DOING IT DOWN IN THE DIRT\Helmsman wins with gutty effort.Byline: Kevin Modesti Daily News Staff Writer Now, that's what a turf race should look like. A cautious pace, each jockey waiting for the right time to make his move. Field bunched, everybody with a chance at the top of the stretch. Three classy, European horses emerging to battle it out in the last furlong. And a winner, Helmsman, prevailing on sheer class and heart. Yes, the $214,500 San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Stakes, contested on the dirt track for the 44th time Saturday, looked more like a turf race than most of the ones that will be run on the patchy Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
Maybe that's because the first three finishers, Helmsman, Gold and Steel and The Key Rainbow, had done all of their racing on turf before this. Helmsman, a half-length winner under Chris McCarron Christopher John "Chris" McCarron (b. March 27 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame retired jockey. He was introduced to the sport of thoroughbred racing by his older brother, jockey Gregg McCarron. , paid $6.60 as the bettors' favorite. He covered 1-1/8 miles in 1:48.87. "A talented horse who doesn't have the real high, European (running) action, should be able to handle the dirt," said trainer Wally Dollase, who is also a part-owner of Helmsman after purchasing the son of El Gran Senor El Gran Senor (1981-2006) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse, born at Windfields Farm in Maryland. An outstanding two-year-old who went on to win European classics over a mile and over 12 furlongs, El Gran Senor received a Timeform rated 136. from Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (May 23, 1936 - April 7, 2004) was a well-known English thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three in Europe last summer. The trainers of the top three, as well as fifth-place Pinfloron, thought theirs could be that talented horse. And they looked at the San Fernando, the prep for the 1-1/4-mile, $500,000 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds Feb. 4, and thought it didn't look so tough. Dollase, in particular, was convinced his colt could make the switch to the main track after finishing first or second in seven of his nine tries on turf, including a Volante Handicap victory and seconds in the Hollywood and Bay Meadows derbies. An exercise rider jumped off Helmsman following a workout at Hollywood Park recently and said: "The dirt doesn't bother him." But there was plenty to bother Saturday's nine-horse field - namely each other. As in real turf races, which often deteriorate into bumper cars because of sharp turns and tactical paces, most of the losers came back with excuses. In fact, the Daily Racing Form The Daily Racing Form, LLC (DRF) is a broadsheet newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States. chart caller recorded traffic trouble for The Key Rainbow, Pinfloron, seventh-place Score Quick, eighth-place High Stakes Player and trailer Oncefortheroad. As well as slow starts for Gold and Steel and even Helmsman. "He stumbled leaving the gate, but he put himself in the race immediately," said McCarron, who found himself a close sixth on the backstretch back·stretch n. The part of an oval racecourse farthest from the spectators and opposite the homestretch. . Corey Nakatani, aboard Gold and Steel, put McCarron in the pocket going to the far turn. But McCarron swung five-wide and won the San Fernando for the fifth time. "When I asked him to run, this colt really punched," McCarron said. Mr Purple finished fourth, and former $12,500 claimer Big Sky Jim ran a big race to be fifth. Notes: Ron McAnally will try for his third San Gorgonio Handicap The San Gorgiono Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park each year. A Grade II event, the San Gorgiono Handicap is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf. The race carries a purse of $150,000. victory in five years when Jenny Craig's Alpride, an 8-5 morning-line favorite, faces five fillies and mares on the turf today. McAnally won the race last year with Queens Court Queen and in 1992 with Paseana. The competition today includes Wandesta, who won the 1995 Santa Ana and Santa Barbara on the Santa Anita course. . . . Best Pal, Luthier lu·thi·er n. One that makes or repairs stringed instruments, such as violins. [French, from luth, lute, from Old French lut; see lute1.] Noun 1. Fever and Alphabet Soup are among nine entered in Monday's San Pasqual. . . . Phone Chatter finished a plodding fourth Saturday in an allowance sprint that almost certainly marked the end of the line for the champion 2-year-old filly of 1993. Trainer Richard Mandella said before the race that the huge daughter of Phone Trick would be sent to Kentucky for breeding to Gone West if she didn't run well. She earned more than $800,000 in 15 starts, including five wins. . . . Another Phone Trick offspring, the gelding gelding castrated male horse. Tiger Talk, ran away with his debut in 1:08.77 for 6 furlongs. Ron Ellis trains the 3-year-old for the Siegel family. . . . After three carryovers, the pick-six pool grew to $3,313,702, but a formful afternoon produced a payoff of just $8,682. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye is missing the long-weekend races to attend the funeral Monday of his mother, Loula Mae Delahoussaye, who died of respiratory failure Respiratory Failure Definition Respiratory failure is nearly any condition that affects breathing function or the lungs themselves and can result in failure of the lungs to function properly. at age 69 Thursday. |
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