Mervyn LeRoy
The race was run as the Mervyn Leroy Handicap at Hollywood Park Racetrack from inception in 1980 through 2013 when that racetrack closed. The original race was named for the American film director, Mervyn LeRoy who was a racing enthusiast and one of the track's founders. The Mervyn LeRoy Handicap carried a purse of $150,000 and was a prep to the Hollywood Gold Cup.