Goodbye Hollywood
Hollywood Park, 1980 (Larry Gassan)
A true bummer of a day for Cali and racing in general with final approval of development on the site of Hollywood Park announced along with the retirement of Pioneerof the Nile. Many a fan and player have uttered the words “there needs to be less racing” (myself included), but that doesn’t make changes like this any easier.
I had the good fortune to make it to Hollywood Park a couple of years ago while visiting one my BFFs. I liked it quite a bit as did my pal, who recently took a group of folks out for some Friday night racing. I played along from home for awhile and I’m extremely proud that she hit THREE exactas!
If you’re like me and wish that you had more memories of Hollywood Park, you have until the end of the year to get yourself out there to make some. If that’s not an option you always just buy some memories on eBay!
If programs are your thing there are plenty! There’s a 1959 program featuring the Los Angeles Handicap, a group of 5 programs featuring Outstandingly, Fran’s Valentine, Tank’s Prospect, Skywalker and more. And for a paltry $8.50 you can get the 1941 Gold Cup program.
Patches? We’ve got patches… several excellent patches, all currently 99 cents.
Even if you didn’t you can boast that you saw Affirmed in the Hollywood Gold Cup with this excellent 1979 pin.
And if you feel like stepping up in class, there’s a lovely 1972 sterling silver trophy from the 1972 Portola Stakes.
So what are you waiting for? Rush right out there and buy those memories… it’s the American way! And if you can visit Hollywood Park, that wouldn’t be bad either.
Also, here are a couple of more shots of Hollywood Park in 1980.
Posted by dana on Jul 09 2009
Filed Under: Industry, 2009, Pioneerof the Nile, Internet, :(, Breeding, Retirement, Hollywood Park, Racing
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Loading ...
Great photo!
Going to Friday night racing at holly park was one of those things I wanted to do before I die. Oh well. Guess I can cross that one off the list.
Less racing is good in the long run but it is always sad to see tracks disappear.
I love that shot! That guy has a great set of photos of LA in the early 80s that are worth checking out too. He self published a book them which I bought… great stuff!
I’d like to think I can make there before they close, but it’s unlikely… really glad I went and sad at the same time because I really liked it. The layout reminded me a bit of Belmont.
This really doesn’t mean that there will be less racing in SoCal. It just means that the HP dates will move to Santa Anita, Pomona and maybe Del Mar. Racing really didn’t change much in NoCal when Bay Meadows closed. The Bay Meadows dates just moved to Golden Gate Fields.
It will be interesting to see if and when the Bay Meadows Land Co. will start developing HP. They still haven’t started developing the land that Bay Meadows use to sit on. The market crashed a few weeks after it came down. They may not start building for years. I know they said they will start developing HP next year, but from what I learned from following their actions regarding Bay Meadow they talk sideways out of their asses.
Ditto, photo. Love!
“there needs to be less racing” - I’ve said that myself, but it doesn’t mean we should start by giving up our prime assets.
After the Kentucky tracks, Hollywood is another one whose management always thought that no matter how badly racing was run, they’d always stick around.
Sorry for SoCal racing fans. As David said, the dates will be transferred, and none of the available options is attractive in any way:
SA - nah, how is their turf course gonna survive 10 months of racing per year?
Fairplex - definitely not at their current plant, and I doubt anyone would invest on a major upgrade there.
new track - yeah, right.
DM - over-expansion of a boutique meeting has been slowly diminishing the quality of Saratoga, and would likely do so much faster at Del Mar. Still it’s almost the only way (at least until DM itself is sold because Arnie needs to terminate some holes in his budget)
Let’s not forget it was CDI (yep, the same CDI that just cried us a river in the Kentucky slots drive) which threw Hol under the bus.
The Western and Southern LA markets seem to be lost for good. The rest of SoCal racing takes a hit it may never recover from. With that kind of management, we’ll be below 10 billion annual handle in no time. Sad, sad, sad!
David - interesting and even more sad re: redistributing HOL’s racing.
Why the long faces?
Hollywood Park is still going to race again this year:
November 11 - December 21
For me it’s the official-ness of the whole thing, like there was some teeny tiny hope before that it wouldn’t go through.
I’d like to think I can make it out there one more time (but unlikely).
Okay.
Never been to Inglewood myself.
But have played that track for more than 20 years.
Just love that photography of that cigar and hat guy.
Looks like a train station at rush hour. LOL.
LOL, didn’t get that you were commenting to the guy in the photo… indeed the long face. And I’m really glad there no cigars at rush hour!
Try as they might…
“nobody” gets me. LOL