Gold Cup still has history on its side

Hollywood Park's signature race, the $700,000 Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Up, may have lost some of its luster with the gradual decline of the track, but when you look back at the race's glorious past, the record book is stamped with names of horses, jockeys and trainers that are synonomous with greatness.

For instance:

* The legendary Bill Shoemaker rode in a record 26 Gold Cups, winning eight with five seconds and four thirds. Five of the Shoe's eight victories came while riding for the great Charlie Whittingham.
* Laffit Pincay Jr., who probably is still fit enough to ride, won a record nine Gold Cups for eight different trainers. He won twice for Whittingham, finding the winner's circle with Greinton in 1985 and Perrault in '82. Interestingly, after he won in consecutive years with Greinton and Super Diamond (1986), he didn't win another Gold Cup until 2001 when he again won in consecutive years with Aptitude (via DQ) in 2001 and Sky Jack the following year.
* Whittingham saddled an amazing record 58 starters in the Gold Cup, winning a record eight times, including four consecutive years with Ack Ack in 1971, Quack in '72, Kennedy Road in '73 and Tree of Knowledge in '74. Shoemaker won aboard three of the four, with Don Pierce winning with Quack when the colt joined Round Table (1957) as the only 3-year-olds to win the race.
* Quack ran a stakes record 1:58 1/5 for the 1 1/4-mile distance in '72 on the old track. Greinton ran a track record 1:58 2/5 in '85 after Hollypark was converted into a 1 1/8-mile track.
* Most wins by a horse? Native Diver and Lava Man both won the race three times, and the Diver was the oldest winner, racing home first when he was 8 in 1967. Ack Ack carried the most weight (134 pounds) to victory.
* Nine geldings have won the race, including both Native Diver and Lava Man. This year there are five geldings entered -- Big Booster, Dakota Phone, Rail Trip, Tres Borrachos, and Magnum.
* Largest attendance? In 1965, 58,971 passed through the turnstiles. In the past few years, the track has had trouble drawing 10,000 on Gold Cup day.
* The Bobby Frankel-trained Marquetry paid a record $56.80 in 1991 and Swaps paid a record low $2.30 in 1956.
* The inaugural winner? The legendary Seabiscuit, who was 5 when he won for George Woolf in 1938.

This year's edition of the Gold Cup is scheduled for Saturday. No, there are no major stars running in this year's race, at least yet. We don't know if Rail Trip will turn out to be anything special, but who knows ... someone, whether it be horse or jockey, could step up big and become part of what is indeed a glorious history for a stakes race that will be run for the 70th time.