Hollywood Park Had Its Moments

Although there were too many small fields and plenty of bad maiden claiming races, the 61st spring-summer meeting at Hollywood Park, which concluded Monday, did have some highlights.

Following are some of the season’s bests (actual winners, when different, are in parentheses):

Horse of the meet, older filly/mare: Riboletta. She became the first female to sweep the Hawthorne, Milady and Vanity since Brought To Mind in 1992 and clearly has moved to a different level since joining Eduardo Inda’s barn. She’ll make her next appearance in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap on Aug. 12 at Del Mar.

Handicap horse: Early Pioneer. As strange as it may seem to those who remember him as a claiming sprinter, the gelded son of Rahy earned his title with an upset victory in the slowest Hollywood Gold Cup in 42 years. Even though he won the race, Early Pioneer isn’t even the best older horse in trainer Vladimir Cerin’s barn. That honor belongs to Luftikus.

3-year-old male, 3-year-old: Captain Steve. After defeating a weak field in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows for his first win of the year, the Fly So Free colt proved superior against only five opponents in Sunday’s $500,000 Swaps Stakes.

3-year-old filly: Kumari Continent. There were excuses being made by some of those who finished behind her, but Kumari Continent was a much easier winner of last Saturday’s Hollywood Oaks than the neck margin would indicate. Jockey Kent Desormeaux rode her with confidence for owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trainer Paco Gonzalez and the Kris S. filly didn’t disappoint.

2-year-old male, 2-year-old: Squirtle Squirt. He won his fourth race of the meet--and third stakes--as the 2-5 favorite in Sunday’s $100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship. Now we’ll see how far the son of Marquetry can go for owner David Lanzman and trainer Joe Garcia Jr.

2-year-old filly: Golden Ballet. The Moscow Ballet filly broke her maiden for trainer Jerry Dutton in the Nursery Stakes in May, then, after being sold privately to Team Valor, was even more impressive capturing the Cinderella Stakes a month later for trainer Jenine Sahadi. Slated to run next in the Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 13, Golden Ballet deserved the edge over Landaluce heroine Notable Career.

Grass horse: Bienamado (Silic). The son of Bien Bien crushed his opponents in the Jim Murray Memorial Handicap and then was a workmanlike winner of the Sunset on Sunday. He should be a factor in the major grass races. Besides Silic, who made an auspicious 2000 debut with a repeat win in the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile, others deserving of mention are Happyanunoit, who showed she was back on top of her game with a win in the Beverly Hills Handicap, and White Heart, who won a pair of races, one of them the Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap.

Sprinter: Full Moon Madness. Elaborate won the most high profile sprint stakes of the meet, the Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap, earlier this month, but Full Moon Madness won three times in Inglewood. The 5-year-old gelding, who didn’t race at all in 1999, has won six of nine this year for trainer Bob Marshall, including the Radar Ahead, Answer Do and Robert K. Kerlan Memorial at Hollywood Park.

Claiming horse: Sir Harry Bright. A lightly-raced gelding, Sir Harry Bright easily won all three of his starts at the meet. Trainer Cliff Sise said the old-timer has been sidelined again, but it is hoped he’ll be back next year to race at age 10.

The son of Sir Harry Lewis began his career by finishing second in a maiden race at Del Mar on Aug. 28, 1993. The winner then was Brocco, who went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile a couple of months later and the Santa Anita Derby the following spring.

Trainer: Bobby Frankel (Sise). He clinched his record ninth training title when favored The Seven Seas won the Estrapade Stakes on Monday. He finished with 23 wins and the Estrapade was his fifth stakes score of the meet, tying him with Gonzalez. Sise also had a tremendous season, winning at nearly a 33% clip.

Jockey: Victor Espinoza. It was obvious when he was riding in Northern California a few years ago that Espinoza had natural talent. At 28, he has come into his own. More polished and now riding for many of the high-profile stables, he won his first riding title at a major local meet and earned the biggest win of his career with Early Pioneer in the Gold Cup.

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Although total attendance was down 2.5%, Hollywood Park had an increase in total handle of 5.9%. An increase of 4.9% in on-track handle was the first at the spring-summer meet since 1993. The total combined daily average handle of more than $10.3 million was a record for the spring-summer meet.

Track President Rick Baedeker said Sunday he was disappointed but not discouraged in the attendance, citing the fact that crowds had been up eight of the final 12 days, beginning with the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 9.

“We finished with good momentum,” he said.

Fewer Friday night programs also are likely during the 2001 season. Not wishing to go head-to-head with Laker playoff games in May and June, Baedeker said the track probably will run six or seven Friday nights compared to 12 this year.

Baedeker also said Hollywood Park’s commitment to track announcer Chris Kotulak, who had a shaky first season after replacing Michael Wrona, remains strong.

“Chris had a difficult role to assume here following Wrona, Luke Kruytbosch and Trevor Denman [the previous three announcers],” he said. “He’s struggled, but I also recognize that he has improved. He’s going to have a chance to regroup during the off-season and come back strong in the fall. I’m absolutely committed to working with him.”