Hollywood Gold Cup 2021: Odds and analysis

Monday’s $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup going 10 furlongs at Santa Anita Park drew a field of seven which are all hoping to win a U.S. Grade 1 stake for the first time.

The past two years, the winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup went on to win an Eclipse Award as the older dirt male champion. In 2020, it was Bob Baffert's Improbable and the year before Todd Pletcher shipped Vino Rosso across the country.

The race moved to Santa Anita in 2014 with the closure of Hollywood Park, and was rebranded as the Gold Cup at Santa Anita. But last year, the name Hollywood Gold Cup returned to use.

Game on Dude won the last two runnings at Hollywood Park and Lava Man was victorious in three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007.

Here is a full field analysis for the Hollywood Gold Cup, which is carded as race 8 out of 9, with morning line odds provided by the Horse Racing Nation staff.

1) Royal Ship (7-2 – Midshipman – Richard Mandella / Mike Smith – 12: 6-1-2 - $203,305) The 5-year-old import from Brazil has been facing graded-stakes company since joining the barn of Richard Mandella last summer. Mandella continued to run Royal Ship on turf, which is what the horse did in Brazil, but he broke through with a big victory in the Californian (G2) when moved to the main track. The son of Midshipman pressed the pace, took the lead in the stretch, and won a head-to-head battle against Country Grammer. He will try the 10-furlong distance for the first time in the Gold Cup. Use underneath.

2) Country Grammer (2-1 – Tonalist – Bob Baffert / Flavien Prat – 7: 2-1-1 - $197,320) This 4-year-old was a Grade 3 winner last year in the Peter Pan at Belmont Park against a field that included third-place finisher Mystic Guide. The son of Tonalist was then fifth in the Travers (G1) which led to a seven-month layoff. He returned to the races in April in the Californian (G2) where he set the pace and was beaten for the win spot by a neck following duel down the stretch. Win contender.

3) Brown Storm (20-1 – Scat Daddy – Michael McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli – 20: 4-1-5 - $226,634) This Chilean import has raced in graded stakes on both dirt and turf for trainer Michael McCarthy since coming to the U.S. back in 2019. He has not won a race since then but was the pacesetter in last year’s ten-furlong Big Cap (G1) and Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and the eventual fourth-place finisher in both. His two starts in 2021 were back on the grass. Whether intentional or not, Brown Storm will provide early pace for McCarthy’s other runner, Rushie. Toss.

4) Heywoods Beach (15-1 – Speightstown – John Sadler / Tyler Baze – 14: 3-2-2 - $166,251) He switched from turf to dirt and recorded a third and a first in allowance races at Santa Anita with stalking trips. Heywoods Beach is stakes-placed a couple of times in races on the grass. Even though his allowance victory was at the 1 1/4 mile distance, his step up to Grade 1 company is significant for the son of Speightstown. Toss.

5) Rushie (9-5 – Liam’s Map – Michael McCarthy / Trevor McCarthy – 9: 3-2-2 - $583,151) Preakness winning training Michael McCarthy brings the well-travelled 4-year-old back to Santa Anita after a nose loss in the Oaklawn Mile against the talented By My Standards. Rushie won the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs last year, which served as a prep for a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Rushie was the 9-5 favorite in the race at Oaklawn, which was his 2021 debut. He is another one in this field that does his best running while close to the early pace. The son of Liam’s Map will stretch out to this classic distance for the first time. Top Pick.

6) Two Thirty Five (12-1 – Stay Thirsty – Doug O’Neill / Abel Cedillo – 33: 8-7-5 - $392,555) This 7-year-old gelding was a supplemental nominee to the Gold Cup field by owner / trainer Doug O’Neill following a win in a $50,000 open claiming race at Santa Anita as the odds-on favorite at the beginning of the month. Last year, Two Thirty Five ran seventh in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) after a second in the San Pasqual (G2). Since then, he has raced exclusively in allowances and high-level claimers. Toss.

7) Express Train (6-1 – Union Rags – John Shirreffs / J. J. Hernandez – 10: 3-4-1 - $473,300) Express Train has raced in Grade 1 and Grade 2 company in his last four starts beginning in December. He hit the board in all of them including a win in the San Pasqual (G2) in January with a stalking trip versus a field of five that included the graded-stakes winner Idol. Express Train met up with Idol again in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), where he had the lead in the stretch but got caught  by that rival nearing the wire while racing at today’s distance. Live longshot.