GOLDEN GLIMPSES #57 GOLDEN GLIMPSES #57 HELLO! MCANALLY MAY HAVE (MUD) ROUTE TO KENTUCKY DERBY
Ron McAnally was raised in a Kentucky orphanage.
He got his start in racing at Rockingham Park, walking hots for uncle Reggie Cornell, who trained the legendary stretch runner, Silky Sullivan. He won his first race as a trainer in 1958, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.
He trained 1981 and 1984 Horse of the Year John Henry, one of the game's icons. He has trained champions Northern Spur, Tight Spot, Bayakoa and Paseana.
He has won three Eclipse Awards as America's leading trainer.
But Ron McAnally has never won a Kentucky Derby.
This could be the year.
McAnally already had in his barn Southern California's "now" Triple Crown horse, Mud Route, smashing winner of his last two starts. After Sunday's Santa Catalina Stakes, the 64-year-old added another -- an Irish-bred colt named Hello, who was making his main track debut after eight starts and four victories on grass.
"We had no place else to run him here at Santa Anita," McAnally said. "This horse has really surprised me. He's not very big, but he sure is gutty, especially with this being his first time on dirt. We lost some training time with the bad weather and muddy track. We went 12 or 13 days between works."
Mud Route is a front-runner, while Hello comes from well out of it. Chris McCarron has ridden both colts, and ultimately will have to make a choice.
"I really can't answer which is better," McAnally hedged. "I like both horses. Unfortunately, Chris rides both of them. He told me when he was going to the post that he was hoping Hello ran well on dirt so he'd have the option if something were to happen."
Options away.
Last year's 2-year-old champion, Boston Harbor, finished fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Catalina, beaten some15 lengths. Trainer Wayne Lukas had contemplated running in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes, but called an audible and went in the longer Santa Catalina.
"We took a little roll of the dice on conditioning going this far," said the man who has won seven of the last eight Triple Crown races. "The pace was quick and we were into it. We couldn't do much about it. He's certainly not tight enough to do that. He's been off a long time (last Oct. 26) and he gets into his races and training.
"I still feel comfortable in what we tried to do. I think he'll get more out of this than if we sprinted him. He probably would have looked a lot sharper going seven-eighths, but I don't know if it would have gotten him far down the base path . . . more than likely he'll come back in the (March 2) San Rafael (at one mile) . . . our objective is not all prep races. It sounds like I'm saying all the right things, but it's true."
GOLDEN PICKS
CODY TAYLOR -- Lost tough photo while closing very wide from far back as winner got dream trip on rail. Tab versus $25,000 sprinters.
DR. GIGGLES -- Slow start, rail trip didn't help "good thing" bet from 10-1 to 3-1. Closed with interest, rates another try with $25,000 sprinters.
INVESTOR -- Overmatched against allowance turf runners, but son of Seeking the Gold can handle lesser for crafty Barry Abrams.
THE HOMESTRETCH: Bob Baffert reports one of the two throat ulcers has healed on In Excessive Bull, but the Triple Crown hopeful can't resume training until the other one is gone . . . Last week's scheduled meeting between the tracks and the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association to settle the simulcast stalemate was reset for Thursday . . . Why would Sandpit, a multiple Grade I turf winner, run on the main track in the Santa Anita Handicap? "The owner has been asking me for two years to run him on dirt," says trainer Dick Mandella, "and I've always responded with, 'Which turf race do you want me give up?,' because there's always a major turf race coming up. But at this time, there isn't, and there's no harm in trying the dirt. If everything works out, we can come back on grass in the San Luis Rey (March 23)." Mandella had a change of heart after Gentlemen won the San Antonio Handicap Sunday and now is giving serious consideration to running the sensational Argentine-bred in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2 before going on to the $4-million Dubai World Cup on March 29. Suddenly, the $3-million MGM Grand Classic bonus has a lot to do with it. Mandella's best Triple Crown hopeful is a Canadian invader named Holzmeister. "He won a race at Woodbine on Breeders' Cup day, then came back at Hawthorne and won the Futurity there by 17 lengths," Mandella said. "They gave him six weeks off after that, and he fattened up a little bit, so we'll see how long it takes to get him back in shape." . . . Gary Stevens was not a happy camper after the Strub Stakes. He had ridden Victory Speech in the colt's last three races, including a win in the Laz Barrera. But Lukas gave the mount to Jerry Bailey, in town to ride Boston Harbor, and 7-1 shot Victory Speech won the $500,000 race by
1 1/2 lengths. Editor's Note, Stevens up, finished last as the 5-2 favorite . . . Craig Lewis was pleased with Larry The Legend's closing third-place finish in the six furlong Palos Verdes Handicap, but don't expect the colt to run back in 1 1/4-mile Big 'Cap. "It's only February and it's a long year," the owner/trainer said. "But if he stays healthy, you could see him in the Hollywood Gold Cup or the Pacific Classic." . . . Fairplex Park VP Neil O'Dwyer reports the $20-million expansion plan calling for a one-mile dirt track and a new 7/8-mile turf course is on hold, pending passage of legislation for financing. Target date for construction is the end of 1998 . . . The connections of Triple Crown candidate Ordway have names that sound like John Madden adjectives. The trainer is David Donk and one of the owners is William Punk.
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