Hollywood Gold Cup

Grade I race
Hollywood Gold Cup
Lava Man winning the 2007 Gold Cup
Location	Hollywood Park Racetrack Inglewood, California
Inaugurated	1938
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Hollywood Park Racetrack
Race information
Distance	1¼ miles (10 furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	$750,000

The Hollywood Gold Cup is an American Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997, when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. In 2005, the Gold Cup returned to the original handicap format.

The Hollywood Gold Cup is run over a distance of 1¼ miles on Cushion Track synthetic dirt and currently carries a purse of $750,000. It is open to three-year-olds and up and is one of the premier races on the West Coast of the United States, along with the Santa Anita Handicap from Santa Anita Park, and the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack.

Only three mares have ever won the Hollywood Gold Cup. Happy Issue was the first in 1944, followed by Two Lea in 1952 and Princessnesian in 1968.

Hollywood Park Racetrack opened it's doors on June 10th, 1938, and the legendary Seabiscuit, under jockey George Woolf, won the $50,000 Added race's inaugural running on July 16th.

The race was not run in 1942 or 1943, due to Hollywood Park being closed and used as an airplane parts storage depot during WWII.

In 1949, the Hollywood Gold Cup, as well as the entire 1949 meeting, was held at Santa Anita Park, due to a devastating fire at Hollywood Park on the night of May 5, 1949. Solidarity won the 1949 running on July 16th. The Hollywood Park grandstand was rebuilt and the facility reopened in time for a two-part split 1950 season. The 1950 Hollywood Gold Cup, won by Noor, was held in the second part or Fall/Winter part of the split, on December 9th, 1950. The following summer, the race returned to it's usual mid-July running and the great Citation, in his final race, won the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 14th, 1951, becoming the first thoroughbred racehorse to hit the career earnings mark of one million dollars.

In 1980, Mary Lou Tuck became the first woman trainer to win the Hollywood Gold Cup with Go West Young Man.

In 1999, the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century was published and there were fourteen horses on the list that had won the Hollywood Gold Cup: Citation, Affirmed, Round Table, Cigar, Swaps, Seabiscuit, Skip Away, Gallant Man, Challedon, Ack Ack, Native Diver, Noor, Two Lea and Exceller.

Records

Time record:

• 1:58.20 - Quack (1972) (on natural dirt) (New track record, equalled world record)
• 2:00.75 - Rail Trip (2009) (on Cushion Track)

Most wins:

• 3 - Native Diver (1965, 1966, 1967)
• 3 - Lava Man (2005, 2006, 2007)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Charles S. Howard (1938, 1939, 1950)
• 3 - Calumet Farm (1951, 1952, 1990)
• 3 - Louis K. Shapiro (1965, 1966, 1967)
• 3 - STD Racing Stable/Jason Wood (2005, 2006, 2007)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 9 - Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1970, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 2001, 2002)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 8 - Charles Whittingham (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1987)

Winners of the Hollywood Gold Cup since 1938

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance (Miles)	Time	Grade
2011	First Dude	6	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Donald R. Dizney	1-1/4	2:01.57	I
2010	Awesome Gem	7	David Flores	Craig Dollase	WestPoint Thoroughbreds	1-1/4	2:03.31	I
2009	Rail Trip	4	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	Ronald W. Ellis	Jay Em Ess Stable	1-1/4	2:00.75	I
2008	Mast Track	4	Tyler Baze	Robert J. Frankel	Robert J. Frankel	1-1/4	2:01.37	I
2007	Lava Man	6	Corey Nakatani	Doug O'Neill	STD Racing/J. Wood	1-1/4	2:03.21	I
2006	Lava Man	5	Corey Nakatani	Doug O'Neill	STD Racing/J. Wood	1-1/4	2:01.16	I
2005	Lava Man	4	Pat Valenzuela	Doug O'Neill	STD Racing/J. Wood	1-1/4	1:59.63	I
2004	Total Impact	6	Mike E. Smith	Laura de Seroux	Prince Sultan al Kabeer	1-1/4	2:00.72	I
2003	Congaree	5	Jerry Bailey	Bob Baffert	Stonerside Stable	1-1/4	2:00.48	I
2002	Sky Jack	6	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Doug O'Neill	Rene & Margie Lambert	1-1/4	2:01.73	I
2001	Aptitude †	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	1-1/4	2:01.79	I
2000	Early Pioneer	5	Victor Espinoza	Vladimir Cerin	David & Holly Wilson	1-1/4	2:01.40	I
1999	Real Quiet	4	Jerry Bailey	Bob Baffert	Michael E. Pegram	1-1/4	1:59.67	I
1998	Skip Away	5	Jerry Bailey	Sonny Hine	Carolyn Hine	1-1/4	2:00.16	I
1997	Gentlemen	5	Gary Stevens	Richard Mandella	Randall Dee Hubbard	1-1/4	1:59.26	I
1996	Siphon	5	David Flores	Richard Mandella	Rio Claro Thoroughbreds	1-1/4	2:00.50	I
1995	Cigar	5	Jerry Bailey	William I. Mott	Allen E. Paulson	1-1/4	1:59.46	I
1994	Slew of Damascus	6	Gary Stevens	Craig G. Roberts	Naccarato, Harbeston & Losh	1-1/4	2:00.76	I
1993	Best Pal	5	Corey Black	Gary F. Jones	Golden Eagle Farm	1-1/4	2:00.17	I
1992	Sultry Song	4	Jerry Bailey	Patrick Kelly	Live Oak Racing	1-1/4	2:00.23	I
1991	Marquetry	4	David Flores	Robert J. Frankel	Juddmonte Farms	1-1/4	1:59.50	I
1990	Criminal Type	5	Jose Santos	D. Wayne Lukas	Calumet/J. K. Arnemann	1-1/4	1:59.80	I
1989	Blushing John	4	Pat Day	Richard J. Lundy	Allen E. Paulson	1-1/4	2:00.40	I
1988	Cutlass Reality	6	Gary Stevens	Craig A. Lewis	H. Crash/J. Hankoff	1-1/4	1:59.40	I
1987	Ferdinand	4	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Elizabeth A. Keck	1-1/4	2:00.60	I
1986	Super Diamond	6	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Edwin J. Gregson	Roland Sahm	1-1/4	2:00.40	I
1985	Greinton	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Charles Whittingham	Mary J. Bradley et al.	1-1/4	1:58.40	I
1984	Desert Wine	4	Chris McCarron	Jerry M. Fanning	T90 Ranch	1-1/4	2:00.40	I
1983	Island Whirl	3	Ed Delahoussaye	Laz Barrera	Elcee-H Stable	1-1/4	1:59.40	I
1982	Perrault	5	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Charles Whittingham	T. van Zuylen/S. Fradkoff	1-1/4	1:59.20	I
1981	Eleven Stitches	4	Sandy Hawley	Donn Luby	Morey & Claudia Mirkin	1-1/4	2:04.00	I
1980	Go West Young Man	5	Ed Delahoussaye	Mary Lou Tuck	Wild Plum Farm	1-1/4	1:58.80	I
1979	Affirmed	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	1-1/4	1:58.40	I
1978	Exceller	5	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Nelson Bunker Hunt	1-1/4	1:59.20	I
1977	Crystal Water	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Roger Clapp	Connie M. Ring	1-1/4	2:00.00	I
1976	Pay Tribute	4	Marco Castaneda	Ron McAnally	Elmendorf Farm	1-1/4	1:58.80	I
1975	Ancient Title	5	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Keith L. Stucki, Sr.	Kirkland Stable	1-1/4	1:59.20	I
1974	Tree of Knowledge	4	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Pin Oak Stud	1-1/4	1:59.80	I
1973	Kennedy Road	5	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Helen G. Stollery	1-1/4	1:59.40	I
1972	Quack	3	Donald Pierce	Charles Whittingham	Bwamazon Farm	1-1/4	1:58.20
1971	Ack Ack	5	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Buddy Fogelson	1-1/4	1:59.80
1970	Pleasure Seeker	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Carl Vandervoort, Jr.	Carl Vandervoort, Jr.	1-1/4	1:59.40
1969	Figonero	4	Alvaro Pineda	Warren Stute	Clement L. Hirsch	1-1/4	1:58.80
1968	Princessnesian	4	Donald Pierce	James W. Maloney	William Haggin Perry	1-1/4	1:59.80
1967	Native Diver	8	Jerry Lambert	Buster Millerick	Louis K. Shapiro	1-1/4	1:58.80
1966	Native Diver	7	Jerry Lambert	Buster Millerick	Louis K. Shapiro	1-1/4	2:00.00
1965	Native Diver	6	Jerry Lambert	Buster Millerick	Louis K. Shapiro	1-1/4	2:00.20
1964	Colorado King	5	Ray York	Wally Dunn	Poltex Stable	1-1/4	2:00.40
1963	Cadiz	7	Eddie Burns	Robert L. Wheeler	Vicgray Farm	1-1/4	1:59.60
1962	Prove It	5	Henry Moreno	Mesh Tenney	Rex C. Ellsworth	1-1/4	2:00.00
1961	Prince Blessed	4	Johnny Longden	James I. Nazworthy	Kerr Stable	1-1/4	1:59.80
1960	Dotted Swiss	4	Eddie Burns	Robert L. Wheeler	C. V. Whitney	1-1/4	1:59.40
1959	Hillsdale	4	Tommy Barrow	Martin L. Fallon, Jr.	Clarence Whitted Smith	1-1/4	1:59.20
1958	Gallant Man	4	Bill Shoemaker	John A. Nerud	Ralph Lowe	1-1/4	2:01.60
1957	Round Table	3	Bill Shoemaker	William Molter	Kerr Stable	1-1/4	1:58.60
1956	Swaps	4	Bill Shoemaker	Mesh Tenney	Rex C. Ellsworth	1-1/4	1:58.60
1955	Rejected	5	Gordon Glisson	William J. Hirsch	King Ranch	1-1/4	1:59.60
1954	Correspondent	4	Eddie Arcaro	Wally Dunn	Mrs. Gordon Guiberson	1-1/4	2:00.80
1953	Royal Serenade	5	Johnny Longden	Vance Longden	Alberta Ranches, Ltd.	1-1/4	2:00.80
1952	Two Lea	6	Steve Brooks	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-1/4	2:00.20
1951	Citation	6	Steve Brooks	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-1/4	2:01.00
1950	Noor	5	Johnny Longden	Burley Parke	Charles S. Howard	1-1/4	1:59.80
1949	Solidarity	4	Ralph Neves	Carl A. Roles	Bernice Curland Goldstone	1-1/4	2:01.20
1948	Shannon	7	Johnny Adams	William Molter	Neil S. McCarthy	1-1/4	2:01.60
1947	Cover Up	4	Robert Permane	Ross Brinson	Zack Addington	1-1/4	2:00.00
1946	Triplicate	5	Basil James	Clyde Phillips	Fred Astaire	1-1/4	2:00.40
1945	Challenge Me	4	Anthony Skoronski	Dan Cataldo	Brolite Farm	1-1/4	2:00.40
1944	Happy Issue	4	Hedley Woodhouse	Jean Charles Pinon	Happy Stable	1-1/4	2:01.60
1943	No Race	-	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0:00.00
1942	No Race	-	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0:00.00
1941	Big Pebble	5	Jack Westrope	William Finnegan	Circle M. Ranch	1-1/4	2:02.60
1940	Challedon	4	George Woolf	Louis J. Schaefer	William L. Brann	1-1/4	2:02.00
1939	Kayak II	4	George Woolf	Tom Smith	Charles S. Howard	1-1/4	2:02.60
1938	Seabiscuit	5	George Woolf	Tom Smith	Charles S. Howard	1-1/4	2:03.80

* † In 2001, Futural won the race but was disqualified for interference.

See also

• Hollywood Gold Cup top three finishers

References

• The 2008 Hollywood Gold Cup at the NTRA
• The Hollywood Gold Cup at Pedigree Query
• Ten Things You Should Know About the Hollywood Gold Cup at Hello Race Fans