Stable Notes Del Mar, California
Monday, August 4, 1997 (Day 12)

TRAINER HESS HAPPY WITH FINAL PACIFIC CLASSIC WORK FOR RIVER KEEN

River Keen, prepping for Saturday's seventh running of Saturday's Grade I, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, turned in a sharp five-furlong workout this morning in 1:00 4/5 and made trainer Robert B. Hess, Jr. very happy.

"He finished nicely and galloped out very well," said Hess, who added that the 5- year-old horse finished up the final quarter in 24 seconds. "He'll gallop into the race," the trainer said. "He'll school [in the paddock] on Thursday."

River Keen, who won Hollywood Park's Grade II Californian in his only start in this country, came to the Hess barn in early May. The Californian was June 1, and Hess intended to run the son of Keen in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but a slight sickness caused him to miss that race. He won four races on an all-weather track [considered dirt] in Great Britain, but had poor form on grass, so he was brought to the U.S. to run on the dirt.

River Keen is owned by the partnership of Tom Gamel, the Gino Roncelli Family Trust, Richard Duggan, B.H. Gallison, James Jacques, Ben Bollinger, Jeffrey Stumbaugh and Nydia Sigband.

Richard Mandella's powerful duo of Gentlemen and Siphon continue to train toward the Pacific Classic as the race favorites. Siphon won the Santa Anita Handicap and Gentlemen, who likely will be the wagering favorite at post time, comes to the race off a victory in the Gold Cup. Mandella will be trying to win his second consecutive Pacific Classic. His trainee, Dare And Go, upset two-time Horse of the Year Cigar in last year's Classic.

The other two potential entrants are Crafty Friend, who won Hollywood Park's Bel Air Handicap in his last start and is trained by Wallace Dollase, and Percutant, who finished third in Hollywood's Sunset Handicap in his last start and is trained by Jean-Pierre Dupuis. Crafty Friend walked this morning following his seven-furlong work in 1:26 1/5 Sunday. He'll finish up his preparation with long gallops. The Pacific Classic will mark Percutant's first race on the dirt. Entries and post position draw will take place Wednesday morning.

EXPELLED COMES OUT OF READ WIN FINE; MARLIN HEADING FOR MILLION

After giving trainer Robert Frankel his seventh victory in Del Mar's Grade I, $300,000 Eddie Read Handicap, Expelled spent a quiet night in the barn, ate up and showed no signs of anything but good. Dan Ward, longtime assistant to Hall of Famer Frankel, said Expelled came out of the race in great shape and may be pointed for a mile grass race at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita in preparation for a possible run the Breeders' Cup Mile November 8 at Hollywood Park.

Frankel was in Saratoga Springs, NY, this morning and was unavailable for comment.

Marlin's defeat in the 1 1/8-mile Read on the Del Mar grass didn't dim his prospects for his next date, the Arlington Million at Arlington International Race Course August 24. Marlin finished third behind a crawling pace in the Read. Mike Marlow, assistant in charge of the D. Wayne Lukas barn at Del Mar, said he and Lukas expected Marlin, a top candidate for the Eclipse Award as the country's top turf runner, to be much closer to the pace, in a place where he could force the pace to be a bit faster.

TRAINER HOFMANS HAS GIANT SUNDAY; PAIR HEADING FOR TRAVERS

David Hofmans could easily look back on Sunday and consider it a jackpot day for the amiable and super-able trainer who now sits atop the 3-year-old Thoroughbred world.

So what was so special about Sunday? Well, Hofmans sent out Awesome Again to capture Saratoga's Grade II, $250,000 Jim Dandy Stakes and less than an hour later saddled Touch Gold to win the $1-million Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park.

Hofmans hadn't returned to Del Mar this morning, but son Grant said his father was very happy and excited about the Sunday doubleheader. He said, also, that the elder Hofmans plans to send Touch Gold on to join Awesome Again at Saratoga, where they are expected to run in the Travers Stakes August 23. Touch Gold, who won the Belmont Stakes in his previous outing to deny Silver Charm the Triple Crown of racing, is owned by Frank Stronach and Stonerside Stable while Awesome Again is owned solely by Stronach.

Southern California horses swept the top three places in the Haskell as Anet, trained by Bob Baffert, and Free House, trained by Paco Gonzalez, finished second and third, respectively.

Grant Hofmans said his father's pair pulled up well and will train at Saratoga for the Travers. Young Hofmans said the foot that has been a question mark ever since Touch Gold injured it in the Preakness Stakes, "is not even a concern any more."

SUPERSTAR DAVID BENOIT COMES TO "JAZZ AT DEL MAR" ON WEDNESDAY

Internationally known as one of the finest jazz pianists of his time, David Benoit brings his multiple skills as player and composer to the second free "Jazz at Del Mar presented by Mercedes-Benz" Wednesday. The performance will begin shortly after Del Mar's final Thoroughbred race of the day in the track's Plaza de Mexico.

Contemporary jazz fans across the world know Benoit as a rare artist whose unique sound and natural, unpretentious musical vision captures the charm, appeal and excitement of the genre. Through hundreds of performances around the world and recording dates with some of the world's top musicians, Benoit has served as a world-class ambassador of jazz.

Benoit has crossed several musical boundaries as he insists on continued growth in his skills and styles. His initial encounter with jazz came in the late 1970s as he played alongside future GRP labelmates Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin, and from there he followed a long and winding road toward jazz stardom.

JOCKEY DESORMEAUX CLOSING IN ON $100-MILLION MARK IN PURSES WON

Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who has been a record-setting rider right from the start of his career, is about to enter the record books again -- this time as the youngest rider ever to surpass $100 million in purse money won.

The 27-year-old Louisiana native has earnings, through Sunday's races, of $99,403,464. When he passes the $100 million mark, he'll be youngest at that level since Chris McCarron checked in with $100 million at age 32. For his career so far, Desormeaux has 3,402 victories from 16,476 mounts for a glossy 21 per cent winning figure.

Desormeaux holds the record for most wins in one year at 598, is the youngest rider to reach 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 victories and has won three Eclipse Awards, being only one of three riders to win an Eclipse both as an apprentice and as a journeyman. McCarron and Steve Cauthen are the others.

Desormeaux started last week tied with Alex Solis for the jockey lead with eight wins apiece, but while he rode at Saratoga Saturday and Monmouth Park Sunday, he lost ground to Solis in the standings. The trips away from Del Mar were fruitful financially, however, as Desormeaux finished second aboard Formal Gold in Saturday's Whitney Handicap and third in Sunday's Haskell Invitational with Free House.

SHORE LINES - A triple-victory day for jockey Alex Solis sent him back atop the rider standings with 12 wins for the meeting's first 11 days, this despite a three- day suspension. His triple also enriched the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund by $250, donated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for each multiple-victory day (minimum of three wins) for riders. ... Two wins by trainer Bob Baffert padded his lead in the trainer's race, nine wins to five for trainer Barry Abrams. ... Patti Summers finished first in Saturday's Western Regional Chili Cookoff held in Del Mar's infield. Summers moves on to the World's Championship Chili Cookoff October 5 in Reno, NV, where the winner will receive $25,000.

TODAY'S SIMULCAST STAKES - Saratoga: Racing Hall of Fame (II).