HOL still "there"

[elhelmete]

I found myself with far too much time to kill before getting to LAX for a flight, so I detoured to Hollywood Park.

There's a poster here (or maybe DT) that photographs abandoned ractetracks and I really like those photos so I thought about whether I could snap a few of my own. I couldn't get a any decent photos...yet, but the place is still very much there.

The plant is surrounded by construction fencing so it was hard to get a decent vantage point, but I parked near the casino side on Century and peeped in as best I could around the clubhouse turn.

The clubhouse and grandstand are still there, and don't look any worse than they did when the place was open (how's that for faint praise?!).

The turf course is moderately overgrown. The ponds are all but dry.

The marker poles appear to be still in place.

I saw piles of the main track material dotting around the oval, so it appears they're taking that up in stages.

I swung around Prairie and saw the paddock area and facade appear unchanged.

If this was such a hot property I would imagine the progress would have been much greater. Maybe I'm wrong.

[HPFridays]

Thanks for posting your findings. I've been searching around for info about when/if it's been torn down yet and haven't found anything. Makes you wonder what the holdup is. In December it sounded like they could hardly wait to get the wrecking ball going.

[Robert Goren]

Maybe because it is worth more as "vacant lot" than it was a race track.

[Fingal]

Originally Posted by HPFridays

Thanks for posting your findings. I've been searching around for info about when/if it's been torn down yet and haven't found anything. Makes you wonder what the holdup is. In December it sounded like they could hardly wait to get the wrecking ball going.

For those on those on Facebook there's a group called " Save Hollywood Park ".
That term became academic fast......

There hasn't been anything new posted in some time, but besides this there's some pictures from those who managed to sneak in. It's depressing.

Corey The-Dawg
May 22 at 11:48pm
This is urgent 911 status. Turner construction company has taken over control of Hollywood Park facility. Within the past three days or so they fenced off everything west of the main driveway/admission gate up to the turf club admission building. At least two security guards and posts posted up along frontside on Prairie Ave. Completely cut off and fenced from there to Pincay Dr up to Gate 7. Closest access to track is either getting up to the Pavilion and finding an open door or two if you know where you're looking.....or the former backside stable office trailer where I presume/hear those working for Liebau are stationed, clock in and get their checks and so on. There is another guard posted to immediate left clogging access to backside/training track area. Not sure if there's a loophole along the Century Blvd entrance paralleling the 7 1/2 furlong chute.


Corey The-Dawg
May 17 at 4:06pm
Live update from the grounds of Hollywood Park: Sad to say I'm probably the last person to have ran on both the turf and cushion track at Hollywood Park. The entire enclosure of the track is been fenced off with chain link and there's been an entire new security crew for both the grandstand side of the track and the casino. The security crew seems to be behaving like the notorious Wackenhut that patrols for Area 51. There are two unmarked sedans (one silver, the other black) patrolling the main facility and one driving around the infield and east parking lot. And in addition, another guard driving around the cushion track on a golf cart and making his rounds thru the stable area back and forth. Grass course is dead turf desert-like yellow. Appears that there was a recent harrowing of the cushion track-it looked better than it did my prior visit. A bridge connecting the Pavilion to the rest of the main grandstand(s) has been locked/fenced off as well. There is a burgeoning bee hive below it to the side. Grandstand front beginning to look like a deserted western saloon town or mining town. Weedy and foreboding is the view, yes I saw the Swaps statue while exiting and passing the casino.

[HPFridays]

interesting, what happened to Stillriledup's post?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Maybe because it is worth more as "vacant lot" than it was a race track.

Let's put it this way: Santa Anita got over 30k on Belmont day. BHP would have gotten 10k. And that's basically why there's no more Hollywood Park.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by HPFridays

interesting, what happened to Stillriledup's post?

It got put in the invisible Hall of Fame?

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by Fingal

For those on those on Facebook there's a group called " Save Hollywood Park ".
That term became academic fast......

There hasn't been anything new posted in some time, but besides this there's some pictures from those who managed to sneak in. It's depressing.

Thanks for this.

[dilanesp]

I'm going to push back a little harder.

BHP would not have closed if people had showed up there when it was open. It operated for years with tiny crowds. They couldn't draw 9,000 people for the signature race, the Hollywood Gold Cup. They only drew 13,000 for Zenyatta.

The field sizes were terrible. Plenty of times, the first 4 races on a weekday card had 5 or 6 horses in them.

People can make all the facebook groups they want to, but the fact remains, this track closed because of lack of interest. It's not any sort of a tragedy. We still have year round racing in Southern California (although we shouldn't), and the racing fans here prefer Santa Anita anyway.

I loved BHP. But the track closed because the management couldn't convince people to come there anymore, which made the facility more valuable as real estate than as a track. People can't keep stuff open just because they are nostalgic about it. Progress isn't free.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I'm going to push back a little harder.

BHP would not have closed if people had showed up there when it was open. It operated for years with tiny crowds. They couldn't draw 9,000 people for the signature race, the Hollywood Gold Cup. They only drew 13,000 for Zenyatta.

The field sizes were terrible. Plenty of times, the first 4 races on a weekday card had 5 or 6 horses in them.

People can make all the facebook groups they want to, but the fact remains, this track closed because of lack of interest. It's not any sort of a tragedy. We still have year round racing in Southern California (although we shouldn't), and the racing fans here prefer Santa Anita anyway.

I loved BHP. But the track closed because the management couldn't convince people to come there anymore, which made the facility more valuable as real estate than as a track. People can't keep stuff open just because they are nostalgic about it. Progress isn't free.

Someone here posted that horse players like us have a love-hate relationships with crowds at the track: on the one hand we bemoan weak attendance figures, but on the other hand we like the track a lot of the times because we like to be alone.

I loved HOL those times when I wanted to be alone. For 5 years I worked about 8 miles from there, and on Fridays I'd get to HOL around 5pm, sit in an empty box and have a cigar and look over my picks. Whoever chose the music for the PA had really good, eclectic tastes and it was a very relaxing, serene couple of hours I cherished. At some point HOL elected to allow those gourmet food trucks on the grounds so that greatly improved the food and bev situation. I never had a problem getting a bet in and I did well betting there vs. other SoCal tracks.

Because other than that, the place felt purposely neglected, the employees seemed bored at best and often mildly hostile (ever see them protect a box that hadn't been sat in since Swaps ran?). The house food and bev was miserable.

[HPFridays]

Dilanesp - sadly, I'd agree with your assessment.

Elhelmete - You bring back some very good memories of HOL for me.

Fingal - I found the Facebook page and thought it was interesting that the turf course was still getting watered.

[breezing]

i swear i heard kfi reporting a loose horse at hollywood park a month or so ago.....i remember thinking who the heck still has horses there???

coming back from Belmont and seeing HP on approach to LAX was depressing. i too drove around after landing to see the old gal......i've said it many times, i loved that track. i just can't seem to muster up the energy for SA or DMR. i admit i'm looking forward to the short meet at los al.