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2026 Hollywood Gold Cup Day

Flavien Prat returns aboard Forged Steel after winning the 2026 Hollywood Gold Cup

The feature race on Memorial Day at Santa Anita is the $200,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2), a 1 1/4 mile trip over the main track for the top older horses on the west coast. Conditions were typical for Southern California in late May for the 14,235 fans in attendance, with sunny skies, temperatures in the high 70's, the main track fast and the turf course firm. Sunland Park Stakes winner Malarchuk was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the short field of 5. In to challenge him included 3-1 second choice Forged Steel, third in thee Temperance Hill Stakes at Oaklawn Park, and 7-2 third choice British Isles,

Forged Steel draws away in the stretch in the Hollywood Gold Cup

sixth in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland after winning the Santa Anita Handicap (G1).

Jockey Flavien Prat sent Forged Steel to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.22, 46.73, 1:11.25, and 1:35.66 while pressed by Malarchuk and staled by 17-2 longest shot Mc Vay. Turning for home, Forged Steel opened up a 4 length lead and continued to draw off late to win by 9 1/2 lengths over favorite Malarchuk in 2:01.58. It was a nose back to Mc Vay third.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 1 Forged Steel Prat 8.20 5.60 3.40 4 Malarchuk Hernandez 3.60 2.60 2 Mc Vay Berrios 3.40 Winning Time: 2:01.58 $1 Exacta 1-4 13.70 $1 Trifecta 1-4-2 50.90 Results Chart from DRF.

Left: Forged Steel in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said, "I don't have to tell Flavien what to do. He got the horse out there and that was impressive. It's his first 1 1/4 and his first graded stake. It was the first time he used a tongue tie and I think that really improved him. I'm not sure what the next step is, but I think we have an exciting future in front of us."

Right: Forged Steel in the post parade. Winning jockey Flavien Prat, who arrived at Santa Anita just in time for the race, said, "We got delayed for 3 1/2 hours (flight from New York). It was a very long trip, we stayed probably seven or eight hours on the plane. I'm just glad to be here. The horse ran a good race. It was my first time aboard him. He had a good run in his past races and he showed another good run here today. I thought someone could maybe make a run at us, but then I looked at the [infield video board] and I was long gone."

Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Malarchuk in the walking ring. The Mike McCarthy trainee improve his record to 3 wins, 5 seconds, and 1 third in 10 starts, earning $320,910 for owners ERJ Racing and Reddam Racing.

Right: Third place finisher Mc Vay in the paddock before the race. The Peter Eurton trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 1 second, and 2 thirds in 14 starts, earning $178,177 for owner C R K Stable.

Thought Process winning the Gamely Stakes

Jockey Kazushi Kimura sent Rashmi to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.80, 48.45 and 1:12.84 while pressed by Thought Process and stalked by 12-1 Vronti. Into the stretch Thought Process took over the lead through 1 mile in 1:36.19. Kept to task by Hector Berrios, Thought Process drew off through the lane to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Rashmi in 1:47.51. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to late-running 11-1 Take a Breath third.

Results Chart from DRF.

Left: Thought Process in the winner's circle. Winning owner Billy Koch said, "It was pretty special. Someone asked me what the dream scenario was and we just saw it. It was perfect. Hector said she relaxed so beautifully and he was really patient. He didn't really turn her loose at the quarter pole, he kind of waited until they turned for home and obviously when you are watching a race like that you can tell he had a lot of horse. It was just a great effort. She got real sick, that's why she missed some time. So to run her back in a race like that, it was pretty incredible."

Right: Thought Process returns after the race. Winning trainer Phil D'Amato said, "I thought we were in a really good position and I could see she was nice and comfortable. I could see (Rashmi) was also going very easy. When Hector asked her in the stretch, she responded and opened up. It was a hand ride from there. She loves the turf here at Santa Anita and the extra eighth-of-a-mile wasn't a factor. We'll put our heads together for the next steps. She has been training so good on the dirt, so we'll see what we do at Del Mar. We'd like to get her to the Breeders' Cup and that would be 1 1/4. The key is getting her to relax. She has been a lot better from age three to four and that translated to more distance."

Left: Second place finisher Rashmi in the walking ring. Jockey Kazushi Kimura said, "I have to respect the winner. My horse ran huge."

Right: Third place finisher Take a Breath goes through the paddock back to the barn after the race. The Mark Glatt trainee improved her record to 5 wins, 0 seconds, and 3 thirds in 15 starts, earning $230,670 for owners Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners.

Formidable Man winning the Shoemaker Mile Stakes

Jockey Mike Smith sent Call Me Cory to the lead first time by through fractions of 22.94 and 45.89 while pressed by 20-1 Genius Jimmy and stalked by 22-1 Mi Hermano Ramon. On the far turn Call Me Cory tired allowing Mi Hermano Ramon to inherit the lead through 3/4 in 1:09.97. Mi Hermano Ramon continued to lead to midstretch through 7f in 1:21.73 before tiring badly. Favorite Formidable Man, 4th early under Flavien Prat, came out for room and swept to the lead at the 1/8 pole, drawing clear late to win by 1 1/4 lengths over late closing 15-2 fourth choice Almendares in 1:33.52. It was a neck back to 11-1 King of Gosford third.

Results Chart from DRF. 0

Left: Formidable Man in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Mike McCarthy said, "He's just such a genuine racehorse. I said earlier if he was ever going to be vulnerable it was going to be today with the layoff, but he's just been touting himself here for the last couple of days. I'm glad we were able to get six works into him. Everything just came into plan. I can't thank my guys enough for having this horse ready. And he takes care of us this horse. We'll play it by ear. We will get with the Warrens (owners), unfortunately they aren't here with us today."

Right: Formidable Man returns after the race. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "We had a very good trip and it all worked out. We were outside Mi Herman Ramon and he went on from there. They really did a good job in getting this horse back to the races. I looked at a lot of replays of his races (before riding him for the first time), but I know the horse. I've ridden against him so many times. He's just a straight-forward, very good horse."

Left: Second place finisher Almendares walks over before the race. Jockey Antonio Fresu said, "The running style of my horse is he always drops out the back. He came running really well."

Right: Third place finisher King of Gosford goes through the paddock back to the barn after the race. The Phil D'Amato trainee improved his record to 7 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds in 20 starts, earning $762,192 for owners Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Jeremy Peskoff.

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