Heatseeker Aims for the Hollywood Gold Cup

The Grade 1 $750 000 Hollywood Gold Cup has been a part of the racing schedule at Hollywood Park Racecourse since 1938. Its inaugural race was won by the magnificent Seabiscuit, and over the years the race has attracted many legendary racehorses such as Affirmed, Citation, Best Pal and Cigar. This year the Hollywood Gold Cup will be run for the 69th time on Saturday, the 28th of June 2008. Over and above this thrilling horse racing event, spectators can look forward to a number of other races that are lined up on the race card for the weekend.

Full fields of contenders have been confirmed for the weekend. Racing events such as the Grade 2 $150 000 A Gleam Handicap, the Grade 2 $250 000 American Handicap, $100 000 Landaluce Stakes and $65 000 Gold Cup Handicapping Challenge attract a lot of interest, but the main race remains the Hollywood Gold Cup. Looking at the confirmed contenders for the race, it is guaranteed to be a nail biting event.

To everyone’s astonishment, the winner of the last three consecutive races, Lava Man, will not be attending the Hollywood Gold Cup to defend his title. This has left the title open to anyone, ensuring a thrilling chase for the victory. But there is one more unique feature to this racing event and that is the fact that the youngest contender for Saturday’s race is five years old.

Heatseeker will definitely be looking to outclass his older rivals on the weekend. Racehorses, such as Native Diver (who is buried in the Hollywood Park Racecourse paddock), won the title at the age of eight, proving that experience can sometimes be more effective than age. With so much attention being cast on the fact that negligent breeding has led to racehorses not being able to be raced after about three years of age, the Hollywood Gold Cup will prove that there are a few horses out there that have stayed in horse racing through adequate care, love and attention.

Some of the older horses include the nine year old Perfect Drift, seven year old Big Booster and eight year old McCann’s Mojave. Although the official field and pole positions will only be released today, recently confirmed contenders are as follows: A.P. Xcellent, Big Booster, Go Between, Heatseeker, Mast Track, McCann’s Mojave, Perfect Drift, Racketeer, Spice Route, Student Council and Tiago. The horses in the Hollywood Gold Cup are determined to show the world that they still have what it takes to deliver magnificent performances and win races, no matter what their age. And even though Heatseeker will be the youngster of the group, he will have to use all his resources to match the experience of the rest of the field.