STICKNEY, IL -- The 64th running of the $500,000 Grade 3 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap, along with the co-featured 36th renewal of the $250,000 Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby, are the highlights of Saturday's Million Dollar Day of Racing on Hawthorne's first full weekend of the 2000 season.

A highly competitive field is taking shape in the 1 1/8 mile turf Hawthorne Derby. Probables include, in alphabetical order:

• Freddy Trosclair's Darkman, trained by Thomas Amoss;
• Paulson Living Trust's Del Mar Show, William Mott;
• Scott Goldsher & Richard Nip's Hymm (Ire), Richard Lundy;
• Elizabeth Alexander & Epona Farm's Lonely Place (Ire), Richard Lundy;
• Horse Cents Farm's Mister Volare, Harvey Vanier;
• Murry Smith, Mike Eiserman & Earl Silver's Proper Man, Dallas Stewart;
• Gerald Goodman & John Pregman's Rumsonontheriver, John S. Pregman Jr.;
• Jan Nilsen's Sky Scan; Valerie Miller; and
• Mark Stanley's Three Wonders, W. Elliot Walden.

In addition, Hit The Hardwood, Craig Holstein and Jay's Crown, Bruce Johnstone, is still listed as possible.

Stronach Stables, Inc.'s Golden Missile, however, is likely to go postward as the short-priced favorite in the Hawthorne Gold Cup. Golden Missile, career winner of over $2,139,000, including over $1,200,000 this year, was sent off as the odds-on favorite in last year's edition of the Gold Cup but came up a nose short in a very game effort.

Using the Hawthorne Gold Cup as a prep race for Breeders' Cup, however, as had Awesome Again and Buck's Boy in the previous couple of years, Golden Missile finished a narrowly-beaten third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic, at over 75-1, in his very next start.

So far this year the "Missile" has amassed two victories from seven starts, including a two-length victory in the Grade 1 Pimlico Special.

Other probables for the Hawthorne Gold Cup include, again in alphabetical order:

• Stonehedge Farm Inc's Blazing Sword, Kathlees O'Connell;
• Kenneth L. & Sarah K Ramsey's Catienus, Charles Simon;
• Sharon Hild's Dust On The Bottle, Glenn Hild;
• Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's El Ballezano, Charles Simon;
• Willian Teinowitz' Guided Tour, Niall M. O'Callaghan;
• Steven Gula's Mula Gula, Jerry Hollendorfer; and
• R.D. Hubbard, Robert Folson & Dwight Sutherland's Puerto Madero (Chi)

This week is Hawthorne's first $1 Friday. We'll feature $1 bets, including win, place, and show; $1 clubhouse admission; $1 parking; $1 programs; $1 draft beer; $1 hot dogs and $1 soda. Of course grandstand admission and general parking are always free.

And, don't forget. The first leg of Hawthorne's handicapping contest takes place on Saturday. You can't win if you don't play.

Beat the Handicappers Challenge

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