by Frank Angst

Life Is Sweet will try to become the first filly in 41 years to win the TVG/Betfair Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1) when she faces up to 12 males on Saturday in the 1 1/4-mile race on Cushion Track.

Life Is Sweet won her first three races this season, including a 2 1/2-length victory in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) (video), before finishing second to stablemate and defending champion older female Zenyatta in the Milady Handicap (G2) on May 23 at Hollywood Park (video). For Life Is Sweet to pick up her second career Grade 1 victory, she will have to defeat last year’s Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track in Saturday’s $700,000 race.

A Marty and Pam Wygod homebred, Life Is Sweet started her career on the East Coast before joining the Southern California barn of John Shirreffs at the end of last year. The four-year-old Storm Cat filly has enjoyed success on the synthetic surfaces featured on the circuit, with victories on Pro Ride at Santa Anita Park in the El Encino (G2) and La Canada (G2) Stakes before her Santa Margarita win.

No filly has won the Gold Cup since Princessnesian won the 1968 edition.

Mast Track will be returning to Hollywood for the first time since last year’s race, where he won in track record time of 2:01.37 (video). A five-year-old Mizzen Mast horse, Mast Track enters off a seventh-place finish in the $615,000 Charles Town Classic Stakes on April 18.

Entering the race on a roll will be Phipps Stable homebred Parading, who won the Ben Ali Stakes (G3) on the Polytrack at Keeneland Race Course (video) before taking the Dixie Stakes (G2) on the turf at Pimlico Race Course (video).

Speaking of a roll, trainer Doug O’Neill enters with a perfect 4-for-4 Gold Cup record after victories by Sky Jack in ‘02 and Lava Man in ’05-’07. O’Neill will saddle Informed, a five-year-old Tiznow horse who won the Californian Stakes (G2) on June 13 at Hollywood (video).

“It would be great if we could do it again,” O’Neill said. “It doesn’t seem like the extra distance will bother him. The biggest thing is getting a good trip. He got a real good ride last time from Tyler [Baze].”

Also on Saturday’s card, Juddmonte Farms homebred Visit (GB) will make her first start since a close second in the Gamely Handicap (G1) on May 30 at Hollywood when she starts in the $250,000 Royal Heroine Mile Stakes (G2). The one-mile turf race has drawn seven other fillies and mares.

Frank Angst is Thoroughbred Times senior staff writer

TVG / BETFAIR Hollywood Gold Cup H.

For Equibase entries of Saturday's Hollywood card, click here.