Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap takes place this weekend - Saturday, July 7th from Betfair Hollywood Park. Horses three years old and upward will go 1 ¼ miles on Hollywood Park's synthetic track in search of their share of the $500,000 purse.
A field of seven will attempt to wrangle the winner's share of the Gold Cup in race 9 on Hollywood Park's Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:10 PM. Let's take a glance at the seven entries and what brought them to this lucrative Grade 1 race.
2012 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap Race Favorites
Game on Dude is a multiple Grade 1 winner that rebounded very nicely from a disappointing 12th in the Dubai World Cup with a terrific win in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes last time out on this track on June 2nd over fellow Gold Cup competitor Kettle Corn. Before going overseas Game On Dude claimed an impressive 5 ¼ length win in the Grade 2 San Antonio. Prior to those results he nearly did enough to capture the Eclipse Award for Outstanding older male. He had two graded stakes wins in 2011 - the Goodwood Stakes and the Santa Anita Handicap and he finished second at the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs prior to Dubai. Bob Baffert trained Game On Dude has placed in eight of his last nine starts and is unquestionably the horse to beat.
Kettle Corn - has won three of his last six starts including his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Native Diver on December 3rd. Last time out was a close second to Game on Dude in the Californian Stakes and before that a third to Morning Line and Prayer for Relief in the Mervyn Leroy. Kettle Corn has placed in 10 of 11 starts including six wins, is running well and is Game On Dude's biggest challenge in the Gold Cup.
Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Love Theway Youare - hadn't tasted victory in 11 races before an upset win last time out in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap on this track. Prior to that victory she finished sixth in the Marjorie L. Everett to follow up a seventh in the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes in May and an impressive second in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes on March 17th. With a win last time out Love Theway Youare suddenly emerges on the Gold Cup radar.
Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap betting at Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Richard's Kid - is one of two Bob Baffert trained entries who is coming off a win in the minor Prove It Stakes last time out on this track. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile and a fifth on the same Meydan Racecourse overseas. In 2010 before shipping overseas Richard's Kid had two straight wins in Grade 1 races in the States.
Anthony's Cross - had a productive start to 2011 with a third in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes and an impressive win at the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes but hasn't been the same since. After nearly a year away, Anthony's Cross has posted a fourth and a seventh this year in a pair of Allowance races and most recently posted a decent third in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate on May 28th.
Spud Spivens - won an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out here on May 27th to follow some mixed results in some minor stakes races - a fourth in the Tiznow and a sixth in the Santana Mile Stakes. In 23 career starts Spud Spivens has just four wins, two seconds and four third place finishes.
Thirtyfirststreet - has five starts this year with just one win - an Allowance score on January 12th at Santa Anita. After that win was a fourth in the Crystal Water Stakes on January 28th two eighth place finishes - the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3rd and the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap in April 1st and most recently a fourth in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on this track.
