American Oaks, Murray get boost
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hollywood Park has significantly increased the purses of several stakes and has created another three-stakes day for the upcoming spring-summer meeting, which runs from April 23 to July 20.
The purse of the July 5 American Oaks, for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/4 miles on turf, has been increased from $500,000 to $750,000. The purse of the Jim Murray Handicap, formerly a $75,000 restricted race, has been increased to $400,000.
The Murray will be run on May 10 as part of a three-stakes day. The May 10 program also includes the renamed Los Angeles Times Handicap over six furlongs. The purse for the Los Angeles Times, formerly known as the Los Angeles Handicap, has been doubled to $200,000.
The purse of the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap has been increased by $50,000 to $250,000. The A Gleam will be run on July 13, the same day as the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Swaps Stakes, two major races of the spring-summer meeting.
The conditions of both the Gold Cup and Swaps have been changed. The $750,000 Gold Cup will no longer allow early nominations, and nominations will close approximately 10 days before the race. The purse of the Swaps has been cut from $500,000 to $400,000. Other stakes were cut to accommodate the increases to the Murray and American Oaks: The Californian ($500,000 to $400,000), Sunset Handicap ($250,000 to $150,000), Gamely Handicap ($500,000 to $350,000), and Shoemaker Mile ($500,000 to $350,000).
2003 Hollywood Park stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Wed., April 23 | HARRY HENSON STAKES | 3YO | 5 1/2 F (T) | $75,000 |
| Friday, April 25 | HAWTHORNE HANDICAP (G3) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat., April 26 | CITIBANK SNOW CHIEF STAKES | 3YO * | 1 1/8 miles | 250,000 |
| � | MELAIR STAKES | 3YO F * | 1 1/16 miles | 200,000 |
| � | KHALED STAKES | F & M 4YO & Up * | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 150,000 |
| � | FRAN'S VALENTINE STAKES | F&M 4YO & Up * | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 150,000 |
| � | B. THOUGHTFUL STAKES | F&M 4YO & Up * | 7 furlongs | 150,000 |
| � | TIZNOW STAKES | 4YO & Up * | 7 1/2 furlongs | 150,000 |
| Sun., April 27 | WILSHIRE HANDICAP (G3) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat., May 3 | INGLEWOOD HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun., May 4 | RAILBIRD STAKES (G3) | 3YO F | 7 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat., May 10 | JIM MURRAY MEMORIAL HCP | 3YO & Up | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 400,000 |
| � | LOS ANGELES TIMES HCP (G3) | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 200,000 |
| � | MERVYN LeROY HANDICAP (G2) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 150,000 |
| Sun., May 11 | NURSERY STAKES | 2YO F | 5 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., May 17 | SENORITA STAKES (G3) | 3YO F | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun., May 18 | WILLARD L. PROCTOR MEMORIAL | 2YO | 5 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., May 24 | MILADY BC HANDICAP (G1) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 200,000 |
| Sun., May 25 | WILL ROGERS STAKES (G3) | 3YO | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Mon., May 26 | THE GAMELY BC HANDICAP (G1) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 350,000 |
| � | SHOEMAKER BC MILE (G1) | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 350,000 |
| � | LAZARO S. BARRERA MEM. (G2) | 3YO | 7 furlongs | 150,000 |
| Sat., May 31 | THE ACK ACK HANDICAP | 3YO & Up | 7 1/2 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sun., June 1 | MANHATTAN BEACH STAKES | 3YO F | 5 1/2 F (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat., June 7 | HONEYMOON BC HANDICAP (G2) | 3YO F | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 200,000 |
| � | DESERT STORMER HCP (G3) | F&M 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sun., June 8 | CINDERELLA STAKES | 2YO F | 5 1/2 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., June 14 | THE CALIFORNIAN (G2) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 400,000 |
| � | CHAS. WHITTINGHAM MEM. HCP (G1) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/4 miles (T) | 350,000 |
| � | HOLLYWOOD BC OAKS (G2) | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles | 200,000 |
| Sun., June 15 | QUICKEN TREE STAKES | 4YO & Up * | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat., June 21 | VANITY HANDICAP (G1) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 250,000 |
| � | HAGGIN STAKES | 2YO | 5 1/2 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sun., June 22 | AFFIRMED HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO | 1 1/16 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat., June 28 | BEVERLY HILLS HANDICAP (G2) | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/4 miles (T) | 200,000 |
| Sun., June 29 | CINEMA BC HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 200,000 |
| Friday, July 4 | AMERICAN HANDICAP (G2) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 150,000 |
| � | LANDALUCE STAKES (G3) | 2YO F | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat., July 5 | AMERICAN OAKS | 3YO F | 1 1/4 miles (T) | 750,000 |
| � | TRIPLE BEND BC HANDICAP (G1) | 3YO & Up | 7 furlongs | 300,000 |
| � | ROYAL HEROINE STAKES (G3) | F & M 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun., July 6 | FLAWLESSLY STAKES | 3YO F | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat., July 12 | ROBERT KERLAN MEMORIAL HCP | 3YO & Up | 5 1/2 F (T) | 75,000 |
| Sun., July 13 | HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP (G1) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/4 miles | 750,000 |
| � | SWAPS STAKES (G2) | 3YO | 1 1/8 miles | 400,000 |
| � | A GLEAM INVITATIONAL HCP (G2) | F&M 3YO & Up | 7 furlongs | 250,000 |
| Sat., July 19 | HOLLYWOOD JUV. CHAMP. (G3) | 2YO | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| � | VALKYR STAKES | F & M 3YO & Up * | 1 Mile (T) | 75,000 |
| Sun., July 20 | SUNSET HANDICAP (G2) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 150,000 |
*Restricted to California-breds