetings. Still, he rides in big stakes races all over the country and it's just one of those strange fates that he hasn't landed on the right horse yet in the Gold Cup. His day will come. Kent Desormeaux, who rode in the Southland for many years before moving back east four years ago in a move that has resurrected his career, also has never won a Gold Cup. It might be a little tougher for him now. After he finished fifth aboard 2-1 favorite Parading on Saturday, Desormeaux said, "He was comfortable. He left the gate in a beautiful gallop and he stayed in that beautiful gallop, couldn't get him out of it."

* Perhaps the two most disappointing efforts were turned in by Dakota Phone, who was right there in his past three races while finishing third twice and second in the Santana Mile and looked like he might appreciate the Gold Cup's added distance, and Eastern invader Bullsbay, who won the Grade 3 Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 1 and then finished a strong fourth -- beaten only 1 1/4 lengths -- in the Stephen Foster Handicap. Neither horse ran a lick, with Dakota Phone outfinishing Bullsbay by a nose for ninth place. Both went postward at 9-1.

Funny how sometimes before a big race we'll write about how it's not a star-studded field and how it looks like seven, eight or nine horses have a chance to win. But really, the way he ran Saturday, Rail Trip was the only horse that had a chance to win the 70th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup. He was that good, that brilliant en route to a dominating three-length victory in a Cushion Track-record 2:00.75 for the 1 1/4-mile distance many skeptics said he'd never successfully negotiate.

Jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr., who was criticized for a careless ride in the Santana Mile at Santa Anita on April 4 when he went to sleep in the saddle and almost blew a huge lead in the stretch aboard the 4-year-old gelding, deserves a lot of credit for his ride aboard the son of Jump Start. He sat just behind the pace-setting Tres Borrachos for much of the way, made his move turning for home and the race was over as he regained the luster he'd lost by finishing second in a pair of Grade 2 stakes after beginning his career with five consecutive victories.

Trainer Ron Ellis revealed the grand plan after the race, that the Gold Cup was the main objective all along and they used it to determine if they should point Rail Trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7 or the Dirt Mile the same day. I guess we all know the answer to that now, huh?

"He was so relaxed when he came by the stands the first time, and that's what we've really been working on," Ellis said. "All the races that he's run has kind of been a buildup to this, and it's pretty satisfying when a plan works out.

"This would have been the first big race that made sense. I mean, a lot of people wanted to run him into the Santa Anita Handicap but he just wasn't mentally ready for that. Luckily, the (owners Mace and Samantha) Siegels are very patient and have a lot of faith in me and they let me skip that race and point for this one, and I'm glad that their patience was rewarded."

Samantha Siegel said the bettors jumped off the bandwagon too quickly, that the gelding was still learning and that even though he'd lost those two Grade 2 stakes, he never looked that bad in defeat. He'd gone postward as the favorite in all seven of his races before Saturday, and the public let him get away at a generous 9-1 in the Gold Cup.

"This horse has been learning by leaps and bounds his last two races," she said. "The allowance races were paid workouts. He got to gallop around and get paid, (but) he didn't learn about how to run competitively when other horses come to him, and that's what happened in the last two races.

"He got his education. He'd only had seven starts, and three of those races were pieces of cake. It's hard to get battle tested. Now he knows what it's all about. In the paddock and the walking ring (Saturday), Jose got on him, he arched his neck and walked around and he knows he's the deal. That's what you want to see."

Said Ellis: "I think he really learned a lot off the two races here. The first race here, it was the first race he was ever challenged and he wasn't really sure what to do. I thought he ran a really game race last time. He had to battle with Ball Four and put him away and it kind of took its toll in the end. He got a perfect ride by Valdivia today. It just all worked out."

It was April 4, Santa Anita Derby day, and Rail Trip -- one of the most talked about horses in Southern California up to that point -- brought a 4-0 record into the Santana Mile. He'd won his first four starts by a combined 14 1/4 lengths and he looked like the next super horse.

But a funny thing happened on the way to victory No. 5, which looked like it was going to be another runaway when the 4-year-old gelded son of Jump Start opened another huge lead in the stretch. Suddenly, Dakota Phone began closing ... and closing ... and closing. And jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr., trainer Ron Ellis' main man, went to sleep. He didn't realize Dakota Phone was coming so quickly and he almost cost Rail Trip the win. He won by a nose, but it was much, much closer than it should have been.

"I kind of said, 'You better start thinking of a story and come up with something good.' " Ellis said in the Hollywood Park Gold Cup winner's circle Saturday. "If he had lost that race, he might not have ended up on the horse today. I wouldn't doubt if he would have gotten suspended by the stewards and all sorts of things. That was just cutting it too close. He got a little too confident and fell asleep and he had a ton of horse left. I didn't say much to him. I didn't need to say anything to him."

Valdivia was embarrassed.

"That was a huge mistake on my part," he said in the jockeys' room Saturday after scoring what he called the biggest victory of his 15-year career. "But that's how gracious the connections were, they just didn't give it any thought. Like I said, I just got very lucky that I got the head bob because I've never felt so bad in my life when I pulled up. A big crowd on Santa Anita Derby day, I felt like my heart was going to come out of my throat. I was coming back and I was still sweating it out and I was thinking, 'I can't believe this. All I had to do was just kind of put my hands down and ask him for a little more and instead here I am having to sweat it out when I should never be in this position.' "

Samantha Siegel, who along with her dad Mace owns Rail Trip, doesn't even want to remember the incident.

"That's water under the bridge, and that's not to be talked about anymore because he's now won a Grade 1 on this horse at a mile and a quarter and we need to concentrate on the good things that happen and not look back on the things that are annoying," she said.

Valdivia said Ellis and the Siegels never really got mad at him, that they sort of joked about it, telling him not to make it so close the next time. But because he hung on to win the race, he could also laugh about it.

"I remember telling Sam and Ron, "Geez, you rode Eddie D. (Delahoussaye) for so many years and for him that was a long half a head,' " Valdivia said. "Geez, Eddie D. did it every day."

Delahoussaye was famous during his heyday for rallying from far back on horses and just getting up in the last few jumps to win the race.

Much has already been written about the lack of star power in today's $700,000 Gold Cup at Hollywood Park, but you'd be hard-pressed to go back and find a Grade I race in Southern California where about 10 of the 13 horses have some sort of chance to win.

Of course, some have better chances than others, and here are my top selections, in order, for the 70th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup:

Dakota Phone -- Jerry Hollendorfer was cheated out of a chance to win this race last year when Heatseeker was withdrawn the week leading up to the race. The 4-year-old gelding, third in both the Mervyn LeRoy and Californian, should appreciate the extra eighth of a mile and retains the services of Rafael Bejarano. He should be right there.

Informed -- Tyler Baze got to know this guy last time out when they hooked up for a win in the Californian, and there's no reason why he shouldn't fire today and be a major player in the stretch. His trainer, Doug O'Neill, knows a thing or two about winning Gold Cups.

Rail Trip -- There's a big question whether this 4-year-old gelded son of Jump Start can get the mile and a quarter, but one thing is almost certain -- he'll have the lead at the eighth pole and they'll have to come and get him. If he didn't go too fast too early, they might have a tough time doing that.

Parading -- The best of the shippers, the Shug McGaughey-trained 6-year-old has won four of his past six and showed his like for synthetics when he won by 7 1/2 over Keeneland's Polytrack two races back. The 4-1 morning-line favorite is a major contender, and the fact we have him placed fourth says a lot about how wide open this race really is.

Life Is Sweet -- A very nice filly who some experts believe just isn't quite good enough to defeat the males. If she can't do it here and her connections want to continue to avoid running against stablemate Zenyatta, you might see her surface next in a turf race against other distaffers.

Song of Navarone -- Trained by one of the really good guys in the game, Henry Dominguez. If he can pull off the upset, and it would not be a shocking upset, there will be a lot of happy horsemen come Sunday morning. There will be many on the backstretch rooting for this 5-year-old son of Sultry Song.

Much has been written about the resurgence of jockey Kent Desormeaux's career since he left the Southland colony four years ago to begin riding East. He immediately began winning more races, traveled that incredible journey that was Big Brown's attempt at a Triple Crown last year and just last weekend flew in to ride Gozzip Girl to a resounding victory in the $700,000 Grade I American Oaks at Hollywood Park.

Desormeaux will attempt to add a little more flavor to that comeback story this weekend when he climbs aboard Eastern invader Parading in the $700,000 Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday at Hollywood Park. If he wins, he'll become the first jockey to win both of Hollypark's richest races in the same season. In fact, Desormeaux already became the first two-time winner of the Oaks with his win aboard Gozzip Girl, and he was disqualifed from a third in the inaugural running in 2002 when original winner Dublino was DQ'd and placed second behind Megahertz.

I think Parading has a big shot to give Desormeaux, who's won with about 20 percent of his 2009 mounts, his first victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup. The 39-year-old Louisiana native won two Santa Anita Handicaps during his time here -- Best Pal in 1992 and Milwaukee Brew in 2002 -- and also won one Pacific Classic at Del Mar aboard Missionary Ridge in 1992.

Parading, a 6-year-old son of Pulpit, won the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes over the Pimlico turf on Preakness day in his last start while carrying 122 pounds, so Saturday's high weight of 119 pounds won't bother him in the least. He's sharp, having won four of his past six starts, and he's won his only start on a synthetic -- taking the Grade 3 Ben Ali over Keeneland's Polytrack by 7 1/2 lengths on April 19. He's trained by a guy -- Shug McGaughey -- who's won a big race or two in his time, and his Beyer Speed Figures make him competitive with any horse in the field.

Anyone who saw Secretariat win the Triple Crown in 1973 remembers Sham, the Pretense colt who ran second to Big Red in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Here's a great look back at Sham by the Blood Horse's Steve Haskin. Just copy the Web address below and paste it into your browser. Before Monarchos won the Derby in 2001, Sham still owned the second fastest Derby clocking at 1:59 4/5. He was a wonderful horse who happened to come along in the wrong year.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2009/07/09/sham-rocks.aspx

Hollywood Park's signature race, the $700,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Up, may have lost some of its luster with the gradual decline of the track, but when you look back at the race's glorious past, the record book is stamped with names of horses, jockeys and trainers that are synonomous with greatness.

For instance:

* The legendary Bill Shoemaker rode in a record 26 Gold Cups, winning eight with five seconds and four thirds. Five of the Shoe's eight victories came while riding for the great Charlie Whittingham.
* Laffit Pincay Jr., who probably is still fit enough to ride, won a record nine Gold Cups for eight different trainers. He won twice for Whittingham, finding the winner's circle with Greinton in 1985 and Perrault in '82. Interestingly, after he won in consecutive years with Greinton and Super Diamond (1986), he didn't win another Gold Cup until 2001 when he again won in consecutive years with Aptitude (via DQ) in 2001 and Sky Jack the following year.
* Whittingham saddled an amazing record 58 starters in the Gold Cup, winning a record eight times, including four consecutive years with Ack Ack in 1971, Quack in '72, Kennedy Road in '73 and Tree of Knowledge in '74. Shoemaker won aboard three of the four, with Don Pierce winning with Quack when the colt joined Round Table (1957) as the only 3-year-olds to win the race.
* Quack ran a stakes record 1:58 1/5 for the 1 1/4-mile distance in '72 on the old track. Greinton ran a track record 1:58 2/5 in '85 after Hollypark was converted into a 1 1/8-mile track.
* Most wins by a horse? Native Diver and Lava Man both won the race three times, and the Diver was the oldest winner, racing home first when he was 8 in 1967. Ack Ack carried the most weight (134 pounds) to victory.
* Nine geldings have won the race, including both Native Diver and Lava Man. This year there are five geldings entered -- Big Booster, Dakota Phone, Rail Trip, Tres Borrachos, and Magnum.
* Largest attendance? In 1965, 58,971 passed through the turnstiles. In the past few years, the track has had trouble drawing 10,000 on Gold Cup day.
* The Bobby Frankel-trained Marquetry paid a record $56.80 in 1991 and Swaps paid a record low $2.30 in 1956.
* The inaugural winner? The legendary Seabiscuit, who was 5 when he won for George Woolf in 1938.

This year's edition of the Gold Cup is scheduled for Saturday. No, there are no major stars running in this year's race, at least yet. We don't know if Rail Trip will turn out to be anything special, but who knows ... someone, whether it be horse or jockey, could step up big and become part of what is indeed a glorious history for a stakes race that will be run for the 70th time.

The largest field since Quack won in 1972 -- 13 horses -- was entered today for Saturday's 70th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. Quack, was was trained by Charlie Whittingham, was part of a 14-horse field. To show how wide open the race is, there have been only fields larger than Saturday's. A record 16 went postward in 1946.

Eastern invader Parading, with Kent Desormeaux aboard, was installed as the 4-1 morning-line favorite by track oddsmaker Russell Hudak and will carry top weight of 119 pounds. Life Is Sweet, who will try to become the fourth distaffer and first since Princessnesian in 1968 to win the Gold Cup, is the 9-2 second choice and will carry 113 pounds -- just one less than Parading when the five-pound female allowance is factored in. Garrett Gomez will ride.

The field, from the rail out with rider and morning-line odds:
1. Autism Awareness, David Lopez, 30-1
2. Big Booster, Joel Rosario, 12-1
3. Mast Track, David Flores, 20-1
4. Bullsbay, Jeremy Rose, 8-1
5. Parading, Desormeaux, 4-1
6. Dakota Phone, Rafael Bejarano, 6-1
7. Song of Navarone, Victor Espinoza, 12-1
8. Rail Trip, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 5-1
9. Tres Borrachos, Joe Talamo, 30-1
10. Life Is Sweet, Gomez, 9-2
11. Global Hunter, Corey Nakatani, 20-1
12. Informed, Tyler Baze, 6-1
13. Magnum, Martin Pedroza, 12-1

Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, whom the Daily Racing Form reports has been staying away from the track recently because of an undisclosed illness, probably will start two horses in Saturday's $700,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup -- defending champ Mast Track and Champs Elysees, runner-up in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March.

The Racing Form cites other trainers and jockey agents as saying Frankel has been difficult to reach in recent weeks, with his longtime assistant, Humberto Ascanio, telling the publication: "I don't miss one day of talking to him. I hear a lot of rumors and I can't comment. It's his private life. I talk business and that's it. He's a fighter. He doesn't want any sympathy."

Ascanio told the Racing Form that Frankel, who will turn 68 on Thursday, has even sent some horses to other Southland trainers.

It's been a tough Hollywood Park meeting for Frankel, who's won only once with 33 starters. He also suffered through a dismal Del Mar meet last summer, blanking with more than 20 starters.

Mast Track, who wired last year's Gold Cup field, has not won since and figures to have a more difficult assignment this time with more speed horses like Rail Trip likely to go. Champs Elysees, who has done his best running on turf, may not fare as well on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track because it more resembles a traditional dirt track, whereas Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface seems to suit turf horses a little better.

Yes, it's early. Still four months before the Breeders' Cup, but trainer Bob Baffert just might have another Breeders' Cup Sprint winner on his hands in Zensational, impressive winner of Sunday's Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park. He became the first 3-year-old to win the race since Debonaire Junior in 1984.

The thing about Zensational, who was running some outrageous splits when he first began, is that he's learning to relax and run more realistically early. He's showing an ability to save his best for the final part of the race, and that's a dangerous quality when you're dealing with a horse like Zensational who has so much natural speed.

"He just has that brilliant speed," Baffert said after the race. "He's getting better and he's relaxing a little bit. I told him (Victor Espinoza) to keep him out there. If you bring a horse like him to the rail, he'll just take off on you. He kept him in the middle to keep him under control. Victor is learning how to ride this horse too. He's a very difficult horse to ride."

Zensational, who set very realistic splits of 22.34 and 45.02 seconds while going gate to wire to beat Rush With Thunder by a length in the 7-furlong Triple Bend, has gone much faster early in some of his races. When he broke his maiden at Santa Anita on Feb. 21, he went 21 4/5 and 44 2/5 early on. In his last start before Sunday, in an $80,000 optional claimer, Zensational sat second early and then sped off to win handily after swift early fractions of 21 3/5 and 43 3/5.

Next up? Baffert says they are pointing the Unbridled's Song colt to the King's Bishop Stakes for 3-year-olds on Travers Stakes day at Saratoga on Aug. 29. That race is run at 7 furlongs on dirt against other 3-year-olds.

"I just don't want to run him too many times," Baffert said. "I want him fresh for the Breeders' Cup."

Baffert won the past two Breeders' Cup Sprints with Midnight Lute, a horse he called the best he's ever trained after the son of Real Quiet became the first repeat winner of the Sprint last fall at Santa Anita in what was probably Baffert's best training job ever. Midnight Lute had run only once in 2008 before the Breeders' Cup, a dismal effort in the Pat O'Brien Handicap at Del Mar, but Baffert had him cranked for the $2 million Sprint.

If you ask Espinoza, you'd probably get a thumbs up about the colt's ability to win this year's Sprint on Nov. 7.

"The way he finished today was unbelievable," Espinoza said. "This is the second time I rode him and he showed big improvement from that race to this one."

Parading, shipped to Hollywood Park on Monday from Belmont Park, will carry top weight of 119 pounds when he tries to win his third consecutive graded stakes in the $700,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11.

Weights for the 70th running of the Gold Cup were announced today, with Life Is Sweet assigned second high weight of 118 pounds along with another Eastern invader, Bullsbay, and Santa Anita Handicap runner-up Champs Elysees. Take away the five-pound sex allowance for Life Is Sweet, and she's actually the high weight. She's scheduled to be the first distaffer to start in the Gold Cup since 1981 and will try to become the first to win the race since Princessnesian in 1968.

Defending champion Mast Track, winless since his gate-to-wire victory in last year's Gold Cup, was assigned 114 pounds. Informed, winner of the Californian, was given 117 pounds as he tries to give trainer Doug O'Neill his fifth Gold Cup victory -- second most behind Charlie Whittingham's record eight.

The weights:
Parading, Shug McGaughey, 119
Bullsbay, Graham Motion, 118
Champs Elysees, Bobby Frankel, 118
Life Is Sweet (5 pound sex allowance), John Shirreffs, 118
Informed, Doug O'Neill, 117
Song of Navarone, Caesar Dominguez, 117
Awesome Gem, Craig Dollase, 116
Dakota Phone, Jerry Hollendorfer, 116
Rail Trip, Ron Ellis, 116
Rising Moon, Richard Dutrow Jr., 116
Big Booster, Mike Mitchell, 115
Global Hunter, A.C. Avila, 115
Magnum, Darrell Vienna, 115
Wishful Tomcat, Frankel, 115
Autism Awareness, Genaro Vallejo, 114
Mast Track, Frankel, 114
Richard's Kid, Bob Baffert, 114
Tres Borrachos, Beau Greely, 114
Plan, Dutrow Jr., 113
Mr. Big, Baffert, 108

Rafael Bejarano has won a record-tying six consecutive SoCal riding titles, but he's got his hands full if he wants the record to himself. He trailed the streaking Joel Rosario, 67-59, heading into today's 11-race card with just nine racing days remaining.

Rosario, who won five races Saturday to spurt clear in the standings, is aiming for his first riding title in the U.S. A 24-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, Rosario finished second behind Bejarano, 56-45, at last year's Hollywood Park spring-summer meet.

Through the first three races today, Bejarano has pulled within six of Rosario, 67-61, by winning twice -- with Carman (7-2) in the second race and Hurricane Ike (5-1) in the third.

"I think it's 50-50," said Vic Stauffer, Rosario's agent and Hollywood Park's track announcer. "The other guy (Bejarano) can win races in bunches."

Stauffer, who took over Rosario's book during the Hollywood Park autumn meet, believes there is a big difference between winning the jockey title and finishing second or third behind Bejarano and Garrett Gomez.

"Some people say winning titles isn't important, but it would mean the world to us," he said. "When you call a trainer in the East and tell him you're third in the standings behind Bejarano and Gomez, that's all well and good. But when you tell him you're the leading rider at Hollywood Park, that makes all the difference in the world.

"We're going to leave no stone unturned. You don't know when you'll get another chance like this."

Fourteen are scheduled to go postward in today's eighth running of the American Oaks at Hollywood Park, a 1 1/4-mile turf race for Northern Hemisphere-foaled 3-year-old fillies and Southern Hemisphere-foaled 4-year-old fillies for a purse of $700,000. The Grade 1 race looks wide open, but I think four fillies have the best shot at finding the winner's circle:

GOZZIP GIRL -- Daughter of Dynaformer has won four of five on the turf and is a grandaughter of Roberto, a terrific turf sire. She comes in off a 1 1/2-length win in the Grade 2 Sands Point over a yielding Belmont Park turf course and has won three of her past four. Kent Desormeaux rides.

APPLE CHARLOTTE -- She's a nose away from being undefeated in four starts on the turf and Mike Smith will ride the Royal Applause filly for trainer Henry Cecil. She's been racing in England, losing her last start by a nose at today's distance. She's also won at today's distance, which is a major plus.

ACTING LADY -- Comes in off a second-place effort behind Well Monied. Conditioned by the meet's runaway leading trainer, Doug O'Neill, the Theatrical filly has the kind of close-up stalking style that is dangerous in this type of race. She retains the services of Rafael Bejarano.

MRS KIPLING -- The Irish-bred daughter of Excced and Excel won her last by 2 1/2 lengths while racing four-wide into the stretch in the Grade 2 Senorita over the Hollypark turf on May 3. She beat males in Italy last year and Neil Drysdale is as good as they come preparing horses for races like today's.

Should be a great race!

Mike Smith, Zenyatta's regular rider who's one of the best big-race jockeys in the nation, has landed the mount on Mine That Bird for the West Virginia Derby on Aug. 1 and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29.

Smith rode Mine That Bird in the Preakness when Calvin Borel opted to stay aboard Rachel Alexandra, who went gate-to-wire and became the first filly to win the second leg of the Triple Crown in 85 years.

Borel could not give a commitment for the West Virginia Derby, so trainer Chip Woolley secured the services of Smith for the two races. Interestingly, Smith could not commit to the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7. Hmmmmm. Perhaps the Zenyatta camp is thinking of taking on the boys in the big one?

"Hopefully we won't be in a switch in the Breeders' Cup," Woolley said.

Smith was at Churchill Downs on Saturday to ride Thorn Song in the Firecracker Handicap and expressed his delight at securing the mount on this year's Kentucky Derby winner.

"I'm very happy to have the opportunity to get back on him," the Hall of Famer said. "Hopefully I can make amends for what happened the last time and get him home this time."

Smith and Mine That Bird were a fast-closing second in the Preakness.

Some say Rachel Alexandra co-owner Jess Jackson has no intention of running his spectacular 3-year-old filly against Zenyatta. Still others criticize Zenyatta's owner, Jerry Moss, for apparently choosing to keep his fabulous mare in California and take zero risks. What do you think? Will these two spectacular distaffers meet this year?

Defending champion Mast Track? Californian winner Informed, along with runners-up Rail Trip, Dakota Phone and Song of Navarone? This isn't exactly a Hollywood Gold Cup for the ages.

Twenty horses were nominated Thursday for the $700,000 Gold Cup, which will be run July 11 at 1 1/4 miles on Cushion Track. The most intriguing nominee is Life Is Sweet, who will attempt to become the fourth female to win the Gold Cup -- Hollypark's signature race -- and the first since Princessnesian in 1968. Two Lea (1952) and Happy Issue (1944) also turned the trick.

With Tiago not ready to run yet and Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed aiming for a return to the races in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 2, the Gold Cup is seriously lacking some star power. Mast Track, trained by Bobby Frankel, won the race last year in gate-to-wire fashion, but he's winless in five races since.

A pair of Eastern invaders who have shown a fondness for synthetic tracks -- Parading from New York and Bullsbay from Maryland -- figure to be major players in the race. Others nominated include 2008 Swaps Stakes winner Tres Borrachos, Autism Awareness, Awesome Gem, Big Booster, Champs Elysees, Global Hunter, Magnum, Mr. Big, Plan, Richard's Kid, Rising Moon and Wishful Tomcat.

Champs Elysees, runner-up to the brilliant Einstein in the Santa Anita Handicap in March, is an interesting horse. But he's better on the turf, and Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface appears to be more conducive to grass specialists than Hollywood's Cushion Track, which plays more like a traditional dirt surface.