A colt who has never run in a stakes and has not raced beyond a mile is expected to start in Monday’s Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita. If there is a time to try a new distance in a once-prestigious race, trainer Bob Hess, Jr., is ready to do so with the improving Ashcroft. Owned by Craig Netwig and Debra Barkley’s GMT Racing Stables, the 4-year-old Ashcroft has won his last two starts since late March, both at a mile at Santa Anita – a maiden race on March 24 and an allowance race on April 27. In those wins, Ashcroft raced within a length of the lead before reaching the front in early stretch. The wins have given Hess and his clients a reason to try the Hollywood Gold Cup, which will not include several leading runners in the division. “We’ll give it a whirl,” Hess said earlier this week. “He’s a late bloomer who is learning the game.” :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Kent Desormeaux was aboard for the recent wins, and has the mount on Monday, Hess said. Ashcroft’s winning streak was preceded by seven losses since his debut in April 2022 at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward. Hess has trained Ashcroft since last fall for a period of five starts. Ashcroft, by Munnings, has earned $94,672 and needs to accomplish considerably more to keep pace with his 5-year-old half-sister Regal Realm, a winner of 5 of 13 starts and $825,157. Regal Realm won the Grade 3 Ladies Turf Stakes, a $1 million race for fillies and mares at Kentucky Downs last September. The leading candidates for the Hollywood Gold Cup include Mr Fisk and Judge Miller, who were first and second in the Grade 3 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 20, and Subsanador, who was second by a head to Newgate in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in his last start on March 3. Subsanador has since been transferred from trainer John Sadler to Richard Mandella, after the 5-year-old Argentine-bred horse was acquired by Wathnan Racing of Qatar. The field does not include such notable names as Arabian Knight, National Treasure, Newgate, and Senor Buscador. Newgate has not raced since he finished ninth of 12 in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the Middle East on March 30. Newgate, trained at Santa Anita by Bob Baffert, has not had a published workout since late April. Baffert also trains Mr Fisk. National Treasure, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27 for Baffert, was later fourth in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia behind Senor Buscador in February. National Treasure had two workouts earlier this month. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Senor Buscador was third in the Dubai World Cup in his last start and may start at Del Mar this summer, trainer Todd Fincher said recently. The Baffert-trained Arabian Knight, winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic as a 3-year-old last September, has had a steady pattern of workouts since mid-April, but has yet to start this year. Baffert has not stated a race goal for Arabian Knight, who finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last November. Salesman, winner of the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at 1 5/8 miles at Santa Anita last November, will miss the Gold Cup because of a quarter crack, Mandella said last weekend. Two Rivers Over, winner of the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai in his last start on March 30, was nominated to the Gold Cup, but is more likely to return in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile at the Alameda County Fair on July 7, trainer Doug O’Neill said earlier this week. The Gold Cup was demoted from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2 this year, with the purse cut from $400,000. Defunded won the 2023 Gold Cup for Baffert and was later sold and transferred to the Middle East. Defunded was seventh in the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup earlier this year. There Goes Harvard, winner of the 2022 Gold Cup, has not raced since a fifth-place finish in the 2023 Santa Anita Handicap. Now 6, There Goes Harvard has been in training in recent months and may start in Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf, trainer Michael McCarthy said on Thursday. There Goes Harvard was also nominated for the Gold Cup. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.