DEL MAR STABLE NOTES

Thursday, August 1, 1996

SIX DISTAFFERS TO CONTEST DEL MAR'S GRADE I RAMONA ON SATURDAY

Headed by two-time Grade I winner Alpride, a field of six fillies and mares is expected to go postward Saturday in the 39th running of Del Mar's Grade I Ramona Handicap on the seaside track's Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

If all six go in the 1 1/8-mile classic, the purse will be $313,500. The winner's share will be $193,500. For a scratch, deduct $1,500 from each figure.

Although she is winless in two starts this year, a victory in the Ramona would put Alpride over the million-dollar mark in lifetime earnings. The 5-year- old Irish-bred mare, who is owned by Jenny Craig and trained by Ron McAnally, registered both of her Grade I victories last year as she won Hollywood Park's Beverly Hills Handicap and the Yellow Ribbon Invitational at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting. She finished fifth in last year's Ramona.

McAnally says of his trainee, who will carry high weight of 119 pounds: "She's a nice filly. She's got quality. I've been reading about Mandella's filly [Matiara]; about how she's been training well. But, I think our filly will run well." McAnally said Alpride pulled a muscle in her hip in a January race and then finished a fast-closing second in an allowance race at Hollywood Park July 13. Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron will be in the irons for the race.

Joining Alpride in the gate for the Ramona, the premier grass race for females during the Del Mar meeting, will be Flaxman Holdings' Angel in My Heart, with Patrick Valenzuela up; Alec Head's Matiara, with Corey Nakatani; Frankfurt Stab le's Pourquoi Pas, with Alex Solis; 505 Farms' Radu Cool, with Rene Douglas; and Bil l M. Thomas' Real Connection, with G.F. Almeida.

THREE CANDIDATES WORK TOWARD DEL MAR'S $1,000,000 PACIFIC CLASSIC

Beau Greeley, an assistant to trainer Richard Mandella, said Mandella was pleased with the work. "He [Soul of the Matter] went off nicely and worked nice and steady," Greeley said. "It was just what he [Mandella] wanted."

Greeley said Soul of the Matter's next work wasn't scheduled yet, but he expects it to be within the next seven days. Also, he said Siphon, another Mandella candidate for the Pacific Classic, is scheduled to work Friday.

At Hollywood Park, trainer Robert Frankel said Tinners Way came out of Wednesday's 6-furlong work in good order. The two-time Pacific Classic champion worked in 1:14 1/5 and walked shedrow Thursday. Tinners Way was to ship to Del Mar Thursday afternoon, giving him more than a week to get reacquainted with the track for which he's shown a great affinity the past two years.

At Saratoga, trainer W.I. "Bill" Mott said Cigar's quest for a modern-day record of 17 victories is still in full swing. The son of Palace Music went to the track and jogged Thursday morning following his 7-furlong work at the spa Wednesday. "He went a nice, even seven-eighths in 1:27 2/5," Mott said from his barn Thurs day morning. "I'd asked Jerry [Bailey] for 1:28 or 1:29 and he went along, and work ed well, and finished up about the way he always does."

Mott said a big crowd for the work applauded when Cigar came to the track, when he started his work and when he finished. Mott said his trainee would work again probably next Wednesday and then he would ship to Del Mar on Thursday for his historic date in the Pacific Classic that Saturday.

FOUR OR FIVE APPEAR SET FOR SUNDAY'S GRADE I EDDIE READ HANDICAP

Defending champion Fastness will be back to head a field of four or five in Sunday's 23rd running of the Grade I Eddie Read Handicap on Del Mar's Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Jenine Sahadi said Evergreen Farm's Fastness is "doing great" as he comes up to the Read. What is it that sets him apart from his contemporaries? " I think it's his versatility," Sahadi said. "He has a tremendous kick, but he's real versatile. Things don' always have to go his way for him to get the job done. That, to me, is the sign of a very good horse."

Del Mar's leading rider Corey Nakatani gets the call on Fastness.

Also expected to saddle up for the Read are Gary A. Tanaka's Gold and Steel, with Alex Solis; Herbert Allen's Smooth Runner, with Chris McCarron; and Cohen, No Problem Stable and Red Baron's Wavy Run, with Patrick Valenzuela. Possible for the race is Rescigno and Virgo's Rising Corp.'s Big Sky Jim.

TWILIGHT RACING AT DEL MAR'S SECOND "FOUR O'CLOCK FRIDAY"

The second of four "Four O'Clock Fridays" will hold sway again at Del Mar this Friday. Post time for the first race will be 4 p.m., with gates opening at 2. The twilight program features eight races.

Following the last race of the day, patrons can stay for a free concert in the track's Plaza de Mexico by The Heroes, a rock band featuring musicians from the San Diego area.

EX- JOCKEY PIERCE, RACING FORM'S ANDERSEN ARE GUEST HANDICAPPERS

Former jockey Donald Pierce and Daily Racing Form correspondent Steve Andersen will be the guests for this weekend's regular free handicapping seminar at Del Mar's Seaside Terrace, near the head of the stretch.

Pierce, who is fifth on Del Mar's list of all-time stakes-winning riders with 53 victories, will be the guest on Saturday. Andersen, who covers the Southern California circuit for the Form, will be featured in Sunday's session. The seminars are conducted from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. each day.

RACING FORM CARICATURIST BELLOCQ SET FOR WEEKEND BOOK-SIGNING

Pierre Bellocq, whose cartoons have graced the pages of Daily Racing Form since 1955, will be at Del Mar Saturday and Sunday to sign copies of "40 Years of Peb," a book that contains a generous sampling of his work.

Bellocq, who signs his work "Peb," will be in front of the Gift Horse Gift Shop near the racetrack's Plaza de Mexico from noon to 2 p.m. each day to sign books purchased.

The caricaturist's work was first published in 1946 in Paris-Turf and France- Libre, two papers published in Paris. He became well-known in Europe for both his political cartoons and racing posters.

Bellocq's interest in horses came naturally, since his father was a jockey and trainer. Bellocq came to the United States in 1954 and was hired by publisher Walter Annenberg in 1955 to be the staff cartoonist for Daily Racing Form and The Morning Telegraph.

SHORE LINES: Trainer Henry Moreno said Red, who won the Graduation Stakes Wednesday, came out of the race fine and walked the shedrow Thursday. Attempting to deflect some of the credit for the victory, Moreno was expansive in his praise for John Chaney and Lynn Tanner, who break and prepare horses for him in Arizona. "They deserve a lot of credit," Moreno said. "They have gotten a lot of horses ready to run for me, and they're ready to run when they come to me." .... Both Jenine Sahadi and Eddie Gregson were pleased with the performances of Megan's Interco and Royal Chariot, respectively, in Wednesday's contentious Wickerr Stakes. Sahadi exulted, "He's the greatest," when asked about Megan's Interco's victory. He came out of the race in good order, she said, but his next race has not been chosen yet. Gregson said of Royal Chariot: "He ran great, and came out in good shape." The horse walked the shedrow, and now will be pointed toward the Grade II, $250,000-guaranteed Del Mar Handicap August 31, a race he won last year.

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