Eight stakes take purse reductions
In a reflection of declining handle at Southern California tracks in the last year, the purses of eight stakes have been reduced for the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting from April 21 to July 18.
In addition, the major stakes for fillies and mares on dirt have been rearranged, and one of the races, the Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap, has been increased in value from $200,000 to $250,000.
The reductions reflect lower handle expectations for the Hollywood Park meeting. Last fall, the track reduced purses by 8 percent for the final three weeks of the meeting.
For the summer meeting, the cuts range from $150,000 for the Californian, which will be run for $250,000 on June 14, to $25,000 each for three stakes - the Honeymoon Breeders' Cup Handicap, Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks, and Quicken Tree Stakes.
The Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap on June 13 was reduced from $250,000 to $150,000.
The most significant schedule change was the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap, which will be run on May 9 instead of late June.
As a result, the $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap over 1 1/16 miles will be run on June 6. It had been run in late April. The Grade 1 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap was pushed from late May to July 11.
Overall, the meeting features eight Grade 1 stakes, including the American Oaks, which got the designation after two runnings.
2004 Hollywood Spring/Summer stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Wed., April 21 | HARRY HENSON STAKES | 3YOs | 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) | $75,000 |
| Sat., April 24 | CITIBANK SNOW CHIEF STAKES | 3YOs Cal Bred | 1 1/8 mile | 250,000 |
| MELAIR STAKES | 3YOs F Cal Bred | 1 1/16 mile | 200,000 | |
| KHALED STAKES | 4YOs and up Cal Bred | 1 1/8 mile(Turf) | 150,000 | |
| FRAN'S VALENTINE STAKES | 4YOs F/M Cal Bred | 1 1/16(Turf) | 150,000 | |
| B. THOUGHTFUL STAKES | 4YOs F/M Cal Bred | 7 Furlongs | 150,000 | |
| TIZNOW STAKES | 4YOs and up Cal Bred | 7 1/2 Furlongs | 150,000 | |
| Sun., April 25 | WILSHIRE HANDICAP | (G3)3YO F&M and up | 1 Mile (Turf) | 100,000 |
| Sat., May 1 | INGLEWOOD H. (G3) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/16 mile(Turf) | 100,000 |
| Sun, May 2 | RAILBIRD STAKES (G3) | 3YOs F | 7 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat. May 8 | JIM MURRAY MEMORIAL H. | 3YOs and up | 1 1/2 mile (Turf) | 350,000 |
| LOS ANGELES TIMES H. (G3) | 3YOs and up | 6 Furlongs | 150,000 | |
| MERVYN LEROY H. (G2) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/16 mile | 150,000 | |
| Sun., May 9 | VANITY HANDICAP (G1) | 3YO F&M and up | 1 1/8 mile | 250,000 |
| Sat., May 15 | SENORITA STAKES (G3) | 3YOs F | 1 Mile (Turf) | 100,000 |
| Sun., May 16 | NURSERY STAKES | 2YOs F | 5 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., May 22 | WILL ROGERS STAKES (G3) | 3YOs | 1 Mile (Turf) | 100,000 |
| Sun., May 23 | WILLARD L. PROCTOR M. | 2YOs | 5 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat. May 29 | LAZARO S. BARRERA M. (G3) | 3YOs | 7 Furlongs | 150,000 |
| Sun., May 30 | MANHATTAN BEACH STAKES | 3YOs F | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Mon., May 31 | THE GAMELY B.C H.(G1) | 3YO F&M and up | 1 1/8 mile (Turf) | 350,000 |
| SHOEMAKER BC MILE (G1) | 3YOs and up | 1 Mile (Turf) | 350,000 | |
| THE ACK ACK HANDICAP | 3YOs and up | 7 1/2 Furlongs | 75,000 | |
| Sat., June 5 | HONEYMOON BC H. (G2) | 3YOs F | 1 1/8 mile (Turf) | 175,000 |
| DESERT STORMER H. (G3) | 3YO F&M and up | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 | |
| Sun., June 6 | HAWTHORNE H. (G3) | 3YO F&M and up | 1 1/16 mile | 100,000 |
| CINDERELLA STAKES | 2YOs F | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 75,000 | |
| Sat., June 12 | CHARLES WHITTINGHAM (G1) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/4 mile (Turf) | 350,000 |
| THE CALIFORNIAN (G2) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/8 mile | 250,000 | |
| HOLLYWOOD BC OAKS (G2) | 3YOs F | 1 1/16 mile | 175,000 | |
| Sun., June 13 | QUICKEN TREE STAKES | 4YOs and up Cal Bred | 1 1/2 mile (Turf) | 75,000 |
| Sat., June 19 | AFFIRMED HANDICAP (G3) | 3YOs | 1 1/16 mile | 100,000 |
| Sun., June 20 | HAGGIN STAKES | 2YOs | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., June 26 | CINEMA BC HANDICAP (G3) | 3YOs | 1 1/8 mile (Turf) | 150,000 |
| Sun., June 27 | BEVERLY HILLS H (G2) | 3YO F&M and up | 1 1/4 mile (Turf) | 200,000 |
| Sat., July 3 | AMERICAN OAKS (G1) | 3YOs F (Invitational) | 1 1/4 mile (Turf) | 750,000 |
| TRIPLE BEND BC H. (G1) | 3YOs (Invitational) | 7 Furlongs | 300,000 | |
| ROYAL HEROINE STAKES (G3) | 3YO F&M and up | 1 mile (Turf) | 100,000 | |
| FLAWLESSLY STAKES | 3YOs F | 1 mile (Turf) | 100,000 | |
| Sun., July 4 | AMERICAN HANDICAP (G2) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/8 mile (Turf) | 150,000 |
| Mon., July 5 | LANDALUCE STAKES (G3) | 2YOs F | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| ROBERT K. KERLAN H | 3YOs and up | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 75,000 | |
| Sat., July 10 | HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP (G1) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/4 mile | 750,000 |
| SWAPS BC STAKES (G2) | 3YOs | 1 1/8 mile | 400,000 | |
| A GLEAM INVITATIONAL H.(G2) | 3YO F&M and up | 7 Furlongs | 150,000 | |
| Sun. July 11 | MILADY BC HANDICAP (G1) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/16 mile | 250,000 |
| Sat., July 17 | HOLLYWOOD JUVENILE (G3) | 2YOs | 7 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| VALKYR STAKES | 3YO F&M Cal Bred | 1 1/4 mile (Turf) | 75,000 | |
| Sun. July 18 | SUNSET HANDICAP (G2) | 3YOs and up | 1 1/2 mile (Turf) | 150,000 |