1980: Hollywood Park's Largest Crowd
During the last part of the 1980s, simulcasting would make its way into California Thoroughbred racing. Basically, this allowed horseplayers to wager off track, thus not making a trip to the current race meet a requirement like it had since the 1930s.
Before simulcasting started, however, patrons still frequented daily racing programs, and large crowds were still commonplace. Santa Anita would experience this during its Santa Anita Handicap card in 1985, when it set its all-time one day attendance record with 85,527. The Arcadia plant was not the only venue to experience such a milestone, as Hollywood Park celebrated a similar day at the beginning of the decade.
May 4, 1980. Hollywood Park was still in the early weeks of its spring/summer meet as it prepared to host a nine-race card on Gamely Stakes day. But fans were going to come for just more than the Thoroughbred action that was on tap.
At this time, Marje Everett was well into her tenure as Hollywood Park's leader. Going back to her days as part of the Illinois racing scene (her dad, Ben Lindheimer, was a major force in that area before Marje took over), Everett understood the importance of drawing big crowds to the track. After nightfall on May 5, Everett had to have been immensely proud of what had been accomplished at the Track of the Lakes and Flowers.
On that day, Hollywood Park offered a tote bag giveaway for customers. Knowing Everett, the promotion of this day was strong. What's more, it paid off as thousands upon thousands headed to the plant for the bag. After being presented with the item, the fans settled in for the races.
It was a nice day to be a handicapper at the Home of Champions. There were middle-priced horses and longshots that won throughout the day, and more than one exacta proved to be lucrative. The Pick 6 on the day topped $130,000, and more than one player left the races with a larger wallet.
How about the trainers? Legends like Gary Jones, Ron McAnally, Buster Millerick, Willard Proctor and Mel Stute all recorded victories, as did Richard Mandella.
Regulars in the Southern California jockey colony did well on the day. Frank Olivares scored a double, while Sandy Hawley, Chris McCarron and Fernando Toro were among the winning riders. Toro's lone win on the program came on the biggest race of the day: the Gamely.
This edition of one of Hollywood Park's best known stakes would be won by the California-bred Wishing Well, who came from off the pace to prevail for Jones. A horse who raced both on the Northern and Southern California circuits during her career, Wishing Well equaled the stakes record set one year earlier by Sisterhood (who was also ridden by Toro). That would also be her biggest win in a year that would see her be elected Champion California-bred Older Female.
After an exciting day at the races, Hollywood Park could claim a new attendance record of 80,348. That number was never toppled, and it stands in history as one of the most memorable days in track history. It would be followed by other banner days in the decade like the first Breeders' Cup in 1984, the Breeders' Cup in 1987, and the 1987 and 1988 Hollywood Gold Cups that were won by Ferdinand and Alysheba, respectively.
The 1980s would be an exciting time in California Thoroughbred racing, and one of those first moments happened on a spring day that featured a mix of both marketing and the excitement and majesty of the races.