SANTA ANITA: BID FOR RECORD DOWN TO LAST DAY.

Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer

ARCADIA - Bobby Frankel's pursuit of D. Wayne Lukas' record for season earnings by a thoroughbred trainer has become more dramatic than expected.

After a setback Sunday at Santa Anita, Frankel is going to have to win in both of the New Year's Eve races in which he has horses to break the mark of $17,842,358 that Lukas set in 1988.

Frankel could have done it Sunday, when he entered one horse in the fifth-race claiming sprint and three in the featured San Gabriel Handicap. But Trilogy was scratched from the fifth, Sumitas was withdrawn from the San Gabriel, and Decarchy and Blue Stellar finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Beau Greely-trained Grammarian.

``I don't got no chance,'' Frankel said after that, but in fact he has a shot.

The results left Frankel $102,418 short of Lukas. Victories by Sumitas in Tuesday's fifth-race allowance on turf (which pays $42,000 to the winner) and Rolly Polly in the Monrovia Handicap turf sprint (with a projected $68,760 top prize) would put Frankel on top by $8,342.

Sumitas is a joint 3-1 favorite with Carla Gaines-trained Lord Jim in a Gary Tanaka-owned entry, and Rolly Polly is the 2-1 favorite. Pat Valenzuela rides both Frankel horses.

Adding intrigue to the Monrovia - if Frankel's record bid is still alive - Lukas entered 20-1 Repository in the 6 1/2-furlong hillside turf race.

Frankel has made it clear he covets the record. And Lukas is equally competitive.

``The money's escalating, and we ran for a lot less,'' said Lukas, who trained three champions in 1988, including Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. ``The one record that will stand, I think forever, is our 92 stakes (victories in 1987). I don't think anybody's going to break that for a while.''

Frankel fans will note that their man has saddled fewer than 500 horses in 2002, and Lukas had 1,500 starters when he set the money mark in 1988.

Lukas said last week he thought Frankel was no ``cinch'' to break the record, but applauded the effort as a benefit to the sport: ``Any time you get publicity in racing, it's good, because we're usually on the back page.''

Even-money favorite Decarchy appeared to be caught at the rail in sixth midway through the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel, which remained on a turf course rated ``good.'' But jockey Jerry Bailey found room between horses and seemed to have a shot at leaders Grammarian and Jose Valdivia Jr. as they turned into the stretch.

Grammarian kept going, though, and David Copperfield and Laffit Pincay held second. Blue Stellar and Valenzuela closed from eighth to nose White Heart and Victor Espinoza out of fourth.

``I had a good trip and he handled the ground reasonably well, but he didn't fire like he can,'' Bailey said.

In the $150,000 race, Decarchy earned $18,000 and Blue Stellar $9,000. Grammarian got $90,000 for owner Lindsey Williams, who has set his long-range sights on the April 20 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita and the Nov. 4 Melbourne Cup in Australia.

--Notes: Pincay celebrated his 56th birthday Sunday by winning the opening race aboard My Friend Lumpy. It's the fourth year in a row Pincay has ridden a winner on his birthday. ... Alex Solis, who fell when Most Likely broke down in Saturday's ninth race, spent the night in Arcadia Methodist Hospital and skipped his scheduled mounts Sunday. Agent Scott McClellan said Solis, 39, felt good apart from a headache and might ride Tuesday. ... Today is the only dark day in the first 11 days of the Santa Anita season.