CHOICE OF DAY A CURIOUS ONE.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI / Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with Racetrackers here were surprised, if not downright insulted, by the announcement that Pat Day will be flown in from Florida to ride Gentlemen in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the late winter at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses three years old and up, and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during on March 7. It's been a long time since an out-of-stater rode a big local horse in a major Southern California race. The circuit prides itself on having the nation's strongest and deepest jockey colony. So most people here assumed that if Gary Stevens, the regular rider for Silver Charm and Gentlemen, chose the former for the Big 'Cap, the latter would wind up with another top Santa Anita jockey, probably the high-percentage Corey Nakatani. ``The best riders in the world are right here - and they were all available,'' said the agent for a jockey who didn't figure to have a shot at Gentlemen even if it was a locals-only competition. ``It (Day's selection) was a surprise move.'' It would have been one thing if the Big 'Cap drew a big field and all the top Santa Anita riders were taken. But only Refinado Tom and Malek - both from Mandella's barn - and Bagshot are likely to challenge Gentlemen and Silver Charm. None of those horses has a committed jockey. Mandella could have engaged Nakatani, who rode Gentlemen successfully before missing a 1996 race to travel to Japan for a lucrative jockeys' contest. ``It's hard to find a better finisher than Corey Nakatani - and certainly not Pat Day,'' a trainer here said. Mandella could have gone with Alex Solis, who rode Mandella-trained Dare and Go to the '96 upset of Cigar at Del Mar. He could have used Santa Anita leader Kent Desormeaux, or Chris McCarron or Eddie Delahoussaye, both Hall of Famers. And nobody would have batted an eye. Day is a Hall of Famer too, but piling up victories on the Kentucky-Arkansas-Illinois circuit has earned him a notable lack of respect among Californians, who take delight in his big-race failures. ``This isn't Arkansas,'' a Santa Anita trainer said this week. Some speculated that this wasn't Mandella's decision, that the trainer acquiesced to the wishes of John T.L. Jones Jr., general manager of Walmac International, the Kentucky breeding farm to which Gentlemen owner R.D. Hubbard will send the 6-year-old horse at retirement. But ``it was my decision,'' Mandella said. ``The first reason is, he's a great rider,'' Mandella said of Day. ``The second is it's an old friendship, and I always promised him I'd get him a good horse. I think I've found one.'' They worked together briefly at Farrell Jones' ranch in Riverside in the early '70s. Mandella's training career in the West and Day's riding career in the East have rarely intersected. Pat ``Wait All'' Day should fit the new style of Gentlemen, who raced close to the pace when he won the Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. and Pacific Classic last year but rallied to win the San Antonio Handicap The San Antonio Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park each year. The race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. The Grade II event offers a purse of $250,000. Round Table won this race in 1958. in his '98 debut. One other thing Mandella said he likes about Day - his dominance at Churchill Downs, where the Breeders' Cup will be held this fall. Which indicates Mandella isn't thinking of this as a one-shot deal. ``I'm not making any contracts with any (rider),'' Mandella said. ``But if he (Day) rides him well, it'll be hard to take him off.'' March madness: If the Kentucky Derby is the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Final - we're borrowing D. Wayne Lukas' metaphor - then the April 4 Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. is the Final Four and Sunday's San Rafael Stakes The San Rafael Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade II event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt. and the March 14 San Felipe are the Elite Eight. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , things get serious for local 3-year-olds this weekend. The $200,000 San Rafael, a one-mile race, will include the proven Souvenir Copy - winner of the Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Beginning in the racing season of 2007, this race has been upgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee from a Grade II event to a Grade I. and Norfolk at age 2 and runner-up to Artax in the Santa Catalina off a layoff - and six others with question marks. Stevens will ride Souvenir Copy. Needing the test are Sea of Secrets (Desormeaux), the undefeated San Vicente winner who will try two turns; San Vicente runner-up Late Edition (David Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the ), looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. his first stakes victory for Lukas; Orville N Wilbur's (Nakatani), a San Vicente bust after two swift wins; Futuristic (Solis), Magical (Brice Blanc), Mantles Star (McCarron) and Mr. Fortune (Victor Espinoza). Post positions will be announced today. International incident: Santa Anita will host a ``jockey challenge'' March 22 matching four-man teams from the United States (Stevens, Delahoussaye, Laffit Pincay and Jerry Bailey) and Europe (Frankie Dettori, Kieren Fallon, Michael Kinane and Olivier Peslier). Bill Shoemaker and Lester Piggott will act as captains. Mounts for the four races involved will be assigned with the goal of producing a fair contest. Prizes: $5,000 to each member of the team earning the most points, $10,000 to the individual leader. Meaning? Lil's Lad's 2-1/4-length victory in the Fountain of Youth Fountain of Youth legendary fountain of eternal youth. [World Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 432] See : Unattainability at Gulfstream Park last Saturday earned the highest speed figure - a 113 on the Daily Racing Form's Beyer scale - but did it prove he's the leading Derby contender? With Cape Town folding unexpectedly and Halory Hunter lagging before closing for third, the four-horse race became a match race between Lil's Lad and Coronado's Quest. And, as usually happens in a match race, the horse with the early lead went on to win. All four Fountain of Youth runners are going on to the March 14 Florida Derby. Horse of the Year Favorite Trick is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the Swale Stakes on the same card. A WEEK AT THE RACES At The Races is a British television channel, originally co-founded with Channel 4, but now owned by a partnership between British Sky Broadcasting, Arena Leisure PLC and 28 (out of the 59) UK racecourses. Santa Anita standings: Jockeys (through Wednesday): Kent Desormeaux and Gary Stevens, 42 winners; Corey Nakatani, 34; Alex Solis, 33; David Flores, 25. Trainers: Bob Baffert, 28; Neil Drysdale, 14; Ron McAnally, 13; Mike Mitchell, 11. Handicapper hand·i·cap·per n. Sports & Games 1. One who assigns handicaps. 2. One who predicts the winners in a horserace, especially one who publishes such predictions as a guide for bettors. Noun 1. helper: Nakatani not only is winning 21.4 percent of his races, best among Santa Anita jockeys, he also is winning an amazing 47.5 aboard betting favorites. Top that, Pat Day. Upcoming: At Santa Anita: $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap The Buena Vista Handicap is an annual race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one mile on the Grade II]] event. The Buena Vista offers a purse of $150.000. , fillies and mares, one mile on turf, Saturday; $200,000 San Rafael, 3-year-olds, one mile, Sunday; $100,000 Baldwin, 3-year-olds, 6-1/2 furlongs on turf, Wednesday. At Gulfstream Park: $500,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap The Gulfstream Park Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one and three-sixteenths miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it offers a purse of $350,000. , 1-1/4 miles, Saturday. Mileposts: The purse for the Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. It is sponsored by the airline Emirates. has been doubled to $2 million, same as the Turf. The Classic remains $4 million, the other Breeders' Cup races $1 million. . . . Older-horse champion Skip Away heads the Gulfstream Park Handicap. . . . Major stakes-winning mare Donna Viola returns in the Buena Vista. . . . Michael Alan Morphy, a racehorse racehorse refers usually to thoroughbred but may also include standardbred, trotter. owner who was commissioner of equestrian sports for the '84 Olympic Games, has died at 65. . . . Hal's Pal will miss the Santa Anita Handicap with foot problems. . . . J.G. Matos plans to ride at Santa Anita on March 7 before moving back to Puerto Rico permanently. The 20-year-old's apprentice allowance expires March 9. . . . Apprentice Ryan Barber has moved to Kentucky. . . . Baffert is on pace to break Gary Jones' record for training victories at Santa Anita (47 in '75-76). . . . Despite the weather, attendance at Santa Anita is up 1.4 percent over last year at this time. . . . A Big 'Cap ad in the Santa Anita program misspelled the name of one of the stars: ``Gentleman.'' -- Kevin Modesti CAPTION(S): Box BOX: A WEEK AT THE RACES (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion