GOLDEN GLIMPSES #33
DEL MAR: A REFRESHING BREEZE IN A STALE SEASON
"Del Mar, where the turf meets the surf and the
women wear no tops."
Leave it to that man among men, trainer Bob Baffert, to
put the 43-day season of racing-by-the sea in
perspective.
But seriously, folks, after two monotonously lengthy
sessions at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, Del Mar's blip on
the racing calendar should be a welcome change, especially if
Cigar makes it to the Pacific Classic.
At least Baffert is looking forward to Del Mar. He always
does. It's his favorite track.
"I love the place," the 43-year-old Baffert
said, "even though the racing surface can be pretty hard
on the horses. But horses can get injured on any track. At
Del Mar, all the horses are training on one track, so things
can get pretty busy, and the track can get chewed up pretty
quick."
Baffert lives in the surfing town of Huntington Beach, so
it's little wonder he enjoys hearing the waves crash beyond
the backstretch at Del Mar.
"(R.D.) Hubbard's put a lot of money into Hollywood
Park to make it look good, but it's too much
Vegas-style," Baffert said. "He's done a great job
resurrecting it. but it just doesn't feel like horse racing.
It loses a lot of tradition. But when you go back to Del Mar,
it sort of picks up again. People enjoy going to the
races.
"It's not Hubbard's fault. Hollywood Park is just
like a restaurant in a bad location. It can be the best
restaurant in the world, but if people don't want to go
there, they don't want to go. I don't mind racing at
Hollywood at all. I've run a lot of horses there and won
stakes and stuff, but a lot of my clients just don't want to
go there to watch the horses.
"At Del Mar, everybody looks forward to it, even
though from a trainer's standpoint, you lose money, by the
time you haul down there and ship for such a short meet.
"Yet, people are willing to make that sacrifice to
be down there. It breaks up the routine. Our Del Mar is like
Saratoga is to Belmont in New York. It's a fun deal.
Everybody looks forward to it. I know my clients do, and they
all want to win a race at Del Mar. I just wish the meet was a
little bit longer.
"But maybe if it was longer, it wouldn't be as good.
I don't know."
GOLDEN PICKS
AFFIRMARE -- Ran too good to lose despite
breaking from extreme outside post in 1 1/16-mile grass race
for maidens. Better post should make difference for top
trainer David Hofmans.
GAME PLAYER -- First-time starter from barn of
successful Northern California trainer Brent Sumja showed
good late interest against $40,000 claimers, indicating filly
should not tarry long among maidens.
HE'S LIKE THE WIND -- Lost 12 lengths when pinched
back sharply at the start, closed major gap on fence and was
finishing well when outside to lose by two lengths. Better
racing luck does it vs. $20,000 sprinters.
THE HOMESTRETCH: Where would Wayne Lukas rate Cigar in
modern-day annals, say from Citation on? "He's certainly
one of the very, very good ones. Since I wasn't around some
of those other horses first-hand, I would be reluctant to
rank him. But any listing of modern-day horses that have
achieved greatness, he's got to be on it." . . . Lukas
hopes to have a future Triple Crown candidate in an
Oklahoma-bred colt by A.P. Indy-Danzig Island, a $1.5 million
purchase at the Keeneland July Selected Yearling Sales.
"I rated him an eight-plus, the top horse in the
sale," Lukas said. "I've had great luck with
Oklahoma-breds in the past." Lukas trained Oklahoma-bred
Lady's Secret to the 1986 Horse of the Year title. Lukas on
the confidence Jerry Bailey has in Cigar: "There's a
chemistry there between those two. Obviously, it works."
. . . Lukas hopes to run Victory Speech and Editor's Note in
the Haskell and Honour and Glory and Prince of Thieves in the
Jim Dandy, but it's a long way before a 3-year-old champ is
crowned. "I always remember what Hall of Fame trainer
Johnny Nerud once told me when I got excited after winning a
race early in the year," Lukas said. 'Calm down.
Championships are won in the fall.'" . . . Trainer Ron
Ellis, told Lukas seemed pleased with the Vanity weights
(Serena's Song, 125, Ellis' Twice the Vice, 122) had a ready
explanation: "He ought to be. He wrote 'em." Jewel
Princess, under 120 pounds, beat 'em both . . . The stewards
are investigating an incident involving 37-year-old trainer
Laura Pinelli, who clocked a clocker for comments he wrote
about her horses in Today's Racing Digest. The
clocker/handicapper/writer, Aaron Hesz, decided to pack it in
after Pinelli took a swing at him. A ruling on the fracas is
expected during Del Mar . . . Swiss Yodeler has 12 to go
before he equals the 16 straight victories by Cigar and
Citation, but trainer Mike Harrington is confident the
2-year-old son of Eastern Echo can add to his streak in the
Aug. 21 Balboa Stakes at Del Mar. "I call him my
Cigarillo," Harrington said. Swiss Yodeler's head
victory in the Hollywood Juvenile was all the more impressive
since Alex Solis dropped the whip from his left hand past the
eighth pole. The meet's leading rider didn't panic. He
grabbed his goggles and used them to urge the horse to
victory, but Harrington said it wasn't necessary. "He
would have won without the whip," Harrington said.
"He's all heart." . . .Despite reports that
Kentucky Derby runner-up Cavonnier might be making a comeback
from a Belmont Stakes injury that forced his retirement, Bob
Baffert says forget it. "He's not coming back," the
trainer said. "It's just speculation." . . .
Trainer George Williams, who has plugged along in obscurity
for decades to make ends meet, takes solace in at least
having the respect of his peers. Says George proudly:
"The only people who know I can train are other
trainers."
***
Send e-mail to Ed Golden 
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/alauck)