Stable Notes Del Mar, California Thursday, August 7, 1997 (Day 14)

PACIFIC CLASSIC FAVORITE GENTLEMEN DRAWS RIDER STEVENS' PRAISE

It's no surprise to Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens that Gentlemen, winner of seven of nine starts since coming to the United States from Argentina, including the Hollywood Gold Cup in his most recent outing, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's seventh running of the Grade I, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

"He's a great moving horse," Stevens, who has ridden him in six straight starts, said this morning on the track's backstretch. "He can be a bit of a handful sometimes in the post parade. He's not the kind of horse you can force to do anything. You just try to get along with him, keep him happy and he keeps everybody else around him happy."

Whatever problem the 5-year-old horse might be prior to a race, Stevens voiced confidence in what comes after the race starts. "Once the gates open," the rider said, "he's all business. He's fairly easy to ride. He's a big, powerful, strong horse who has a beautiful stride to him. He just really does things with very little effort."

Chances are Gentlemen, owned by the partnership of Gilberto Montagna, Aldo Soprano, Juan Jose Varsi and R.D. Hubbard and trained by Richard Mandella, will need to be all-out in the Pacific Classic. Though the field will be small at only six horses, it will feature some solid contenders. Chief among them is Gentlemen's stablemate, Siphon, who is owned by Rio Claro Thoroughbreds and trained by Mandella. Siphon won this year's Santa Anita Handicap, in which Gentlemen finished third, and was runner-up in the Gold Cup, a race he won last year. Siphon, a solid front-running 6-year- old, will be ridden for the first time by longtime Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron, who takes over for regular rider David Flores, injured in a spill earlier in the Del Mar meet. The Big 'Cap winner is set at 9-5 on the morning line.

Crafty Friend, owned by The Thoroughbred Corp. and trained by Wallace Dollase, comes into the race with solid credentials, also, especially off his victory in Hollywood Park's Grade II Bel Air Handicap on July 12 in only his second start following a four-month breather. Dollase, who will have Alex Solis, Del Mar's leading rider to this point in the meet and the riding champion at the past six major Southern California meetings, aboard Crafty Friend, has confidence in his trainee, with the distance of 1 1/4 miles being his only reservation. Crafty Friend, tabbed at 5-1 on the morning line, has never raced farther than 1 1/8 miles.

River Keen, third choice in the morning line at 9-2, is fresh from a victory in Hollywood Park's Grade II Californian, and has trainer Robert Hess, Jr. excited about his chances. Hess believes the 5-year-old, who registered four wins in Great Britain on an all-weather track, which is Britain's equivalent of a dirt track, will do well in the Pacific Classic. Of the distance, the trainer said, "A mile and a quarter is the shortest distance he wants to run." Kent Desormeaux will be in the irons, as he was in the Californian win in the horse's only start so far in the U.S.

River Keen is owned by the partnership of Tom Gamel, the Gino Roncelli Family Trust, Richard Duggan, B.J. Gallison and Nydia Sigband.

Percutant, owned by Harlequin Stable and Keith and trained by Jean- Pierre Dupuis, will be trying the dirt for the first time in his career. The Pacific Classic will be his fourth start in the United States. He posted two victories before finishing third in Hollywood Park's Grade II Sunset Handicap. Dupuis said he believes it's a good time to try the 6-year-old son of Perrault on the dirt. He is listed at 12-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by Corey Nakatani.

The longshot in the field at 30-1 is the surprise entrant Lord Jain, owned by James E. Helzer and trained by Bob Baffert. Lord Jain is winless in four tries in this country since coming from Argentina. The 5-year-old son of Lord Hailey finished third in last Friday's Wickerr Stakes on the grass at Del Mar. Rene Douglas will ride.

EVER-POPULAR BEST PAL RETURNS TO LEAD PACIFIC CLASSIC POST PARADE

Best Pal, the winner of the inaugural running of the Grade I, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic in 1991, will renew Del Mar's latest tradition as he is scheduled to lead the post parade for Saturday's seventh edition of the Pacific Classic at the seaside course.

Best Pal, who is California's all-time earnings leader among Thoroughbreds and fourth on the all-time overall list with earnings of $5,589,631, lives in retirement at his birthplace, John and Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm near Ramona, CA, some 25 miles from Del Mar. The post-parade tradition was begun last year when Best Pal led the group that included Cigar, who was on a 16-race winning streak before having the skein ended by Dare And Go in the Classic.

Best Pal, whose Pacific Classic victory came as a 3-year-old and who finished third in the race in 1993 and second in 1994, is being prepared for his parade duty by trainer Richard Mandella, who was the gelding's final conditioner.

EIGHT SET FOR RANCHO BERNARDO HANDICAP ON PACIFIC CLASSIC DAY

Eight fillies and mares are set for the 26th running of the Grade III, $100,000-added Rancho Bernardo Handicap as a supporting stake for the Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar.

If all eight go, the gross purse will be $109,125, with $69,125 going to the winner.

The field for the 6 1/2-furlong dash on the main track will be headed by the very speedy Track Gal, trained by John Sadler, and a Golden Eagle Farm entry of Avenue of Gold and Advancing Star. Avenue of Gold is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and Advancing Star is conditioned by Richard Mandella.

Track Gal will carry high weight of 120 and be seeking her third straight win in the stake.

MANDELLA'S WILD RUSH SET FOR REMINGTON PARK DERBY ON SUNDAY

For those who thought trainer Dick Mandella had only classy older horses, let them be aware that 3-year-old Wild Rush, owned by Frank Stronach, is in Oklahoma City ready to run Sunday in the $300,000 Remington Park Derby. New Hall of Fame inductee Gary Stevens rides.

Wild Rush, who finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes as a running mate to winner Touch Gold, comes to the Remington race from a third-place finish in Hollywood Park's Swaps Stakes, which was won impressively by Free House, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby, second in the Preakness, third in the Belmont and third last Sunday in the Haskell Invitational.

Stevens, who is still enjoying the memories of his Hall of Fame induction on Monday at Saratoga Springs, NY, will go from Oklahoma City back to Saratoga to ride the D. Wayne Lukas trainee K.O. Punch in Wednesday's Saratoga Special. Stevens also has been named to ride the Lukas-trained Marlin in the Arlington Million August 24 at Arlington International Race Course.

SORRENTO STAKES WINNER CAREER COLLECTION EXITS RACE WELL

Career Collection, the 2-year-old filly who blitzed the field by five lengths in Wednesday's Grade II Sorrento Stakes came out of the race in fine shape, according to Craig Dollase, son and assistant to trainer Wallace Dollase. It was the second straight Grade II victory for the Golden Eagle Farm filly; she won Hollywood Park's Landaluce Stakes earlier.

The elder Dollase, after praising jockey Corey Nakatani for what he called "a perfect ride," said the next start for the filly would be the $250,000 Del Mar Debutante on August 24.

QUINN, ABRAMS GUESTS AT DEL MAR'S FREE HANDICAPPING SEMINARS

Author and handicapper Jim Quinn and trainer Barry Abrams will be Del Mar's guests this coming weekend as the track's free handicapping seminars are presented Saturday and Sunday of Pacific Classic weekend at the Seaside Terrace near the head of the stretch.

Quinn, who has authored several books on handicapping and conducts handicapping programs and seminars across the country, will be the Saturday guest. Abrams, who is tied with Bill Spawr for second place in the trainer standings with five wins apiece so far at the 43-day Del Mar session, guests on Sunday.

Because of Saturday's early 12:30 p.m. first post, that day's seminar will be moved up to 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Sunday's program goes at the usual time of 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

The seminars are hosted by Jack Minger of the track's media staff.

TODAY'S SIMULCAST STAKES - Saratoga: Yaddo Handicap