Columnist Ralph Siraco: Hollywood Park sale overshadows speed showcase

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 11, 2005 | 9:12 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

The racing industry and horseplayers of the Southern California racing circuit were still reeling from the news that broke Thursday confirming rumors that historic Hollywood Park would be sold.

After months of speculation, Hollywood Park owner Churchill Downs, Inc., reached an agreement with The Bay Meadows Land Company to sell the 67-year-old race track and the 240-acres it sits on for $260 million.

Officials of both companies indicated that the new owners would try to keep racing at the lagging facility for at least three more years. Hollywood Park, however, will need the help of state legislators to keep live racing at the Inglewood oval.

BMLC spokesmen said they would seek legislation to "improve the racing climate in California." That, of course, is directed at California lawmakers, in an effort to allow slot machines at the track or Hollywood Park would likely cease to operate live racing at the venue.

On Saturday, Hollywood Park presented the 66th running of the Hollywood Gold Cup, its prestigious centerpiece race for the older-horse handicap division. The Gold Cup boasts such greats as Seabiscuit, Citation and Affirmed as past winners. Eleven Gold Cup winners used the Grade I race on the way to Horse Of The Year honors.

Again, an eastern invader took a shot at the $750,000 Gold Cup from western counterparts.

This year it was Limehouse who ventured over the Rockies to face eight equines for the home team. Lava Man used the dominant speed bias of the Hollypark tan to demolish his competitors by a record Gold Cup winning margin of 8 1/4 lengths.

Lava Man, ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, who won his first Gold Cup on his ninth try, put the Doug O'Neill trainee right into the race from the start of the 1 1/4-mile classic. After collaring pace-setter Congrats, Lava Man just ran them off their feet.

Runner-up Borrego got the best of Congrats, who finished third.

Claimed for a bargain $50,000 in August, Lava Man has turned into a racing tiger since Hollywood Park's leading trainer added blinkers to the package. Now Lava Man is 3-for-3 with the hood, that also included a victory in the Gold Cup prep -- the Californian -- at Hollywood Park.

O'Neill, who will wrap up another Southern California trainers title when the summer meeting comes to an end next week, won his first Gold Cup in 2002 with Sky Jack, another popular rags-to-riches story.

Also on Saturday, Surf Cat used the speed bias Hollywood Park main track to take the Swaps Breeders' Cup Stakes. Ridden by Alex Solis, Surf Cat grabbed the track immediately in the 1 1/8 mile $400,000 race and ran away from five other sophomore rivals that included favorite Don't Get Mad. The Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher, Don't Get Mad was at a distinct disadvantage on the speed-favoring track. With a coming-from-behind style, Don't Get Mad couldn't muster a closing charge and finished fifth.

While Lava Man and Surf Cat were impressive in victory, neither is expected to compete in the sport's year-end championships. Neither is nominated to the Breeders' Cup, and, if they want to participate in the Breeders' Cup Classic in the fall, their connections will have to ante up an $800,000 supplemental fee. Each ownership has declined to make such a commitment so early in the season.

Saturday's Summit Of Speed at Florida's Calder Race Course turned into a summit of Dennis. The notorious storm that slammed into the region over the weekend postponed the $1.9 million day of racing for 24 hours. Rescheduled on Sunday, the Summit showcased two speedy stakes runners.

In the $500,000 Princess Rooney at six-furlongs, Madcap Escapade bounced back from a second lifetime defeat at Churchill Downs in May with a resounding victory under jockey Jerry Bailey. Although she has two blemishes on her record, Madcap Escapade has never lost a race in the state of Florida.

For that matter, both her lifetime losses came at the home of the Kentucky Derby. She lost the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in 2004 and did not fire in the Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard this year.

The most exciting runner on the Summit card came in the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes.

California invader Lost In The Fog put a perfect 7-for-7 career record on the line in the Calder 6-furlong event. The most anxious moments for the sophomore son of Lost Soldier were those waiting in the starting gate before they sprung the latch.

Once the gates opened it was a matter of how far the victory would be.

Jockey Russell Baze, who hastened recovery from a June 8 collarbone injury to return to the saddle on Lost In The Fog, took his equine limo right to the front and improved his position from there.

A calculated daylight victory pushed his record to eight victories over six different race tracks since his debut maiden-breaker on November 14, 2004, over a muddy Golden Gate track.

Although his connections had toyed with the idea of running in the Kentucky Derby, the more conservative schedule has Lost In The Fog squarely on the path to the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Belmont Park -- where he won the Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard -- this fall.