Twirling Candy, a decisive winner of the Californian June 4,
has been established the 4-5 favorite by Hollywood Park morning line maker Russ
Hudak for the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup.
A Grade I at 1 ¼ miles over Cushion Track, the Gold Cup will
be run for the 72nd time Saturday. Post time is 1 p.m. The Gold Cup,
which is the eighth of 10 races, has a scheduled post time of 4:40 p.m. The
race will be televised by ESPN (4-5 p.m. PDT).
The Gold Cup is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ race,
so the Breeders’ Cup nominated winner of the Gold Cup is guaranteed a spot in
the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Additionally, the winner
will have pre-entry and entry fees waived and given a $10,000 travel allowance.
Fans coming to Hollywood Park to see the Gold Cup in person
will have an opportunity to enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic Ownership
Challenge. All those who enter the contest will become a virtual owner of the
Gold Cup winner. If that horse also captures the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the
virtual owners will divide $250,000.
There is also a fedora giveaway – one per paid admission
while supplies last – and a Gold Cup hat contest with a first prize of $500.
Owned by breeder Jenny Craig’s Family Trust, William S.
Farish and Marty Wygod, Twirling Candy will break from the inside in the field
of eight. The odds on the rest of the field follow in post position order: Miss
Match (20-1), Setsuko (8-1), Game On Dude (6-1), Awesome Gem (10-1), Soul Candy
(10-1), First Dude (5-1) and Dark Cove (12-1).
Setsuko is an interesting price player at 8-1. The Richard Mandella runner has earned triple digit BRIS Final Time Ratings in his last two starts. The G1 Santa Anita Handicap runner-up came off the bench to land the place behind Twirling Candy in the G2 Californian and that nine furlong Cushion Track event was a perfect prep for the Gold Cup.
Dark Cove can be used in the exotics for Ken McPeek. He has come a long way since running for a $16,000 Maiden Claiming tag at Saratoga last summer. He has captured half of his last eight outings and is a perfect 2-for-2 on synthetic ground.
The Gold Cup program also includes the $150,000 Swaps
Stakes, a Grade II for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Coil, impressive winner of
the Grade III Affirmed Handicap June 11, is the 6-5 morning line favorite. The
Swaps is the fourth race. Scheduled post time is 2:34 p.m.
The odds on the rest of the field in post position order:
Runflatout (5-2), Spud Spivens (10-1), Coil, Uncle Sam (5-1), Dreamy Kid (10-1)
and Boxeur des Rues (5-1).
