SILVER GOING FOR GOLD; LATE BID FOR TITLE BEGINS SATURDAY.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

For weeks, Santa Anita fans looked forward to Saturday's Goodwood Handicap as a reunion of Silver Charm and Free House, old gray rivals from the 1997 Triple Crown trail. The popular colts' battle for local bragging rights would have been enough to make the $500,000 event the highlight of the Oak Tree Racing Association season.

Now that's only half the story in the Goodwood.

Silver Charm's handlers believe Skip Away's third-place finish behind Wagon Limit and Gentlemen in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park last weekend has given them a chance to snatch the Horse of the Year title. For them to be proven right, Silver Charm will have to beat Skip Away in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. But first, he'll have to get past Free House.

``If we were to win this one . . . the plot would thicken,'' said Bob Baffert, trainer of Silver Charm.

In six meetings between February and June '97, Silver Charm won the San Vicente, Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and Free House won the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. Silver Charm ran second and Free House third in the Belmont Stakes won by Touch Gold.

Silver Charm, with Gary Stevens riding, will be favored over four other horses in the 1-1/8-mile Goodwood. He comes out of a puzzling last-place finish in the San Diego Handicap in July and a high-rated dead heat with Wild Rush in the Kentucky Cup Classic in September. Free House, with Chris McCarron, will be the second choice. He comes out of a Pacific Classic romp in August and a puzzling fourth-place finish behind Skip Away in the Woodward in September.

``This is fun,'' Baffert said, praising Free House's owners. ``(Trudy) McCaffery and (John) Toffan are fun people.''

He feels differently about Skip Away's trainer, Sonny Hine, and owner, Sonny's wife, Carolyn.

Silver Charm and Skip Away have never met, yet their rivalry is more intense than Silver Charm and Free House. That's because of the long-distance carping between Baffert and Hine, each accusing the other of ducking a showdown.

Skip Away came out of the Gold Cup with inflamation in his right foreleg but appears likely to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic, taking a second shot at Cigar's career earnings mark and the $10 million plateau. But by running, Skip Away might risk the Horse of the Year title that would be his if the vote were taken today.

``I hope Skip Away's 100 percent, because I want one crack at him before he (retires),'' Baffert said.

If Silver Charm prevails, he will have won two $4 million races this year, the Dubai World Cup and the Breeders' Cup Classic, and some will call him the champion despite the races he has lost and missed. Would that really outweigh Skip Away's five Grade I victories and unheard-of consistency? We'll tackle that question if and when it matters.

Until then, the speculation adds spice to the Goodwood.

The weekend: Saturday's undercard features the Ancient Title Handicap, the local prep for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. The deep field includes Gold Land, Old Topper, class jumper Kona Gold and fillies A.P. Assay and Advancing Star.

In Sunday's Oak Tree Mile, a prep for the Breeders' Cup Mile, Hawksley Hill is expected to lead a small field.

Out of town: The turf filly Tuzla flew to Canada for Sunday's E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine without her faithful companion, a goat named Vicente, who would have been required to go into quarantine to cross the border.

``The goat is upset. He had his bags packed,'' said trainer Julio Canani.

Chris Esslinger of the Santa Anita PR department noted that the trip was ``almost a no-goat.'' But a substitute goat is waiting in Toronto, and, those who know horses figure Tuzla won't spot the difference.

Tuzla (Corey Nakatani) faces Neil Drysdale-trained Midnight Lace (Kent Desormeaux) and others.

Canani's Astarabad (Nakatani) and Drysdale's Storm Trooper (Desormeaux) run in the Canadian International the same day.

In New Jersey tonight, Hal's Pal (Brice Blanc) and Music Gambler (David Flores) represent California in the Meadowlands Cup. Stormin Fever (Jose Santos) is favored.

Underemployed: Laffit Pincay decided to take Thursday off rather than ride a couple of long shots, the only mounts he was offered at Santa Anita, and so ended his streak of days with at least one winner at nine.

How does the meet's leading rider get so little business? You tell me.

Pincay, 51, the winningest active jockey, has five mounts today and will be at Calder Race Course in Miami on Saturday to ride sprinter Closed Escrow for trainer Darrell Vienna in the Princess Rooney.

As we surmised: The mystery buyer of Del Mar Futurity winner Worldly Manner turns out to be Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, meaning the early rumors had it right.

The 2-year-old colt by Riverman was purchased from John and Betty Mabee of San Diego on Sept. 30, left trainer Bob Baffert for Kentucky later that week and will winter at Mohammed's Godolphin training center in Dubai with trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

He won't race again in 1998 but will aim for the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

Baffert said this week the Mabees agreed to let him try to match any offer for the colt in order to keep him him the barn, but none of his clients could approach the $5 million Mohammed reportedly paid.

No deal: The fact that wagers on Oak Tree's pick six Saturday came up $160,000 short of the $2 million guarantee could mean the gimmick is being overused. Or it could mean fans have figured out there's no ``free money'' in the pool as long as their wagers match the guarantee.

The shortfall was covered by an insurance company. Hollywood Park hasn't purchased an insurance policy for the pick-six guarantee scheduled Nov. 29.

Uh-oh.

A WEEK AT THE RACES

Oak Tree standings: Jockeys (through Wednesday): Laffit Pincay, 11 winners; Chris McCarron, 9; David Flores and Alex Solis, 8; Kent Desormeaux, 7. Trainers: Bob Baffert, 9; Ron McAnally, 7; Neil Drysdale, John Sadler, Jenine Sahadi and Bill Spawr, 4.

Handicapper helper: Santa Anita's main track turned unfriendly to front-runners in the second week of the Oak Tree meet. Horses running first or second early in sprint races went on to win 21 of 26 through Oct. 7 but only 10 of 27 since.

Upcoming stakes: At Santa Anita: Saturday, $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1-1/8 miles, and $150,000 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3 and up, 6 furlongs; Sunday, $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf; Wednesday, $75,000 Anoakia, 2-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs. At Belmont Park: Saturday, $200,000 Kelso Handicap, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf, $200,000 Forest Hills Handicap, 3 and up, 6 furlongs, $100,000 Cowdin, 2-year-olds, 6-1/2 furlongs, and $100,000 Astarita, 2-year-old fillies, 6-1/2 furlongs; Sunday, $150,000 Jamaica Handicap, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles on turf. At Keeneland: $500,000 Spinster, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1-1/8 miles, and $150,000 Keeneland Breeders' Cup Mile, 3 and up, 1 mile on turf; Sunday, $400,000 Breeders' Futurity, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. At Woodbine: Saturday, $1 million Canadian International, 3 and up, 1-1/2 miles on turf, and $400,000 E.P. Taylor, fillies and miles 3 and up, 1-1/4 miles on turf. At the Meadowlands: Tonight, $500,000 Meadowlands Cup, 3 and up, 1-1/8 miles.

Mileposts: Ariel Smith, 16-year-old son of a Panamanian jockey, rode his first winner, Never Miss ($10.80), for trainer Walter Greenman in Wednesday's third race at Santa Anita. ``It gets a little pressure off me,'' Smith said. What pressure?. . . . Trainer Noble Threewitt, a young-looking 87, said he suffered a mild stroke Oct. 3 and was hospitalized for three days. He was back at work at Santa Anita last weekend, though, and will saddle Old Topper for Saturday's Ancient Title. . . . Daily Racing Form columnist Joe Hirsch marked 50 years covering racing. . . . Fairplex champion J.C. Gonzalez rides with the apprentice's weight allowance for the last time Sunday. . . . Jockey Matt Garcia began a five-day suspension Wednesday. . . . Paul Atkinson leaves Monday to ride under contract in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisaal bin Khalid. . . . Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop had his first workout Tuesday since September throat surgery and is shooting for the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. . . . European star Swain apparently is aiming for the Classic, not the Turf, as assumed. . . . Allen Paulson named former Bill Mott assistant Simon Bray, 29, to train for him in Southern California starting in the winter. . . . Queen Elizabeth named Michael Stoute and Richard Hannon as the new trainers of her racehorses, replacing Lord Huntington, who retired. . . . Six of McAnally's Oak Tree winners have paid $14 or more. . . . Jockey Brice Blanc's Oak Tree winners have paid $9.20, $31.40, $66.60 and $71.80. . . . Number of front runners among Kent Desormeaux's first seven winners: 0. Number of front runners among David Flores' first seven winners: 5. . . . 1996 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Da Hoss raced for the first time in two years and won a Sunday allowance race at Colonial Downs in Virginia. . . . Attendance and wagering declined sharply in the second Colonial thoroughbred season.

- Kevin Modesti

CAPTION(S):

Box

Box: A WEEK AT THE RACES (See Text)