Stable Notes Del Mar, California
Thursday, July 31, 1997 (Day 8)

MANDELLA TRIO IN LINE TO CAPTURE TOP CLASSIC CROWN BONUS SPOTS

With the sweep of both the Santa Anita Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup behind them, Richard Mandella trainees Gentlemen, Siphon and Sandpit figure to be shoo-ins to capture the top three places of the MGM Grand Classic Crown participation bonus of $500,000 for the Southland's three Grade I, million-dollar races that are topped off by the Pacific Classic, to be run at Del Mar on August 9.

Going into the Pacific Classic, Siphon leads the point parade with 17, from a first in the Big 'Cap and second in the Gold Cup. Gentlemen, third in the Santa Anita Handicap and first in the Gold Cup, is second with 15, and Sandpit, from a second in the Big 'Cap and third in the Gold Cup, is third with 12 points. Figuring to collect fourth money on the bonus scale is Marlin, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who finished fourth in both races and will pass the Pacific Classic. The only other horses to score points with one each are Chequer, who finished fifth in the Big 'Cap, and Region, who was fifth in the Gold Cup.

The top point-maker receives $250,000, second gets $125,000, third $75,000 and fourth $50,000. To qualify for the participation bonus, a horse must run in at least two of the races.

The way the bonus points are assigned is as follows: 1st place - 10 points; 2nd - 7 points; 3rd - 5 points; 4th - 3 points; 5th - 1 point.

Of course, there's still the possibility of a horse who might have run in the Santa Anita Handicap but wasn't sustained to the Pacific Classic being supplemented to the race for $30,000, making that horse eligible to get a possible slice of the bonus pie with fourth money.

Along with the Mandella triad, the race is expected to draw Crafty Friend, winner of Hollywood Park's Grade II, $107,300 Bel Air Handicap on July 12, and River Keen, who won the Grade II, $250,000 Californian on June 1 at Hollywood Park. Mandella said Region is not likely, but could be possible, and Jean Pierre DuPuis said Thursday morning the Pacific Classic is still under consideration for Percutant, who finished third to Marlin in the $400,000 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 20.

Though the emphasis obviously is always on the horses in the Pacific Classic, there are human stories, also. For years, there was the Robert Frankel story, in which the trainer won four straight Classic, two with Tinners Way, and went for five straight and three straight with Tinners Way last year against the remarkable Cigar, who was riding a 16-race win streak.

Well, Frankel and Tinners Way came up short, but Cigar did taste defeat at the hands of Dare And Go, trained by Mandella. That victory gave Mandella two straight victories in million-dollar races because Siphon had captured the Hollywood Gold Cup. Mandella now has won an unprecedented four million-dollar races in a row, and certainly seems like the man to beat in the Pacific Classic.

SEVEN TOP-NOTCH FILLIES AND MARES SET FOR DEL MAR'S RAMONA 'CAP

Headed by Grade I winners Auriette, Donna Viola and Different, a field of seven high-class fillies and mares is expected to go postward Saturday in Del Mar's Grade I, $300,000 Ramona Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Also entered for the 40th edition of the turf headliner are Cohen and Red Baron's Barn's Angel Face, trained by Darrell Vienna; Kenis & 3+U Stable's Wheatly Special, trained by Jack Van Berg; Allen E. Paulson's Escena, trained by Bill Mott; and Bill M. Thomas' Real Connection, trained by Mel Stute.

Auriette, owned by Barnes and Prestonwood Farm, Inc. and trained by Martin F. Jones, comes into the race off of a June 14 allowance victory that ended a six-month layoff for the 5-year-old mare. She had won the Grade I Gamely Handicap at Hollywood Park June 9 of last year and seemed as if she was off on a great year, but tailed off dramatically from there and eventually got the time off.

Donna Viola, owned by Gary A. Tanaka and trained by Ben Cecil, won this year's Gamely before finishing third in Hollywood Park's Grade I Beverly Hills Handicap on June 29 to recently retired Windsharp and Different. Different, owned by Sidney Craig and trained by Ron McAnally, has two Grade I wins -- last year's Beverly Hills and Keeneland's Spinster, also in 1996.

Here's the way the field will line up from the rail, with weights and riders: Auriette, 117, Corey Nakatani; Wheatly Special, 111, Rene Douglas; Angel Face, 112, Brice Blanc; Donna Viola, 121, Gary Stevens; Different, 121, Chris McCarron; Real Connection, 115, Goncalino Almeida; Escena, 115, Pat Day.

GRADUATION STAKES VICTOR BILLY BLACK COMES OUT OF THE RACE FINE

Trainer Hector Palma was all smiles Thursday morning as he talked about how well the 2-year-old colt Billy Black came out of Wednesday's $106,750 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar. "He came out fine and he ate up everything last night," Palma said.

Palma said he hasn't chosen a race yet for the undefeated double winner, but indicated he might keep him with California breds. Options, however, could be the Grade III, $100,000-added Best Pal Stakes or the Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, to which Billy Black is nominated.

TRAINER DAVID LACROIX HAS FIRST DOUBLE-WIN DAY SINCE HIS RETURN

David LaCroix left the training ranks from 1992-94 to spend more time with the family's breeding farm, Meadowbrook Farm in Ocala, FL. He returned to the training trail in 1995 and Wednesday had his biggest day since that return.

Two winners on the eight-race card were trained by LaCroix. And both winners were by Din's Dancer, who stood as a stallion at Meadowbrook following a useful racing career under the training of Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg. LaCroix's first winner was the 2-year-old gelding Ladies Din in the second race, and the other was 3-year-old Shellbacks, who won the sixth race at 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

"It was a good day," LaCroix said. "That's my first double since I came back." Even in the flush of victory, LaCroix experienced some disappointment, too. "The 2-year-old got claimed [by Ron Ellis for $32,000]," he said with a sigh. Of his other winner, LaCroix said: "It was the first time we routed [going a distance] him. I wasn't sure he could go two turns, but since he seemed to like the grass at Hollywood [Park], I decided to try him here."

HORSEMEN HARD-PRESSED TO RECALL MANY DOUBLE-PENALTY RACES

In the wake of the five-day suspensions imposed on jockeys Laffit Pincay, Jr. and Rafael Meza for riding infractions in the same race, the subject of how rare the incident is has come up among local horsemen. No one has been able to recall such an incident in modern times other than the 1933 Kentucky Derby and the 1938 match race at Del Mar between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti.

In 1933's famed "Fighting Finish" Derby, Don Meade on Brokers Tip and Herb Fisher on Head Play battled each other much of the way down the stretch as their mounts pressed toward the finish line. Both drew penalty days for their infractions.

The same treatment was dealt out to jockeys George Woolf aboard the winning Seabiscuit and Noel (Spec) Richardson on Ligaroti as they battled most of the way around the seaside oval in the 1938 match race that drew 20,000 fans to the track and was carried on radio nationwide.

George Slender, a long-time steward in Southern California and a member of the team that handed out the five-day suspensions to Pincay and Meza, said he could not recall any other incident than those noted. He said both riders were penalized because Meza's horse -- Timely View --initiated the problem by coming out into Letthemoondancerap, ridden by Pincay. "But Pincay overreacted and kept pushing the other horse down to the rail," the steward added.

Neither veteran trainers Mel Stute, Charlie Whittingham nor Willard Proctor were able to recall another such double-penalty incident, either.

SIEGEL, BEACH WEEKEND GUESTS FOR HANDICAPPING SEMINARS

Syndicated handicapper Jeff Siegel and jockey agent Brian Beach will be Del Mar's guest handicappers this weekend for its free handicapping seminars at the Seaside Terrace near the head of the stretch. The seminars, which are held every Saturday and Sunday throughout the meet, run from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

Siegel, who'll give his opinions on Saturday's card, does his work in several Southern California newspapers, including the San Diego Union-Tribune. Besides his handicapping, he also is a highly successful horse owner and one of the directors of the high-impact Team Valor ownership syndicate. Beach is the agent for rider Kent Desormeaux, who is off to a rapid start at this Del Mar meeting. Beach will give his feel for the Sunday program at Del Mar.

Jack Minger of Del Mar's media staff hosts the seminars.

TODAY'S SIMULCAST STAKES -- Saratoga: A.P. Smithwick Handicap (Grade II Steeplechase).