'We'll miss her' - Hollywood Story, dam of Grade 1 winner Honor A.P, dies at 21

Grade 1 winner and producer Hollywood Story has died peacefully of natural causes at owner George Krikorian's Starwood Farm. She was 21.

"She meant a lot to my programme; she was really a big part of everything that we've accomplished over the years," said Krikorian.

Hollywood Story, a daughter of Wild Rush, was purchased in 2002 for $130,000 by Donato Lanni from breeder Vinery at the July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky sale of selected yearlings.

Racing through four seasons for Krikorian and trainer John Shirreffs, she collected nearly $1.2 million in earnings. The only start of her 27-race career not made in Graded company was her debut in a maiden special weight.

"Hollywood Story was determined. She was very strong, and she had a tremendous will," Shirreffs told BloodHorse in 2020.

Making five starts as a two-year-old, four in Graded races, Hollywood Story scored her first victory in her final start that season, rallying from last for a near three-length win in the 2003 Hollywood Starlet Stakes.

She won a Graded contest each year on the track, taking the Bayakoa Handicap at three, the Hawthorne Handicap at four, and the Vanity Invitational Handicap at five. All four victories came at Hollywood Park, and her five Grade 1 placings include the American Oaks Invitational on turf.

"As a racehorse, she was incredible," Krikorian recalled.

Hollywood Story's most accomplished foal to date is Honor AP, the 2020 Santa Anita Derby winner who finished fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby. Now standing alongside his sire Honor Code at Lane's End, Honor AP was the highest-priced offspring from the stallion's first crop when he sold in 2018 to CRK Stable for $850,000 at the Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs.

Hollywood Story produced seven winners from eight starters, four of which earned black type. Her first foal, Hoorayforhollywood (by Storm Cat), placed in multiple stakes; Miss Hollywood (by Malibu Moon) won a black-type event at Gulfstream Park; Hollywood Star (by Malibu Moon) placed in the Saratoga Special Stakes and in the Iroquois Stakes; while Honor AP made himself known as a major three-year-old contender.

"All her foals were beautiful and they sold for a lot of money," said Krikorian. "She's just been a big part of our operation and we're going to miss her."

Hollywood Story's last two foals, an unraced three-year-old Curlin filly named Hollywood Wife and an unraced two-year-old Tapit filly named Hollywood Insider, have been retained by Krikorian and are currently at Starwood. Hollywood Wife is in foal to Authentic, according to Starwood manager Tony Burton, while plans are pending for Hollywood Insider, who may return to training or be bred next year.

Honor A. P. is a Grade 1-winning son of Hollywood StoryCredit: Benoit Photo

Krikorian also lost the multiple Grade 1-winning Dynaformer mare Starrer in 2021.

"She was a couple of years older than Hollywood Story; we lost her last fall," he said. "She was a multiple Grade 1-winning mare, she was a tremendous horse. My farm Starwood is named after those two horses."

Bred by Wind Hill Farm out of the Relaunch mare To the Hunt, Starrer was a $35,000 purchase, also selected by Lanni, in 1999 at the October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky autumn yearling sale from the consignment of Mr and Mrs William Wofford, agents.

She won the Santa Maria Handicap and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap in 2003 along with three other Graded stakes through a four-year campaign, initially trained by David Hofmans, then by Shirreffs. Her progeny include the Grade 3-placed Paynter mare Movie Moment and the stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act.

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