Coast Guard part of big carryover card

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Saturday at Churchill Downs will be a day for traditionalists. Wednesday at Hollywood Park will be a day for bettors.

The eight-race program features a pick six carryover of $555,186, all from Sunday's California Gold Rush program, which had its share of longshot winners.

Wednesday's program has its share of quality. There are two races for maidens - for 2-year-olds and for older horses over 1 1/8 miles; an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf; a $20,000 claiming race over 6 1/2 furlongs; an allowance race for 3-year-olds; and a one-mile turf race for $62,500 claimers. There are no maiden claimers in the pick six races, the third through the eighth races.

The seventh race, the allowance race for 3-year-olds, is led by Coast Guard, who was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Coast Guard led to the eighth pole that day and faded to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind Kentucky Derby hopeful Colonel John.

Wednesday's race could lead to a start in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes on July 12 for Coast Guard, trainer David Hofmans said.

"We want to get his confidence built back up," Hofmans said. "He had a good race last time. Hopefully we'll get a real good race on him and look for the future."

Owned by Amerman Racing, Coast Guard has 1 victory in 6 starts. His best finish in a stakes was second in the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in February. In the Santa Anita Derby, he led to the final furlong.

Wednesday's race, which will be run over 1 1/16 miles, has drawn three recent maiden winners: Madeo, Power Blitz, and Tangled Tango. Madeo was an easy winner of seven-furlong race on March 23 and will be making his first start around two turns on Wednesday.

Aside from Coast Guard, several runners have stakes experience, including Winsome Charm, who was second in the Sunshine Millions Dash in January; Meetinwithdestiny, who was eighth in the Santa Anita Derby; and Overextended, who finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and second to Colonel John in the Real Quiet Stakes here last November.

Earlier in the program, Another Aleyna, who was second in the Cinderella Stakes here last May, makes her 3-year-old debut in an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf, the fifth race. Trained by David La Croix, Another Aleyna will be making her first start following surgery last fall to have a bone chip removed from a knee. She was stakes-placed here last summer.