HORSE RACING: OWNERS OF HORSE SUE HAND OVER KNEE.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

You might remember Luthier Fever, the poor, unfit horse who was forced to race in the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic to satisfy the requirements of an ill-conceived purse-bonus offer.

Luthier Fever failed to finish the Gold Cup and was beaten by 44-1/2 lengths in the Del Mar race, but because he was the only horse to start the Santa Anita Handicap and the two later events, his owners collected a $500,000 bonus.

But it seems $500,000 wasn't enough for the Lanzagorta family of Mexico City. Through Cuadra TyT, their California corporation, the Lanzagortas are suing trainer Ted West in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying the horse's poor performances were the result of a knee injury that West hid from the owners.

They want $1 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The Lanzagortas' attorney, Peter Thompson of Chula Vista, said the bad results reduced the horse's value and ``held them up to ridicule in the community.'' The suit, filed last March, is scheduled to go to court next April. West said he's eager to fight the inflammatory charges, which include negligence, fraud and breach of contract.

``It's not true and I can prove it,'' West, 61, said from his Monrovia home. ``When somebody sues you, no matter how ridiculous it might seem, the only thing you can do is hire a lawyer and start paying them to represent you.''

The suit certainly is unusual in the annals of racing. And, yes, it sounds ridiculous.

West began training then 5-year-old Luthier Fever after Gary Jones had an unspecified disagreement with the Lanzagortas. Less than a week later, the horse finished a surprising second to Mr. Purple in the Santa Anita Handicap. A month later, he ran next to last in the Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas.

Two months later, Luthier Fever was pulled up in the Gold Cup, and shortly thereafter West was fired and Eduardo Inda took over the training.

The Lanzagortas, in their complaint, contend that sometime between the Santa Anita and Hollywood races, Luthier Fever injured a knee because of West's ``negligence.'' Further, the complaint says, West and his wife, Mary Ellen West, as the trainer's bookkeeper, kept the injury secret so that the owners would keep racing the horse.

But the Lanzagortas might find it hard to prove the Wests misled them about Luther Fever's prospects. Two days before the Gold Cup, assistant trainer Ted West Jr. told the Daily News the horse had recently missed a month of exercise with a minor injury and had been slow in his last workout.

``We recommended to the owners not to run because we didn't think he was 100 percent,'' the younger West was quoted saying in the Daily News.

If the Lanzagortas didn't know something was wrong, they weren't reading the paper.

The elder West said Thursday that Luthier Fever had suffered from a knee infection, not an injury, but he recovered before the Gold Cup. The infection, he said, didn't affect his racing future.

(Luthier Fever is retired and living on a farm near San Diego. He is battling the nervous-system disease EPM. But that condition is not at issue, both sides said.)

``I told (brothers Alfonso and Jose Antonio Lanzagorta), `I just want to get one thing straight. The way this horse is training, he isn't going to run very well (in the Gold Cup), and I don't want you to blame me when he doesn't,' '' West said Thursday. ``They said, `Oh, no. We won't do that.'

``They wanted me to run him to keep him eligible for the bonus. They got $500,000 for it, so I can't say it was a bad decision. I think the implication was that if I didn't run him, they'd get another trainer.''

West had to take the Lanzagortas to the track stewards to get his $43,000 share of the bonus. He thinks that angered them and inspired the lawsuit.

This is the second time West has faced an unusual lawsuit. In 1992, he, the owners and jockey of Interwit, a promising 3-year-old killed on the Hollywood Park turf course, were ordered to pay $60,000 to the owners of another horse who died in the accident.

That ruling was a surprise. But a ruling against West this time would be a bigger shock.

The weekend: The very young and very old will be on display in three Grade I races at Hollywood Park.

Career Collection, the California-bred who ran second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, heads six 2-year-old fillies in the Hollywood Starlet on Saturday. Much-touted Johnbill is one of the 2-year-olds pointing for the Hollywood Futurity on Sunday (3:30 p.m., Fox Sports West).

Also Sunday, 8-year-old Sandpit can go over $4 million in earnings when he makes his final start in the Hollywood Turf Cup.

``He doesn't have to win another dime to prove himself in our eyes,'' trainer Richard Mandella said. ``If you have any appreciation for beauty - I don't care if you don't like horses - Sandpit's beautiful.''

Hollywood Park standings: Jockeys (through Wednesday): Corey Nakatani, 24 winners; Kent Desormeaux and Alex Solis, 23; Chris McCarron, 14. Trainers: Richard Mandella, 8; Barry Abrams and Dan Hendricks, 7; Bobby Frankel and Mike Mitchell, 6.

Handicapper helper: Style counts when it comes to pairing jockeys with the right horses. Among Hollywood Park riders, the most comfortable with ``speed'' horses have been David Flores and Rene Douglas (almost all of their winners were running first, second or third early in the race), while the likeliest to come from behind are Corey Nakatani and Laffit Pincay (who almost never leads from gate to wire).

Upcoming: At Hollywood Park: $150,000 Hollywood Starlet for 2-year-old fillies, Saturday; $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, $250,000 Hollywood Futurity for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Dahlia Handicap for fillies and mares on turf, Sunday. Out of state: Louisiana Classic Day races at the Fairgrounds, Saturday.

Mileposts: The Northridge man convicted of trying to fix races at Los Alamitos in 1995 was sentenced to six months in prison and fined $500. Richard Sklar also must pay $6,600 to owners of the horses in the three races. . . . Russell Baze won his 6,000th race Dec. 3 at Golden Gate Fields. At this rate, 420 winners a year, he would catch Bill Shoemaker (8,833) in September 2004. . . . The 1998 stakes gradings were announced. The Strub goes from Grade I to Grade II. Inexplicably, the Native Diver remained Grade III, even though eight of its past nine winners also had Grade I victories. . . . Two-year-old Orville N Wilbur's had another fast win Thursday at Hollywood Park - 7 furlongs in 1:21. . . . Patrick Byrne edged Bob Baffert for trainer of the year in a vote by the United Thoroughbred Trainers of America. . . . Chief Bearhart, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf at Hollywood Park, was named Canada's horse of the year. . . . 1987 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Very Subtle died in an accident at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. . . . Letthebighossroll, Alyrob and Blushing Heiress were retired. . . . The Daily Racing Form is inviting fans to mail in a ballot for unofficial Horse of the Year and divisional honors. Vote for Gentlemen.

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