INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park's synthetic track has proven popular with owners and trainers since it was installed last summer. The track has a full barn area and had a successful seven-week meeting last fall.
What Hollywood Park needs is an audience.
Increasing attendance is a priority at the spring-summer meeting that begins on Wednesday, track president Jack Liebau said.
For the 37th consecutive summer, hope will spring eternal at Calder Racecourse where the 2-year-old is king and many of the nation's fastest horses will once again have an opportunity to reach the "Summit" long before they begin thinking about the Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Calder opens the doors on its 37th season Wednesday with the first of 112 programs to be presented through Oct. 14. The meet will be followed by the 60-day Tropical at Calder session, which runs from Oct. 15 through Jan. 2.
Biglie Smallworld ($10.60) broke sharply and captured Saturday's $50,000 Golden Circle for 3-year-olds at Prairie Meadows by 1 1/2 lengths in a quick 1:09.41 for six furlongs. Crimson King Cat rallied for second, a neck ahead of even-money favorite Sir Five Star.
Trained by Dick Clark and ridden by Glenn Corbett, Biglie Smallworld has now won three in a row.
* On Friday night's season-opening card, Irish Party ($11.40) ran down favored Sea the Joy to win the $50,000 Goldfinch for 3-year-old fillies.
Sweet Ambition stalked the pace, took over in midstretch, and coasted home an easy three-length winner in Saturday's $45,000 Cactus Flower Handicap at Turf Paradise.
The six-furlong event for fillies and mares was decimated by scratches as the original field of eight was whittled down to three.
Sweet Ambition, owned by Chris Closson and trained by Peter Miller, paid $8.80. There was no place or show wagering. She covered the distance in 1:09.04 under Wilson Dieguez, and the winner's share of $27,000 pushed her career record to 4 wins in 23 starts for $153,675.
High Strike Zone ($9.40) stalked the previously unbeaten and race favorite Fass Feat under clever handling by Steve Bourque before lodging a bid along the rail into the far turn to capture Saturday night's $50,000 John Henry Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
Recognition also turned in an inside rally to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner. More Than Regal was third with an even effort while Fass Feat faltered in the stretch run to finish fifth. The final time for the mile was 1:37.81 over a fast track.
Favorites ruled both divisions of the Fonner Park Special Stakes for 3-year-old Nebraska-breds on Saturday as 3-5 choice Heso scored by six lengths and 3-2 choice Plaer's Trump both scored their biggest career victories.
Heso drew off in the colts and geldings division under Dennis Collins to collect his first stakes win and third career victory with Dennis Collins aboard for trainer Larry Donlin. Buffalo Road checked in second, three lengths in front of pacesetting Bevys Best. Heso covered the six furlongs over a fast track in 1:14.80.
Don't Strike Out's form had not been all that sharp in recent months, but he picked the right time for a rebound as the 7-year-old gelding finished strongly to post a 22-1 upset in the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap on Saturday.
Owned by Richard Kasuda and trianed by Ray Carlisle Jr., Don't Strike Out raced sixth early in the 1 1/8-mile event, made a strong run to circle the field on the far turn, and continued on smartly to prove an easy 2 3/4-length winner under Mark Villa.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Olmosta closed from last for a neck win over favorite Sweet Idea in the $50,000 JEH Stallion Station Stakes for Texas-bred fillies and mares at Lone Star Park on Saturday. It was another length and a quarter back in third to Annie Savoy.
SAN MATEO, Calif. Stylish Wildcat broke on top, establishing an immediate lead, and pulled away in the lane to win the $52,300 Monterey Handicap on Saturday at Bay Meadows.
Stylish Wildcat ($5.20), who won a comeback race here March 25 following a five-month layoff, defeated defending champion Vaca City Flyer by four lengths in the five-furlong stakes for fillies and mares. Her winning time was 56.72. Calamity Girl, who tried to press the winner early, wound up third.
ARCADIA, CaliF. - Naughty Rafaela, a Group 1 winner in Brazil in 2005, won her first stakes in the United States in Saturday's $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita.
The victory gave trainer Bobby Frankel his sixth career win in the Grade 2 Santa Barbara and fourth in the last five years. Frankel won the Santa Barbara in 2003-05 with Megahertz.