SANTA ANITA: SURFSIDE STRUGGLES FOR WIN ON SLICK TRACK SEATTLE SLEW'S DAUGHTER TAKES LAS VIRGENES STAKES.

Byline: Fred J. Robledo Staff Writer

ARCADIA - If Surfside is headed to the Kentucky Derby for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, she'll need a better effort than Saturday's victory in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita to convince her famous trainer.

The daughter of Seattle Slew reminded many of Lukas' Winning Colors, the last filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1988, following her impressive eighth-length victory in the Santa Yzabel Stakes on Jan. 9.

But as the 1-9 betting favorite in Saturday's four-horse field, Surfside needed every ounce of effort down the stretch to hold off Spain and Rings A Chime, who finished second and third in the mile race on the main track.

Surfside, whose mother is multiple stakes winner Flanders, has carved a reputation for herself as the best 3-year-old filly in the country, so convincing victories are important for her Kentucky Derby campaign.

Lukas isn't that worried but said the overnight rain caused a little concern.

``We felt she would handle it (the slick track), but it wasn't ideal and (jockey) Pat (Day) didn't think so either,'' Lukas said. ``It helps that she got looked in the eye today. You know, she's gotten a little bit complacent. I was telling my wife that I've seen that in the mornings. But that's easy to fix.''

Day said he could tell Surfside wasn't comfortable with the track.

``She started fighting the race track and just wasn't comfortable there,'' Day said. ``Then they came at her from both sides, and when she was in there in close proximity, she was very game. She's a real competitor.''

The Las Virgenes, also known as Lukas' private Derby prep, has been good to the Hall of Fame trainer.

This was Lukas' fifth Las Virgenes win, which recently has become a significant stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby.

Three Las Virgenes horses have gone off at betting odds of 3-1 or less in previous Kentucky Derbys. Althea was a 5-2 choice in 1984, Serena's Song 3-1 in 1995, and Winning Colors captured the Derby at 3-1 odds.

Surfside looks destined to follow a similar path, but Lukas indicated he'll know more after the March 12 Santa Anita Oaks and the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

``We're getting a good foundation now, we're getting some good races under her,'' Lukas said. ``Of course next is the Oaks, and the hill will get steeper as we go, but she's answered all the calls so far, so we're very comfortable with her.

``But I imagine that we'll have to reach down a bit more in these next two races. We'll wake her up for them.''

Surfside passed Rings A Chime along the rail at the 1/2-mile pole and held on to return bettors $2.40 and $2.10.

It was Surfside's third consecutive victory, with her last lost coming in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Gulfstream Park behind stablemate Cash Run.

``We're going to pick it up a bit now,'' Lukas said. ``We took a soft approach this month, but we're going to get a little more serious. We'll turn the crank and get the works going because it's going to get tougher.''

Spain's trainer, Jeff Bonde, thought his filly had a chance to catch Surfside coming off the turn for home.

``I thought so, but Surfside is a real racehorse too,'' Bonde said. ``It was a good race. She dug down and tried real hard.''

--Notes: Manistique heads a competitive field for today's $200,000 Santa Maria Handicap for older fillies and mares going a mile and one-sixteenth.

The five-year-old daughter of Unbridled, with jockey Corey Nakatani aboard, is unbeaten at Santa Anita and will break from the third position.

Manistique likely will be challenged by Keeper Hill, a winner of the Las Virgenes Stakes as a 3-year-old in 1998. The daughter of Deputy Minister is 4-7-5 in eighteen lifetime starts with earnings of $1,537,024.

Argentine import Potrizaris will be making her second U.S. start for trainer Julio Canani. She finished fourth in her only U.S. start, the Jan. 17 San Gorgonio Handicap on the turf, and could benefit from an off track if the rains continue.

``I think she'll be much better on the dirt, and she needs more distance,'' Canani said. ``She's a mile-and-a-quarter type horse and they don't have those races for her until later this year.'' . . .

Going into Saturday's card, trainer Bill Spawr was on a roll, winning four and finishing second twice in his last six starts . . . .

With his win aboard Bully's South in Friday's third race, Laffit Pincay Jr. extended his winning streak to nine consecutive racing days with at least one win. He had no mounts Saturday. . . .