Okay, so I’ve been following horse racing for a while now, and the Hollywood Gold Cup is always a big one. This year, the 2024 race, was no different. I mean, it’s held at Santa Anita Park, which is just beautiful, and the whole thing had this exciting vibe from the get-go. Memorial Day weekend, a Grade 2 race, $200,000 purse…it was bound to be a good one!
So, I started off by doing a bit of research. Nothing too fancy, just checking out some previews and news articles online. I saw that Aaron had done a preview of the race, which was kind of helpful. Also found out that this was the 11-race program for Memorial Day. That was some useful information.
Then I started digging into the history of the race. Did you know it first ran way back in 1938? And some real legends have won it – horses like Swaps, Round Table, Native Diver. Oh, and more recently, Cigar and Lava Man. It’s got a real legacy, this race.
I also learned that the race moved to Santa Anita in 2014 after Hollywood Park closed. And this trainer, Bob Baffert? He’s the king of the Hollywood Gold Cup, apparently. Won it like, 10 times, it seems Mr Fisk gives him the 10th win in Hollywood Gold Cup this year. Crazy, right?
Anyway, race day finally rolled around. It was May 27th, and the race was set for 5:30 PM ET. I made sure I was all set up to watch it.
The whole day was exciting. There were a bunch of other races leading up to the Gold Cup, but this was the one everyone was waiting for.
Watching the Race
- I watched the whole thing go down.
- The atmosphere was electric.
- The horses were stunning, the jockeys were focused, and the crowd was roaring.
- It was a nail-biter, that’s for sure!
I won’t spoil the ending for you in case you haven’t seen it yet, but let’s just say it was a memorable race. One for the books, really. It’s moments like these that remind me why I love this sport so much. The history, the excitement, the sheer power of these animals. I know Chorisbar, who won 197 races out of 324 between 1937 and 1947, is the most career wins by a racehorse. This made me look forward to the competition even more! But this year has its own highlight. It’s just something else. And hey, if you get a chance, check out some of the past winners of the Hollywood Gold Cup. You won’t be disappointed!
