The Bay Meadows Land Company bought Hollywood Park for $260 million from Churchill Downs yesterday (Daily Racing Form). Racing will continue for at least three years. What happens after may depend on whether changes are made to California’s racing law allowing other forms of gambling at tracks (read: slots). Without such, Hollywood’s acreage could be developed for commercial or residential purposes, said Bay Meadows president Terry Francher. “The land is attractive land and we’re prepared to go down either path” (LA Times).
More: “In Bay Meadows, we selected a buyer who not only recognized the value of Hollywood Park, but also is committed to continuing racing there and motivated to improve the California racing environment,” said Churchill CEO Tom Meeker, speaking of the deal (Blood-Horse) … “California horse racing announced Wednesday that it had had enough. It had sat quietly at the dinner table for too long. It was time to pound its fists and knock over the salad … What happened Wednesday was gutsy, brilliant and also somewhat desperate” (LA Times).
Posted by JC in Track Notes on 07/07/2005 @ 3:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
An eye injury will keep Perfect Drift out of Saturday’s Hollywood Gold Cup (ESPN). “It’s a little ulcer on his eye,” said trainer Murray Johnson. “It has healed well, but I’m not sure that he would be 100 percent and did not want to put him under any stress. It’s just that this race is on the other side of the country.” That the race is on the other side of country isn’t keeping the well-traveled Limehouse away. “Hollywood Park will be the 10th track at which he has raced, and he has already won races at five different tracks” (Daily Racing Form). On the undercard, Northern Dancer winner Don’t Get Mad is the likely favorite in the Swaps (Blood-Horse). He’ll face competition from Indian Ocean, winner of the Affirmed.
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 07/07/2005 @ 2:20 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Saturday is the Summit of Speed at Calder and Lost in the Fog headlines the day. The undefeated colt is entered in the Carry Back Stakes, where he’ll be reunited with regular jockey Russell Baze. The nation’s leading rider in wins, Baze has been out with a broken collarbone for a month, and it was Edgar Prado that rode Lost in the Fog to his seventh straight win in the Riva Ridge Stakes on June 11. Baze returned to the track yesterday, winning on his first mount back (Daily Racing Form). Lost in the Fog isn’t the only undefeated starter putting his record on the line Saturday. Happy Ticket, 9-for-9, is entered in the Princess Rooney Stakes, where she’ll meet Madcap Escapade and Sensibly Chic (Thoroughbred Times).
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 07/07/2005 @ 1:50 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
