SATURDAY: MAKINGS OF CAPITAL BIG 'CAP.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 ARCADIA - To find the last 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 with as many first- rate horses as Saturday's edition, you'd have to flip back in the chart book to the 1980s. The 1990s were the most forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget decade in the 62-year history of the Big 'Cap. The 10 winners did not include a single national champion, Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982 by a consortium of North American racing organizations, led by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. winner or Triple Crown race winner. Bad luck gets some of the blame. The Wicked North, the champion older horse of 1994, finished first in that year's Big 'Cap but was disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. in a foul call Chick Hearn would term ticky-tack. Injuries and coaches' decisions kept Holy Bull, Cigar and Skip Away Skip Away (born April 4, 1993), a gray thoroughbred race horse, was named America's Champion 3 Year Old Male in 1996 and twice (1997, 1998) named America's Champion Handicap Horse. in Florida. Locally based national champions Criminal Type, Pleasant Tap, Bertrando and Silver Charm did compete but got outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. . For every worthy winner (Farma Way, Best Pal, Free House), there was a long shot (Sir Beaufort, Lucky Stuka, Mr Purple). Big 'Cap day slipped below 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. day attendance three of the past four years, after the Big 'Cap outdrew the Derby in 25 of the previous 28 years. Quite a change from the 1980s, when winners included Horses of the Year Spectacular Bid, John Henry (twice) and Alysheba. The obvious problem is Santa Anita's inability to attract top eastern horses other than 1997 sixth-place finisher Formal Gold for a handicap race so early in a season made longer by the advent of the Breeders' Cup in 1984. The Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The race is operated through the Emirates Horse Racing Authority (EHRA) whose Chairman is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, , begun in 1996, is more competition. Santa Anita racing secretary Michael Harlow, presiding over the Big 'Cap for the first time, clearly isn't panicking, blaming the bad luck for the weak decade. He rejected changing the schedule or switching from a handicap to equal-weights format - at least for 2000. ``Show me another (race) that has the winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. , the horse who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic, and the horse who was favored in the Kentucky Derby,'' Harlow said. He referred, in order, to Cat Thief, Budroyale and General Challenge. The eight-horse field also includes Malek, the 1998 Big 'Cap winner, Puerto Madero, who was the nation's top older horse a year ago, and Dixie Dot Com, whose early speed is dangerous on his best day. This could be the restart of something big. Santa Anita television commentator Kurt Hoover offered a fair assessment when he told the audience at Thursday's post-position draw ceremony: ``I'm supposed to say this every year, but this year we really do have a top-class field for the Santa Anita Handicap.'' --The long shots: The last addition to the Big 'Cap entries was Invitato Mio, a Brazilian-bred 8-year-old who won a Nov. 26, 1997 allowance race when he was trained by Richard Mandella and hasn't won since. His latest trainer, A.C. Avila, has indicated it's owner Jose Netto's decision to run. Invitato Mio, 30-1 on the morning line, will be the first Big 'Cap mount of Danny Sorenson's career. Bagshot, 15-1 on the line, represents John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery, owners of 1999 winner Free House. ``I think we've got a chance, but it's not the same feeling,'' said Toffan, whose better Big 'Cap prospect, Six Below, was injured and retired last weekend. ``At this point, there aren't any champions (among the opponents). I think when Bagshot ran second in the Big 'Cap two years ago, that was considered a pretty good field, too.'' --Nose news: Most handicappers doubt equine nose strips, which became legal in California on Wednesday, will generally improve horses' performances. But it's hard to knock the results so far. Of nine horses wearing the breathing aids Wednesday, two won, returning a profitable $33.20, and seven finished in the money. Most outran out·ran v. Past tense of outrun. their odds. Eleven horses wore the adhesive strips Thursday. One won, paying just $4.20, but there were 9-1, 9-1, 9-1, 37-1 and 18-1 shots among the in-the-money finishers. --The other big race: War Chant, an impressive 2 for 2 for trainer Neil Drysdale, makes his stakes debut on the Big 'Cap undercard un·der·card n. The event or events coming before and supporting the main event, as of boxing matches. in the San Rafael, a steppingstone step·ping·stone n. 1. A stone that provides a place to step, as in crossing a stream. 2. An advantageous position for advancement toward a goal. to the Santa Anita Derby. The 1-mile race also drew D. Wayne Lukas-trained Commendable and Bobby Frankel's Cocky - promising colts trying the stakes level for the first time - and Vladimir Cerin's Archer City Slew, coming off a win in the 7-furlong San Vicente. The news of the week on the Kentucky Derby trail was the naming of Jerry Bailey to ride Anees, the champion 2-year-old of 1999, in the colt's 2000 debut, the March 19 San Felipe at Santa Anita. The mount was up for grabs after Gary Stevens retired in December. Bailey gave up unbeaten Red Bullet, who's running in the March 19 Gotham at Aqueduct, to take The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Anees. Bailey won the Derby with Sea Hero (1993) and Grindstone grindstone or grind common metaphor for industriousness. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Industriousness (1996). OUT OF THE GATE SANTA ANITA LEADERS Jockeys (through Wednesday) Corey Nakatani....50 wins Kent Desormeaux...41 wins Alex Solis........38 wins Laffit Pincay.....34 wins 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 ......29 wins Trainers Bob Baffert.......20 wins Bobby Frankel.....18 wins Ron McAnally......13 wins Bill Spawr........13 wins PINCAY WATCH Laffit Pincay had a mixed week, going 1 for 7 aboard tote-board favorites but posting victories at 12-1, 14-1 and 6-1 odds. His record career-wins total was 8,880 through Wednesday. The Stakes schedule SANTA ANITA Today $100,000 La Habra Stakes 3-year-old fillies, 6 1/2 furlongs on turf Saturday $1 million Santa Anita Handicap 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles $200,000 San Rafael 3-year-olds, 1 mile $150,000 San Carlos Handicap The San Carlos Handicap is a Grade II stakes race for Thoroughbred horses run at California's Santa Anita Park each year. The race is open to horses, aged four and up, willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and offers a purse of $150,000. 4-year-olds and up, 7 furlongs Sunday $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap Filies and mares 4 and up, 1 1/8 miles $200,000 Arcadia Handicap 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile on turf GULFSTREAM PARK Saturday $250,000 Pan American Handicap 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/2 miles on turf Sunday $200,000 Orchid Handicap Fllies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/2 miles on turf FAIR GROUNDS Sunday $500,000 New Orleans Handicap The New Orleans Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Open to horses four years old and up, the race is run at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It currently offers a purse of $500,000. 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles. - Kevin Modesti BIG 'CAP LINEUP Entries and post positions were set Thursday for Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap, a $1 million, 1 1/4-mile race for 4-year-olds and up. It's scheduled for 2:40 p.m., the fifth race on a noon card. Coverage on Channel 11 starts at 2 p.m. Post/Horse...........Weight/Jockey......Odds 1 Bagshot.............113...Antley......15-1 2 General Challenge...121...Nakatani.....9-5 3 Cat Thief...........120...Day..........7-2 4 Malek...............118...Solis........8-1 5 Puerto Madero.......118...Pincay......15-1 6 Invitato Mio........110...Sorenson....30-1 7 Dixie Dot Com.......117...Desormeaux...6-1 8 Budroyale...........122...Gomez........5-2 * - Morning line set by Santa Anita's Jeff Tufts. CAPTION(S): 2 boxes |
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