Point Determined Heads Swaps Field

The other major stakes race on the card today at Hollywood Park has an even smaller field than the featured Hollywood Gold Cup.

Only four 3-year-olds were entered in the $350,000 Swaps Breeders’ Cup Stakes, including the first three finishers in the Affirmed Handicap on June 17.

Affirmed winner Point Determined, A.P. Warrior, beaten by a nose, and third-place Arson Squad will race in the Grade II at 1 1/8 miles.

The only other entry is Potential, a 64-1 winner of a maiden claiming race in his second start for owner Jim McIngvale and trainer Laura Wohlers three races after the Affirmed.

Owned by the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust and trained by Bob Baffert, Point Determined will be looking to give Baffert his fourth Swaps win in seven years. The trainer clicked with Captain Steve in 2000, Congaree in 2001 and During in 2003.

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After a hearing in June, a board of stewards ruled this week that Intercontinental would remain the winner of last year’s Palomar Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Del Mar.

Trainer Jim Cassidy and owners Valerie Naify and Jim Ford, who were connected with horses that finished behind Intercontinental in the Palomar, had protested after it was learned that Intercontinental had received an anti-bleeder medication 20 minutes closer to the race than allowed by California Horse Racing Board rules and policy.

Stewards Darrel McHargue, Albert Christiansen and Martin Hamilton ruled that Intercontinental “did not gain an unfair advantage when she raced with a late treatment of pre-race bleeder medication.”

Ford, the co-owner of Katdogawn, who finished fourth in the Palomar, has appealed the stewards’ decision, according to Thoroughbred Times.

Intercontinental, who was owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Bobby Frankel, went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf race later in 2005 and was voted the Eclipse Award as the champion female turf performer.