SANDPIT, SPECIAL PRICE HEAD ELITE FIELD
IN CAESARS PALACE TURF CHAMPIONSHIP
Sierra Thoroughbreds' Sandpit, winner of the $500,000 Caesars International Handicap at Atlantic City Race Course on June 25, drew the outside post position in a field of five for the inaugural $250,000-added Caesars Palace Turf Championship at Hollywood Park on Saturday.
At a media breakfast hosted by Hollywood Park and Caesars Palace at the Horsemen's Lounge on Hollywood Park's backstretch Thursday morning, Sandpit was made the 6-5 favorite over Namour Stable's Special Price, who was installed a close second choice at 7-5 by morning line oddsmaker Russell Hudak.
"He's a big, healthy horse," trainer Richard Mandella said of Sandpit. "He's happy where ever he's at, as long as his (exercise) rider, Crystal Brown, is with him. He adjusts well and he doesn't get upset and he gets over a race quicker than most horses."
Asked what instructions he would give jockey Corey Nakatani on Sandpit before the race, Mandella quipped: "Don't mess it up. I've been real good at that this whole meet. We'll try to overcome that."
Mandella had won only four races from 59 starts (6.7 percent) through July 19.
Sandy Shulman commented on Jim Murray Handicap winner Jahafil, who for the first time in his life, passed another horse in that race.
"I think the real credit has to go to Chris McCarron," the trainer said. "He's never been beaten on him in three rides."
The Caesars Palace Turf Championship race in post position order with riders, weights and morning line odds: Liyoun, Gary Stevens, 115, 10-1; Special Price, Eddie Delahoussaye, 122, 7-5; Urgent Request, Patrick Valenzuela, 118, 10-1; Jahafil, Chris McCarron, 117, 4-1, and Sandpit, Nakatani, 124, 6-5.
STEVENS THINKS 3-5 SHOWS RESPECT FOR THUNDER GULCH
The field for Sunday's $500,000 Swaps Stakes also was drawn at the media breakfast Thursday morning. Gary Stevens, who rode Thunder Gulch to victories in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, was asked if the unsung son of Gulch has received the credit he's deserved thus far.
"He didn't seem to be getting a whole lot of respect until the morning line came out," Stevens said, referring to the 3-5 odds assigned by Hudak. "He (Thunder Gulch) hasn't done anything in his victories this year that's been overwhelming, except for the Kentucky Derby.
"He wins his races by a head, a nose, until the Kentucky Derby, which he won by 2 1/2 lengths . . . he never does anything real eye-catching, but I've been on his back and he impresses me . . . he's a fighter, he likes the competiton, and I'm looking for the same thing this weekend. No matter how much respect he gets, we just keep smiling all the way to the bank. Hopefully, we'll be smiling again next week."
Ron McAnally, asked about the chances of Mr Purple, who has come into his own since it was decided to pass the Triple Crown races:
"I feel a lot more confident in him now than I did, say, three months ago. He's doing everything right now, whereas before, he wasn't . . . he's on a track that he likes and Corey (Nakatani) is handling him with confidence . . . but I know we have our work cut out. This is the toughest race he'll hook all year."
"The distance wasn't a factor in our decision to run here," trainer Chuck Turco said of Dazzling Falls. "We've run him a mile-and-a-quarter . . . the timing between this race and the Travers (Aug. 19) was suitable . . . he's handled the trip well and he's trained more aggressively than
usual . . . he's had a tough year and he's stayed sound."
Pico Perdomo, who will saddle California-bred T.J.'s Gold in the Swaps, knows his horse will be a longshot.
"He hasn't shown this kind of quality yet," the 55-year-old native of Uruguay admitted, "but you never know how a young horse might turn out this time of year . . . this horse has been here all year around since he came from the farm. He knows this track, he likes it for some reason, the blinkers have helped him, (Eddie) Delahoussaye has helped him, and he has helped himself."
The Swaps field in post position order with riders, weights and morning line odds: T.J.'s Gold, Eddie Delahoussaye, 112, 20-1; Mr Purple, Nakatani, 118, 5-2; To Be Khaled, Goncalino Almeida, 112, 30-1; Thunder Gulch, Stevens, 126, 3-5; Petionville, Chris Antley, 120, 8-1; Da Hoss, Chris McCarron, 118, 15-1, and Dazzling Falls, Laffit Pincay Jr., 122, 8-1.
PASEANA SEEKS MONEY RECORD IN VANITY HANDICAP
Sidney Craig's Paseana, the 4-5 morning line favorite to win the $300,000 Vanity Handicap Sunday and become the all-time North American filly/mare money earner, has developed a mind of
her own as an 8-year-old.
Trainer Ron McAnally was asked if he thought her lagging running style in the June 25 Milady Handicap would continue in the Grade I Vanity, to be decided at nine furlongs on the main track.
"She's doing it on her own," McAnally said. "She has her mind made up that she's going to drop back. I suppose she'll do the same thing again."
Asked if this would be Paseana's final year if she broke the money title of $3,263,836 held by Dance Smartly (Paseana's earnings stand at $3,133,703), McAnally said: "If she does get the money title, I'm going to recommend to the Craigs (owners Sid and Jenny) to retire her for the rest of the year, even though it's out of breeding season.
"I think that she deserves to be retired. That's my opinion. I don't know if they'll want that or not, but anyway, we'll see what happens."
The Vanity field in post position order with riders, weights and morning line odds: Wandesta, Corey Nakatani, 119, 2-1; Real Connection, Laffit Pincay Jr., 113, 20-1; Melrose Wine, David Flores, 111, 20-1; Paseana, McCarron, 123, 4-5; Private Persuasion, Gary Stevens, 114, 10-1; Jackpot Jenny, Goncalino Almeida, 110, 20-1, and Top Rung, Eddie Delahoussaye, 116, 5-1.
'SHOE' REMEMBERS SWAPS
Bill Shoemaker, Thoroughbred racing's all-time winningest jockey with 8,833 victories, rates the great Swaps as one of the best horses he rode.
"Citation, Spectacular Bid, Swaps, they were all great horses," said Shoemaker, now a successful trainer. "It's hard to pick just one because they're all from different eras. But Swaps was a great horse. He was easy to ride, always up there one, two, three.
"He was always near the lead so you didn't have any traffic problems at all with him. Swaps had a bit more speed than The Bid. But on any given day, one could have beaten the other one."
Shoe won the 1955 Kentucky Derby on Swaps, for whom Sunday's $500,000 feature race for 3-year-olds is named.
"I was sitting about third, but then he re-broke," Shoe recalled. "Everybody took back, so I just kind of let him go off on his own to the lead. He relaxed pretty good, and at the half-mile pole
I said if they let me go about another eighth of a mile like this, it's all over. And that's what happened."
SPRINT CHAMPION CARDMANIA RETIRED
Jean Couvercelle's 1993 Breeders' Cup Sprint champion and Eclipse Award winner Cardmania has been retired, trainer Derek Meredith announced at Hollywood Park Thursday morning.
"He'll go to the United Pegasus Ranch in Mira Loma to become a trail horse," Meredith said of the 9-year-old gelding, who finished third in the Los Angeles Handicap at Hollywood Park in his final race on April 28. "He's active and he loves to be around people. He's a fun horse to ride."
A Kentucky-bred son of Cox' Ridge, Cardmania retired with earnings of $1,516,663 and 16 wins, 12 seconds and 19 thirds in 76 starts.
"It was just general wear and tear that made us decide to retire him," Meredith said. "We wanted to retire him sound. I spoke with Mr. Couvercelle on a conference call and it was a mutual decision. It's a big blow to our barn, but it was always important for us to retire him sound."
TRAGIC END FOR CINDERELLA MARE
Southern Truce, whose tremendous heart enabled her to rise from the $12,500 claiming ranks to become a two-time Grade I stakes winner, suffered an untimely death when she was struck by lightning at Stone Farm in Paris, Ky. on July 5.
"It's just so hard to deal with because you worry so much about these horses when they're on the race track, and then, lo and behold, something like this happens," said John Adger, bloodstock agent who coordinated the sale of Southern Truce to Robert and Janice McNair of Houston some 18 months ago.
"We had had a big thunder storm the night before and just found her dead early the next morning. She was in foal to Seattle Slew and was due in March. She finished fourth in her final race at Churchill Downs in May, and we bred her right off the race track. We were all in shock, of course."
Southern Truce, a 7-year-old California-bred daughter of Truce Maker, raced 50 times, winning 19, with eight seconds, seven thirds and earnings of $867,578.
Under trainer Roger Stein, Southern Truce won the Grade I Santa Margarita and Santa Monica Handicaps at Santa Anita in 1993 in the colors of the Regal Rose Stable.
"She was such a sweet mare, too," Adger said, "and she had such a big heart."