Turf Festival to make return
Hollywood Park has scheduled 22 stakes for its 36-day fall meeting, which runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 18. The stakes slate is highlighted by the six-race Autumn Turf Festival, which was canceled last year because of poor turf conditions.
The six stakes of the Autumn Turf Festival, all graded, include three of the six Grade 1 races at the meeting - the Citation Handicap, Hollywood Derby, and Matriarch Stakes. The Turf Festival is held on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 24-26.
Last year, the turf course was not used during the fall meeting after the sod was improperly laid following the spring-summer meeting. The decision to abandon turf racing was made just before the meeting was scheduled to start, resulting in a restructuring of overnight purses for dirt racing.
The 2006 stakes schedule includes eight stakes for 2-year-olds, including the Real Quiet and Sharp Cat stakes, both over 1 1/16 miles. Those races were inaugurated last year following the cancellation of turf racing.
The Real Quiet Stakes is the first stakes of the meeting on the main track, which is in the process of being replaced by a synthetic surface, Cushion Track. The Cushion Track surface is expected to be in place by early September.
2006 stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Wed.,Nov. 1 | BIEN BIEN STAKES | 3YO | 1 mile (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 4 | REAL QUIET STAKES | 2YO | 1 1/16 miles | 100,000 |
| Sun., Nov. 5 | SHARP CAT STAKES | 2YO F | 1 1/16 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 11 | HERMOSA BEACH HANDICAP | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 60,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 12 | AUDREY SKIRBALL-KENIS STAKES3 | YO F | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 60,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 18 | HOLLYWOOD PREVUE STAKES (G3) | 2YO | 7 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 19 | MOCCASIN STAKES | 2YO F | 7 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Thur.,Nov. 23 | ON TRUST HANDICAP | 3YO & Up* | 7 1/2 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Nov. 24 | CAT'S CRADLE HANDICAP | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 7 1/2 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Fri.,Nov. 24 | CITATION HANDICAP (G1) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 400,000 |
| Fri.,Nov. 24 | GENEROUS STAKES (G3) | 2YO | 1 mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 25 | HOLLYWOOD TURF EXPRESS (G3) | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs (T) | 150,000 |
| Sat.,Nov. 25 | MIESQUE STAKES (G3) | 2YO F | 1 mile (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 26 | THE MATRIARCH (G1) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 mile (T) | 500,000 |
| Sun.,Nov. 26 | HOLLYWOOD DERBY (G1) | 3YO | 1 1/4 miles (T) | 500,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 2 | VERNON O. UNDERWOOD (G3) | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Dec. 3 | BAYAKOA HANDICAP (G2) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 150,000 |
| Sat.,Dec. 9 | HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP (G1) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/2 miles (T) | 250,000 |
| Sun.,Dec. 10 | NATIVE DIVER HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 16 | HOLLYWOOD FUTURITY (G1) | 2YO | 1 1/16 miles | 250,000 |
| Sun., Dec. 17 | HOLLYWOOD STARLET (G1) | 2YO F | 1 1/16 miles | 250,000 |
| Mon.Dec. 18 | DAHLIA HANDICAP (G2) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 150,000 |
*California-breds