The legendary Jim Murray will be honored this weekend at Hollywood when a race named in his honor is renewed this Saturday as On the Acorn attempts to be the first repeat winner of the fixture.

Murray, of course, was a sportswriter for the L. A. Times from 1961 to 1998 where he won the Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times.

Champs Elysees will try to thwart On the Acorn and will be joined by another Bobby Frankel charge in the mile and a half turf fray as Sudan will also compete.

San Luis Rey hero Boule d'Or figures to also be in the lineup along with probables Church Service, Shamdinan and Victorian Prince.

A closer look at the players reveals some interesting traits. Boule d'Or has proved to be a stellar claim by Jeff Mullins after posting 2 clever wins for the trainer after leaving the Paddy Gallagher barn.

The thing that Mullins has gotten the son of Croco Rouge to do of late is to show speed, and that can go a long way even in a marathon like the Murray.

Champs Elysees tried to run the option play last time trying the dirt for the first time in the Santa Anita Handicap and despite his troubled trip, Champs was a rallying third and if he had broken sharply, may have been unsaddled.

A Group 3 winner at the distance off a layoff, he brings a nice turn of late foot to the party and will be flying at the wire this weekend.

Church Service will try to do better than 6th, his finish in last year's Murray. Far from a win machine, he's only 3 for 20 lifetime, and he was left with too much to do last time when a nose cost him in the Grade 3 Tokyo City.

On the Acorn is coming to the race quite different than he did last year. In the 2007 run, he was fresh off a half a length beat in the San Luis Rey but this year he has lost three straight, twice as the beaten chalk.

Shamdinan burst onto the U.S. scene with a clever win in the G1 Secretariat in Chicago last year, but has lost 5 in a row including a crush job last time when only a brief factor at 9-2 on the board.

Sudan is the lesser of the Frankel lights. He was crushed by his stablemate last May in France, has a Group 1 success to his credit at the distance but it was only by a nose against 5 foes.

Victorian Prince hardly has a royal chance this weekend. Still eligible for a non-winners of 2 other than event, the son of Desert Prince is giving away tons of experience and figures to be a huge number.

How will the race unfold? Expect Prince to gun at all costs early, that's his only chance, but he won't be alone as Boule d'Or figures to be right on his heels along with Shamdinan.

On the Acorn could fall into a nice spot, maybe sitting 4th with Champs Elysees, Church Service and Sudan in the back of the pack.

At the top of the lane, Champs Elysees will reach contention under invading rider Ramon Dominquez and he'll have enough to overtake Boule d'Or, who figures life and death to hold second over a rallying On the Acorn.

Champs figures to build on his already hefty bankroll of over $500,000 so key him in the gimmicks and try to get lucky.

Sudan is the lesser of the Frankel lights. He was crushed by his stablemate last May in France, has a Group 1 success to his credit at the distance but it was only by a nose against 5 foes.

Victorian Prince hardly has a royal chance this weekend. Still eligible for a non-winners of 2 other than event, the son of Desert Prince is giving away tons of experience and figures to be a huge number.

How will the race unfold? Expect Prince to gun at all costs early, that's his only chance, but he won't be alone as Boule d'Or figures to be right on his heels along with Shamdinan.

On the Acorn could fall into a nice spot, maybe sitting 4th with Champs Elysees, Church Service and Sudan in the back of the pack.

At the top of the lane, Champs Elysees will reach contention under invading rider Ramon Dominquez and he'll have enough to overtake Boule d'Or, who figures life and death to hold second over a rallying On the Acorn.

Champs figures to build on his already hefty bankroll of over $500,000 so key him in the gimmicks and try to get lucky.