GOLDEN GLIMPSES #140

November 10, 1998

By ED GOLDEN

So who’s Horse of the Year?

I suppose Skip Away will win by default despite going out on a sour note with two straight lopsided losses, including a non-threatening sixth-place finish, four lengths behind winner Awesome Again in Saturday’s 15th Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Those who could make a case for Classic runner-up Silver Charm would have to give serious consideration to Awesome Again, who numbered Silver Charm among his victims twice during an unbeaten campaign of six victories.

And wouldn’t it be ironic if Awesome Again were named Horse of the Year? His trainer, Pat Byrne, guided another undefeated colt, Favorite Trick, to Horse of the Year honors in 1997. Favorite Trick won all eight starts under Byrne’s impeccable care.

For the record, Santa Anita racing secretary Tom Knust says Awesome Again’s perfect season and victory in the year’s most important race merits the title.

"Skip Away’s accomplished a lot," said Knust. "But I don’t know what else Awesome Again could do. He went undefeated this year and he beat Silver Charm twice, and I think Silver Charm is one of the best horses in the country. And Awesome Again won the biggest race of the year, so I would have to think you’ve really go to look at Awesome Again.

"I believe Formal Gold beat Skip Away three of five times last year, once at equal weights, but he wasn’t named Horse of the Year because he didn’t race the last part of the year. And that’s when you have to prove yourself (in the minds of Eclipse Award voters). "You can’t take anything away from Awesome Again. He’s undefeated, he beat Silver Charm twice and he won the biggest race of the year, so I would lean towards him."

BREEDERS’ CUP CAKES:

Outside of being able to ride a horse, what other qualifications does Gregg McCarron bring to the Breeders’ Cup telecasts other than offering fawning congratulations to the winning riders after the race? The best thing to happen after the Mile? McCarron’s mike went dead . . . On the other hand, injured jockey Mike Smith offered insightful if less-than-eloquent prose as an analyst . . . Trevor Denman, staunch anti-whip advocate, said European Swain was the best horse in the Classic, but unrelenting left-handed whipping by jockey Frank Dettori caused the consistent Irish-bred to drift out near the outside fence. He finished third, beaten only one length . . . Justified or not, Alex Solis added to his unwanted reputation of not winning the big ones when his mount, Hawksley Hill, seemingly with victory in hand, was nosed out by miracle miler Da Hoss, who came again on the rail to win the Mile. Irony is, there’s not a nicer guy in the jocks’ room than Alex Solis . . . Think the National Thoroughbred Racing Association has its work cut out? On the morning of racing’s Super Bowl, the Breeders’ Cup, neither of LA’s two major news radio stations, KNX nor KFWB, carried word one on the event on its 8:15 a.m. sports segments, just two hours before the first race . . . Whatever happened to Touch Gold?

THE HOMESTRETCH: "This is the best Oak Tree meet we’ve had," said Knust of the 32-day season that ended Monday. "We were up in numbers and starters from last year and we didn’t have any injuries on our turf course, morning or afternoon. The main track was the best it’s ever been. I’m optimistic about the long Santa Anita winter meet, although rain has a lot to do with how that meet goes. If we don’t have much rain, we could have the best Santa Anita meet we’ve had in the last 10 years." Knust said the Yellow Ribbon Stakes likely will be run earlier in Oak Tree’s 1999 meet to accommodate Breeders’ Cup turf distaffers, who will have their own Breeders’ Cup race next year. "I would think that would happen," Knust said, "but it hasn’t really been looked at yet." . . . Hollywood Park begins a 31-day run through Dec. 21 on Wednesday . . . Awesome Again’s owner/breeder Frank Stronach has put in a letter of intent to buy Santa Anita. An answer is expected next month . . . NTRA Commissioner Tim Smith, on the public’s acceptance of racing’s new league office: "As you’d expect, during the months we advertised heavily, awareness of Go Baby Go and the NTRA rose sharply," Smith said. "Interest in thoroughbred racing was significantly higher among those who were familiar with the ads and had seen the ads versus those who weren’t . . . We’re convinced the ads were doing well. What limited us was advertising money. We didn’t have the amount we would have liked. The more we have, the more we can increase awareness." . . . Said one anonymous trainer on the attempted comeback from a bowed tendon by 1996 Santa Anita Derby winner Cavonnier: "If it works, they ought to find out what it is and put it out on the market so every trainer can use it. There are a lot more (bowed) tendons out there. One vet I talked to said a horse could come back from that kind of injury and run for $10,000, but not in stakes company. Obviously, there’s a lot less pressure on a horse running against $10,000 claimers than there is against stakes horses." . . . Bet on this: Chris Antley won’t return to riding any time soon, unless it’s in steeplechases. After months on the sidelines, the 31-year-old jockey has been unable to reach his riding weight . . . Patrick Valenzuela’s comeback is on hold. Suspended now for more than a year, Valenzuela’s primary concern at the moment is his seriously ill father . . . Jockey Paul Atkinson went to Saudi Arabia for the proverbial cup of coffee. He was expected to ride there for three months, but was back in California quicker than you can rub Aladdin’s lamp. Word is he wasn’t exactly treated royally . . .Charlie Whittingham, in frail health in recent years, was hospitalized with pneumonia recently. The 85-year-old trainer, who deserves his own Hall of Fame, already has a statue of himself and his trusty dog, Toby, in Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens . . . Add Golden winners: Mary Cruz. The win price in a field of five? A hefty $32. It was the middle leg of a generous $308.80 Pick Three, sandwiched between two favorites, one 3-1, the other 11-10.

  ***

Send e-mail to Ed Golden