Final Hollywood Meet Begins Nov. 7
The $750,000-guaranteed CashCall Futurity, an annual stop for future Triple Crown contenders, will once again be the most lucrative event on the stakes calendar for the final Autumn meet at Betfair Hollywood Park.
A total of 21 stakes races worth $4 million are scheduled for the 29-day season, which begins Thursday, Nov. 7 and continues through Sunday, Dec. 22.
In its seventh year of sponsorship by the consumer loans company founded by renowned horse owner-owner breeder J. Paul Reddam, who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another, the Futurity has produced six Kentucky Derby champions and winners of 15 Triple Crown races since its inaugural running in 1981.
The 33rd CashCall Futurity – for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track – will be part of a stakes tripleheader Saturday, Dec. 14. The $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, a Grade II at 1 ½ miles and the $100,000 Native Diver Stakes, a Grade III for older horses at 1 1/8 miles over Cushion Track, will also be offered.
“We are very grateful for Mr. Reddam and CashCall’s sponsorship through the years and believe the Futurity will again be an important step on the road to the Triple Crown,’’ said Martin Panza, Betfair Hollywood Park’s vice president-racing and racing secretary. “We’re looking forward to an exciting final season.’’
The Futurity isn’t the only Grade I for 2-year-olds. The $500,000-guaranteed Hollywood Starlet for fillies will be run for the 33rd time Saturday, Dec. 7, a card that will also include the Grade II, $150,000 Bayakoa Stakes for older fillies and mares. Both the Starlet and Bayakoa will be run at 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track.
Sharing the spotlight with the CashCall Futurity and Hollywood Starlet is the Turf Festival, which will be staged for the 20th time in 21 years over Thanksgiving weekend.
The three-day Festival consists of five graded races, including two Grade I events – the $250,000 Matriarch for fillies and mares at one mile and the $250,000 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 ¼ miles. Both will be run Sunday, Dec. 1.
The $250,000 Citation, a Grade II at 1 1/16 miles, kicks off the Festival Friday, Nov. 29. The Saturday, Nov. 30 program will feature a pair of Grade III’s for 2-year-olds at one mile – the $100,000 Miesque – for fillies – and the $100,000 Generous.
Returning to the calendar for the first time since 2008 is the $100,000 Hollywood Turf Express. The six-furlong race for older horses will be run Sunday, Dec. 8.
Two other stakes are also back. The $100,000 Playa Del Rey, a six-furlong event for older fillies and mares which was last run in 2010, returns Sunday, Dec. 15 while the $100,000 Moccasin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies returns after a one-year absence Saturday, Nov. 9. The Moccasin is run at seven furlongs.
Additionally, the calendar includes the $200,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for 2-year-old fillies bred or sired in California and $200,000 King Glorious Stakes for California bred or sired 2-year-olds. Both races are seven furlongs.
The two events, which were run for the first time in 2012, are part of the Golden State Series, a year-long program for horses bred or sired in the state. The Soviet Problem is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 while the King Glorious is the closing day (Sunday, Dec. 22) feature.
Following is the complete stakes schedule:
BETFAIR HOLLYWOOD PARK
2013 AUTUMN STAKES SCHEDULE
DATE STAKE PURSE/DISTANCE
Sat. Moccasin Stakes $100,000
Nov. 9 Two Year-Old Fillies Seven Furlongs
Sun. Hollywood Prevue Stakes (Grade III) $100,000
Nov. 10 Two Year-Olds Seven Furlongs
Sat. Sharp Cat Stakes $100,000
Nov. 16 Two Year-Old Fillies One Mile & One Sixteenth
Sun. Cat’s Cradle Handicap* $100,000
Nov. 17 Three Year-Olds & Upward, F& M, Cal breds Seven & One Half Furlongs
Sat. Real Quiet Stakes $100,000
Nov. 23 Two Year-Olds One Mile & One Sixteenth
Sun.
Nov. 24. On Trust Handicap*
Three Year-Olds & Upward, Cal breds $100,000
Seven & One Half Furlongs
Thurs. Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (Grade III) $100,000
Nov. 28 Three Year-Olds & Upward Six Furlongs
Fri. Citation Handicap (Grade II) $250,000
Nov. 29 Three Year-Olds & Upward One Mile & One Sixteenth (Turf)
Sat. Miesque Stakes (Grade III) $100,000
Nov. 30 Two Year-Old Fillies One Mile (Turf)
Sat. Generous Stakes (Grade III) $100,000
Nov. 30 Two Year-Olds One Mile (Turf)
Sun. Hollywood Derby (Grade I) $250,000
Dec. 1 Three Year-Olds One Mile & One Quarter (Turf)
Sun. The Matriarch (Grade I) $250,000
Dec. 1 Three Year-Olds & Up, Fillies & Mares One Mile (Turf)
Sat. Hollywood Starlet (Grade I) $500,000**
Dec. 7 Two Year-Old Fillies One Mile & One
Sat. Bayakoa Stakes (Grade II) $150,000
Dec. 7 Three Year-Olds & Up, Fillies & Mares One Mile and One Sixteenth
Sun. Hollywood Turf Express $100,000
Dec. 8 Three Year-Olds & Upward Six Furlongs (Turf)
Sat. CashCall Futurity***(Grade I) $750,000**
Dec. 14 Two Year-Olds One Mile & One Sixteenth
Sat. Hollywood Turf Cup (Grade II) $250,000
Dec. 14 Three Year-Olds & Upward One Mile & One Half (Turf)
Sat. Native Diver Stakes (Grade III) $100,000
Dec. 14 Three Year-Olds & Upward One Mile & One Eighth
Sun. Playa Del Rey Stakes $100,000
Dec. 15 Three-Year-Olds & Upward, Fillies & Mares, Six Furlongs
Sat. Soviet Problem Stakes* $200,000
Dec. 21 Two Year-Old Fillies, Cal breds Seven Furlongs
Sun. King Glorious Stakes* $200,000
Dec. 22 Two Year-Olds, Cal breds Seven Furlongs
*Golden State Series Race
**Guaranteed
***CashCall Futurity sponsored by CashCall