Changes for Turf Festival
Hollywood Park has made some significant changes to the Turf Festival, the annual centerpiece of the track's fall meeting that will run six weeks, from Nov. 11 to Dec. 21.
The Turf Festival comprises six races to be held over three days, Nov. 29 through Dec. 1.
The distances have been altered on the two Grade 1 stakes that anchor the Dec. 1 program. The Hollywood Derby has been extended a furlong to 1 1/4 miles, and its purse has been increased by $100,000, to $600,000. The $500,000 Matriarch Stakes has been shortened from 1 1/8 miles to a mile.
Purses have been lowered in the other Turf Festival races: the Generous and Miesque Stakes for 2-year-olds have been cut in half, to $100,000; the Turf Express has been trimmed $50,000 to $150,000; and the Citation is worth $400,000, a drop of $100,000.
There are three other Grade 1 races at the meeting - the Turf Cup on Nov. 22, the Futurity on Dec. 20, and the Starlet on Dec. 21. The conditions and added-money of those races have not been changed.
The meeting features 20 stakes, down four from last year when the meeting was held over seven weeks.
2003 Hollywood Park stakes schedule
| DATE | RACE | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Tue., Nov. 11 | BIEN BIEN STAKES | 3YO & UP | 1 Mile (T) | $70,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 15 | HOLLYWOOD PREVUE STAKES (G3) | 2YO | 7 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 16 | MOCCASIN STAKES | 2YO F | 7 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 22 | HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP (G1) | 3Y0 & UP | 1 1/2 Miles (T) | 250,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 23 | AUDREY SKIRBALL-KENIS STAKES | 3YO F | 1 1/8 Miles (T) | 70,000 |
| Thur.,Nov. 27 | VERNON O. UNDERWOOD (G3) | 3YO & Up | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Nov. 28 | MIESQUE STAKES (G3) | 2YO F | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Nov. 28 | HOLLYWOOD TURF EXPRESS (G3) | 3YO & UP | 5 1/2 Furlongs (T) | 150,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 29 | CITATION HCP (G2) | 3YO & UP | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 400,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 29 | GENEROUS STAKES (G3) | 2YO | 1 Mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 30 | HOLLYWOOD DERBY (G1) | 3YO | 1 1/4 Miles (T) | 600,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 30 | THE MATRIARCH (G1) | F&M, 3YO & UP | 1 Mile (T) | 500,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 6 | NATIVE DIVER HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO & UP | 1 1/8 Miles | 100,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 6 | HERMOSA BEACH HANDICAP | F&M, 3YO & UP | 1 1/2 Miles (T) | 70,000 |
| Sun.,Dec. 7 | BAYAKOA HANDICAP (G2) | F&M, 3YO & UP | 1 1/16 Miles | 150,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 13 | ON TRUST HANDICAP | 3YO & UP (CB) | 7 1/2 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Dec. 14 | CAT'S CRADLE HANDICAP | F&M, 3YO & UP (CB) | 7 1/2 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 20 | HOLLYWOOD FUTURITY (G1) | 2YO | 1 1/16 Miles | 200,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 20 | DAHLIA HANDICAP (G2) | F&M, 3YO & UP | 1 11/16 Miles (T) | 150,000 |
| Sun.,Dec. 21 | HOLLYWOOD STARLET (G1) | 2YO F | 1 1/16 Miles | 200,000 |
CB - Denotes Cal-bred