Save Hollywood Park

Barn area secluded behind trees

 Hollywood Park and Racing Industry News Articles and Videos

7/24/09 APPAREL NEWS: Retail Part of Mixed-Use Project Planned at Hollywood Park: http://www.apparelnews.net/news/retailing/072409-Retail-Part-of-Mixed-Use-Project-Planned-at-Hollywood-Park Construction will not begin until late 2010 and will take 12 to 18 months to complete.

7/21/09 FRESNO BEE: Race Against Time for State Tracks? http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/1550899.html Amid a terrible economy, California’s $5 billion horse-racing industry is on the brink of losing more tracks. A once recession-proof business has been hit by a double-digit drop in wagering at a time when prime track property is coveted by developers.

7/17/09 DRF: Hollywood to Trim 4 Days From Fall Meet: http://www.drf.com/news/article/105603.html Hollywood Park will request four fewer days of racing during its upcoming fall meeting than originally allotted by the California Horse Racing Board, track president Jack Liebau said Friday.

7/9/09 BLOODHORSE: Hollywood Park Project OK’d in Inglewood: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/51591/hollywood-park-project-okd-in-inglewood

7/9/09 PAULICK REPORT: Hollywood Park: Thanks for the Memories… And the Tote Bag: http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hollywood-park-thanks-for-the-memoriesand-the-tote-bag/

7/9/09 LA Business Journal: Hollywood Park Conversion Approved: http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=0241189.9712383.1803750.9443594.722689.732&aID2=138741

7/9/09 AP Wire: Deal That Would End Hollywood Park Races Approved: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7iBytbVuNJPfPoibQJr_Z-2Uv9QD99ANI9G0

7/9/09 KABC Channel 7: Horse Racing to End at Hollywood Park?: Video: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6906800

7/8/09 NBC LA NEWS: Hollywood Park Redevelopment Happening: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Hollywood-Park-Redevelopment-Happening.html

6/22/09 CA Real Estate Journal: Sun May Set On Hollywood Park: http://www.carealestatejournal.com/newswire/index.cfm?sid=&tkn=&eid=902461&evid=1 ”Wilson Meany Sullivan specializes in developing complex mixed-use projects at infill sites in Los Angeles and the Bay Area that have financial, entitlement and legal challenges, Meany said. It expects its projects to take several years and is prepared for delays caused by lawsuits from no-growth groups.”

6/26/09 BLOODHORSE: Hollywood Gets Full Alliance Accreditation: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/51405/hollywood-gets-full-alliance-accreditation Hollywood Park, whose future is in serious doubt after 2009, has received full accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance.

6/16/09 SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER: This Is Progress? http://www.examiner.com/x-11780-SF-Bay-Area-Moderate-Republican-Examiner~y2009m6d16-This-is-progress “The (Bay Meadows) track was paying hefty property taxes and more to the city and county and over 300 workers were feeding their families, living in the community and being a part of society. Now through sheer greed and stupidity it is all gone.  And will this be the poster child for stopping such actions in the future?  Will people finally realize enough is enough; that building on every last inch of space is not the answer?  Has more tax money (if it ever arrives) made up for all of this?”

6/1/09 Nation’s Top Horsemen Rail Against Demolition of California’s Prized Hollywood Park Racetrack: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/nations-top-horsemen-rail-against-demolition-of-californias-prized-hollywood-park-racetrack-102257.php “The loss of Hollywood Park is going to make California racing much, much weaker. Thoroughbred owners will probably leave to go to New York.  Hollywood Park’s closure will leave a gigantic hole in racing in the state - this is tantamount to having the NFL leave,”  said owner and breeder Jerry Moss. Trainer John Shirreffs offered, ” I don’t think there is anybody in Sacramento that realizes the scope of horse racing, and the people that it employs…”

5/31/09 SACRAMENTO BEE: Hollywood Park Race Track Nears Its Last Call: http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/1905235.html “Horse racing in California generates $4 billion in annual betting. Yet officials say they can’t compete with out-of-state tracks that attract glamour events by augmenting purses with millions of dollars in revenues from slot machines and other Nevada-style casino games.” 

5/30/09 SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE: $2 Billion Renovation of Hollywood Park May Add Up to More Racing at Santa Anita and Pomona: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_12486189  ”Whatever happens, it’s going to hurt our business a lot,” said trainer Mike Mitchell, who has stabled horses at Hollywood Park since the 1980s. “Fortunately it’s not a done deal.” “There are plans being made,” said Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau. “As for if and when Hollywood Park closes, it’s sort of unknown at this time.” 

5/29/09 THOROUGHBRED TIMES: Hollywood Park Decision Continued to Next Week: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/May/29/Hollywood-Park-decision-continued-to-next-week.aspx “In today’s world, nothing is certain,” CHRB Chairman John Harris said. “The real estate market is so weak that they are better off putting any development plans in the freezer for a few years. Or better yet, maybe they can sell it to someone who wants to operate it as a racetrack…”

5/28/09 KTLA NEWS SEGMENT: Developers to Give Hollywood Park a Million-Dollar Makeover: http://www.ktla.com/video/?clipId=3810790&topVideoCatNo=79422&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

5/28/09 LA DAILY NEWS: Inglewood to Consider Voting to Redevelop Hollywood Park Racetrack: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12468945 “Meany said he knows there are racing fans who don’t want to see the end of the track, but he said the track is no longer viable as a business.”

5/28/09 THOROUGHBRED TIMES: Fate of Hollywood Park May Be Decided Tonight: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/May/28/Fate-of-Hollywood-Park-may-be-decided-tonight.aspx “Thoroughbred Times correspondent Larry Stewart will provide coverage of the City Council’s vote on Friday.”

5/28/09 LA TIMES: Hollywood Park Racetrack Faces Bleak Odds of Survival: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hollypark28-2009may28,0,3367660.story “There’s a part of me that says I’d love to find out in the morning that the state Legislature has found a way to give slot machines to racetracks as a response to the state budget crises, and that Hollywood Park would call and say they would like to stay”, Inglewood City Councilman Daniel Tabor said.

5/24/09 LA TIMES: Zenyatta Transends Gender: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dwyre-zenyatta24-2009may24,0,7688526.column ” Hollywood Park, which obviously knew what was coming because it spent about $2.75 on marketing this race - had to pay out $147,295.14 in what is called a minus show pool.”

5/23/09 CTBA/OC REGISTER: Decision on Hollywood Park Thursday: http://www.ctba.com/091news/calbreds0195d.htm “It will take about a year to put all the plans in place,” said Gerard McCallum, aspokesman for the project, “and 10 years to complete everything. We have told the California Horse Racing Board that we will give six months notice before the track closes.”

5/21/09 LA WAVE: Asked & Answered: Hollywood Park Tomorrow: http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/west-edition/45827287.html

5/15/09 BLOODHORSE ARTICLE: Hollywood Goes to Four-Day Weeks: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50805/hollywood-goes-to-four-day-weeks “Live racing will be conducted Thursdays through Sundays with the exception of a special program MemoriaI Day week on Monday, May 25.”

5/15/09 BLOODHORSE ARTICLE: HOLLYWOOD PARK PROJECT GETS KEY APPROVAL: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50795/hollywood-park-project-gets-key-approval “Final action on a redevelopment plan for Hollywood Park could come as soon as May 28…”

5/12/09 Comment on Inglewood City Council meeting: http://commissioner-trracki.blogspot.com/2009/05/where-are-decision-makers.html “Where is the leadership of horse racing? Are they concerned about the future of Hollywood Park?”

05/02/2009 SAN GABRIEL VALLEY NEWS “Horse racing is saddled with problems” http://www.standupca.org/news/derby-shocker/

CAL-RACING 4/27/09 http://www.calracing.com/drf_news.php?f=103305 “TOC president Drew Couto said the issue of fewer races per day could be discussed soon…” and 4/28/09 http://www.calracing.com/drf_news.php?f=103335 “Track officials will huddle this week to discuss a course of action for the remainder of the Hollywood meet…”

4/22/09 BLOODHORSE ARTICLE: “LAST YEAR FOR HOLLYWOOD? NOT SO FAST” http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50334/last-year-for-hollywood-not-so-fast “Jerry Moss, who stables his horses at Hollywood, says the only way to stop the track’s eventual demolition is for someone to purchase it or have the state step in to protect it…”

4/18/09 Long-time turf writer Ron Parker’s new blog: http://www.reines-de-course.com/inquiry.htm

CALRACING NEWS DRF 3/20/09: Hollywood Park Will Run Fall Meet: http://toc.calracing.com/drf_news.php?f=102346

BLOODHORSE 3/19/09 - Hollywood Park to Run Through 2009: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/49756/hollywood-park-to-race-through-2009 “Chairman John Harris said that the racing industry needs to turn out in force to lobby the Inglewood City Council and other elected officials against the development plan…”

THOROUGHBRED TIMES 3/19/09 - Hollywood to Conduct Fall Meet: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/March/19/Hollywood-to-conduct-fall-meet.aspx

Los Angeles Times 3/10/2009: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hollywoodpark11-2009mar11,0,4602628.story - Model of retail district intended to replace Hollywood Park. After you read this article, read the article below from the San Francisco Examiner. Draw your own conclusions about BMLC.

UPDATE: A whisper of hope for continuation of racing in 2010! Support Hollywood Park in 2009!! Read latest article concerning upcoming 2009 meets: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/49574/hollywood-cuts-15-million-in-stakes

READ AND WEEP and BE FOREWARNED: San Francisco Examiner article on Bay Meadows Racetrack: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Debris-pile-replaces-historic-Bay-Meadows-racetrack-40759177.html and http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/09/01/focus5.html