Special feeling emerges at close of spring-summer session

Ralph Siraco

Tuesday, July 20, 1999 | 11:44 a.m.

There was a special feeling to the close of the spring-summer race meet Monday at Hollywood Park. Sure, it was the last spring-summer session of this century, and it did mark the end of racing in the Metropolitan Los Angeles area for the next two months. In addition, the finale was also an end of an era at Hollywood Park.

As Hollywood Park concluded its 60th spring-summer racing season, it was also the last meeting of racing at the Inglewood oval under the guidence of Hollywood Park Chairman and CEO R.D. Hubbard.

Hollywood Park had been sold to the Churchill Downs, Inc. racing group just before the meet began on April 23. The transaction is scheduled to close in late August or early September. Under the stewardship of Hubbard, after a lengthy and bitter proxy battle to gain control of the track and it's destiny over eight years ago, the track returned to its "lakes and flowers" beginings and prospered under innovative introductions to the sport of kings. His contribution to the track ensures it continued success.

As we approach the next century, Hollywood Park and its Southern California place on the racing calendar should be secure under the new management team of Churchill Downs, Inc.

This meet concluded with a record daily average handle of $10,384,707. The biggest jump in handle figures came in the category of inter-track averages that swelled 6.5 percent to $4,748,781 per day. Although daily average attendance took a hit and dipped 5.4 percent on-Track, it still remains that the growth of the Hollywood Park product will be through simulcasting and television racing.

On the track, Real Quiet was voted the Top Older Horse and Horse of the Meet with his thrilling victory and stirring stretch rally to win the Grade I $1 million Hollywood Gold Cup.

Jockey Alex Solis clinched his fourth spring-summer riding title and seventh overall Hollywood Park riding championship with 57 winners while Garrett Gomez, who won the 1998 Fall Autumn Festival Hollywood Park title, lead the riders in stakes wins with seven at the stand.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally started the meet hot and stayed that way to capture his fourth spring-summer title and sixth overall at Hollypark with 25 victories on the season. Although he did not take the stakes winning category -- won by trainer Bob Baffert with six added-money victories -- McAnally registered five stakes wins.

Other equine winners included: Manistique -- Older Filly or Mare; Cat Thief -- 3-year-old; Smooth Player -- 3-year-old Filly; Dixie Union -- 2-year-old; Magicalmysterycat -- 2-year-old Filly; Virgine -- Turf Horse; Mazel Trick -- Sprinter; Bold Capital -- Claiming Horse; and Royal Shyness -- best development of the meeting.

Although General Challenge and Excellent Meeting failed as 2-to-5 odds-on favorites on the final weekend of racing, there were 216 winning favorites from 571 races for 37.8 percent on the meet.

Southern California racing will take a two-day respite until Thursday when spa racing begins at Ol' Del Mar for seven weeks of a six-day-a-week racing schedule.