The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)CIGAR'S ARRIVAL LIGHTS UP DEL MAR FOR SATURDAY'S PACIFIC CLASSIC
Horse of the World Cigar arrived at noon Thursday for Saturday's $1,000,000 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and without missing a beat he wowed the crowd of media and onlookers with his charisma and stylish manners.
It was almost as if he thought he was in Hollywood. As he walked around the barn area with his trainer, Bill Mott, in tow, the big, 6-year-old bay paused - and posed - for television and still cameramen and for anybody else who wanted something for the family photo album on practically every turn around his walking ring. And it seemed each time he was trying to show his best side, cocking his head back and stretching his neck for just the right angle.
The son of Palace Music will be trying to set a modern-day record of 17 straight victories when he goes into the gate with five other Thoroughbred runners for Saturday's Pacific Classic. And he was accorded the attention of most any figure about to set such a record. There were two California Highway Patrol cars accompanying the horse van during the 95-mile trip from Ontario airport - where his flight touched down at approximately 9:10 a.m. - to Del Mar. There were people hailing him from their autos as they traveled along interstate highways leading to the seaside racetrack.
And there was a large crowd awaiting him at the track when the van pulled in just before 12 noon.
Through it all, he observed matters regally from the open window of his horse van.
Following his walking tour and a bath, Cigar was taken into his temporary home in trainer Bill Shoemaker's barn, from where he will gallop the track on Friday morning shortly after 7 and then go into the Pacific Classic.
Mott met the press after his horse had been settled into his stall and said, "It was a very nice flight; very uneventful. We were in the air by 6 a.m. Eastern time. It was about 10 hours from stall to stall."
On the hoopla that has been surrounding the horse and Mott for the past several months, the trainer said, "Actually, we've become a little bit used to it. It's been pretty enthusiastic over the last several races. We've kind of come to expect it, and actually it's pretty nice."
SEVEN ENTERED FOR DEL MAR'S RANCHO BERNARDO SPRINT SATURDAY
Seven fillies and mares, led by last year's winner Track Gal, are expected to go postward in Saturday's Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar, as the secondary feature to the day's premier race, the Pacific Classic. The race will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.
If all go, the purse will be $104,750, with the winner gatting $64,750.
Expected to join Track Gal in the gate are Flying in the Lane, Rhapsodic, Tricky Code, Evil's Pic, Denim Yenem and Airistar.
Track Gal will carry high weight of 122 pounds, including jockey Chris McCarron, who also rode her to victory last year at Del Mar.
TRAINER EDUARDO INDA HAS IMPORTANT BUSINESS ON FRIDAY
Eduardo Inda will take a break Friday from training his Pacific Classic candidate Luthier Fever to be sworn in as an American citizen. The ceremony is set for 8 a.m.
A smiling Inda said Thursday morning it's something he should have done long ago. He's been in the United States for more than 30 years, he said. The 53-year- old native of Santiago, Chile, has three daughters who were born in this country, and acknowledged that he thought as long as he had a green card he was fine.
"But when new laws were passed," he said, "I decided I'd better go and get my citizenship." Prior to beginning training on his own in 1995, Inda was a top assistant with Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally.
SEVEN SET TO GO IN DEL MAR'S ESCONDIDO HANDICAP ON FRIDAY
A field of seven, including an entry, is primed to go postward in Friday's Escondido Handicap at Del Mar. If all start, the purse will be $105,100, with $65,100 going to the winner.
Heading the field is Juddmonte Farms' Bon Point, trained by Hall of Famer Robert Frankel. The 6-year-old son of Soviet Star comes to the race off a victory in the Bien Bien Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 20. Bon Point will carry high weight of 121 pounds, including jockey Corey Nakatani, who leads the rider standing at the seaside course so far with 18 victories.
The entry of Sahadi and Sloan's Ianomami and Sloan and Ghamem's Shanawi is trained by Leeanne Aiello and Jenine Sahadi, respectively. Martin Pedroza will ride Ianomami and Chris Antley will be aboard Shanawi.
Additional competition will come from Charles A. Cyzer's Party Season, with Alex Solis in the irons; Hudson and Lunsford's Bedivere, with Chris McCarron; Conejo Ranch's Golden Post, with Eddie Delahoussaye; and Gary A. Tanaka's Dernier Empereur, with Patrick Valenzuela.
SORRENTO WINNER DESERT DIGGER COMES OUT OF RACE IN FINE SHAPE
Trainer Marcelo Polanco was still smiling Thursday morning as a result of Desert Digger's victory Wednesday in the Grade II Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. A big part of that smile came as a result of the filly coming out of the race in good shape, and Polanco now can look forward to running her in the Grade II, $250,000-guaranteed Del Mar Debutante on Sunday, August 25.
"She came back like a champion," said the 36-year-old native of Santiago, Chile, who became an American citizen last month after being in the United States since 1977. He came to the U.S. with the help of his brother-in-law, trainer Eduardo Inda, he said, adding with a chuckle, "I came here on April 24 and Eduardo took me to the track on April 25."
He worked a s a groom for trainer Ron McAnally for 11 years, and also worked as a foreman for another Hall of famer, Robert Frankel, and as an assistant to Julio Canani. Polanco has been on his own for three years. The Sorrento was his first Del Mar stakes win.
What did he learn coming up under those trainers? "Patience," he said unhesitatingly. "You can't rush the horses, and you can't get them to do things when they aren't right. If you do, they go backwards."
Polanco's isn't a one-horse barn. Among his 11 charges is a 3-year-old with potential, The Barking Shark, who finished second to Caribbean Pirate in one division of the Oceanside Stakes on Del Mar's opening day, July 24. The Barking Shark is expected to run in Sunday's Grade III La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course at 1 1/16 miles.
AUTHORS MURRAY, BEYER BRING HANDICAPPING TIPS TO SEMINAR
Two authors who have close connections to Thoroughbred racing will serve as expert handicappers at this weekend's free handicapping seminar sponsored by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The seminars are offered at the track's Seaside Terrace near the head of the stretch.
On Saturday, William Murray will give his insights into handicapping and the day's card. Because of the early post time of Saturday's first race, due to the running of the Pacific Classic, the seminar will run from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
Sunday's guest is the renowned Andrew Beyer, author of several books on handicapping as well as the turf columnist for The Washington Post. That seminar will be held at the regular time, 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.
Jack Minger, of the track's media relations department, is host.
THIRD "FOUR O'CLOCK FRIDAY" BRINGS ANOTHER TWILIGHT PROGRAM
The third of Del Mar's sunset racing programs will be held Friday as another "Four O'Clock Friday" holds forth. Post time for the first race of the eight-race program will be at 4 p.m.
Following the races, patrons can stay and listen to the music of Goldfish in the Plaza de Mexico, near the track's main gate.
CIGAR JOCKEY JERRY BAILEY IN AUTOGRAPH SESSION ON SATURDAY
Jerry Bailey, the Eclipse Award-winning rider of 1995 Horse of the Year Cigar, is scheduled to sign autographs Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon in the Plaza de Mexico in the Grandstand area at Del Mar.
He will sign autographs for $2 each, with all proceeds going to the Jockeys Guild's Disabled Jockeys Fund. Each person getting an autograph will receive a free pack of Jockey Trading Cards featuring his mount, Cigar.
SHORE LINES: Early Bird wagering will be conducted on Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m. at Del Mar's Satellite Wagering Facility instead of at the main track location .... Other changes for Saturday's Pacific Classic Day call for gates to open at 9:30 a.m., with post time for the first race at 12:30 p.m. The Pacific Classic will be run as the sixth race, with a post time of 3:37 p.m. The day's 10th and last race has a tentative post time of 5:52 p.m. .... Jockey Chris McCarron, who rode Best Pal in his last 13 races, was aboard the retired Golden Eagle Farm gelding who is California's all-time money earner for a jog around the Del Mar track and into the paddock in preparation for leading the post parade for Saturday's Pacific Classic. Best Pal won the inaugural Pacific Classic and finished second and third in two others. His appearance Saturday is planned as the beginning of a tradition of his leading the parade to the post for the race in the coming years .... The 16 claims put in on the horse Rexile, who finished third in the ninth race on Monday, is the highest total recalled by Melanie Stubblefield, clerk of the course, in her 15 years at Del Mar. Winning the shake for the horse was trainer Peter Eurton for owners Frank and Sharon Alesia.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)