Stable Notes Del Mar, California Saturday, August 30, 1997 (Day 34)

FANTASTIC FELLOW HEADS FIELD OF SEVEN FOR 52ND DEL MAR DERBY

The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Fantastic Fellow will be running to become the first ever to sweep Del Mar's 3-year-old grass series that culminates in Monday's 53rd running of the Grade II, $300,000 Del Mar at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. He heads a field of seven for the event. All will carry 121 pounds, and the winner's share of the purse is $180,000.

Fantastic Fellow, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, won the first division of the Oceanside Stakes on Del Mar's opening day, July 23, and the La Jolla Handicap August 10. The only other horse to win the three races was Lightning Mandate, trained by Del Mar's all-time leading conditioner Farrell Jones in 1974, when the first two legs of the series were run on the main track.

Hoping to put an un-fantastic end to the son of Lear Fan's Del Mar season are Donald Dizney's multiple stakes winner on the dirt Anet; Sidney Craig's Brave Act; Gil and Jeanne Dye's Falkenham; John Amerman's Floriselli; Dave and Jill Heerensperger's Flying With Eagles; and Golden Eagle Farm's Worldly Ways.

Only Fantastic Fellow comes to the race off a victory, although Anet's credentials include victories this year in Turfway Park's Rushaway Stakes, Lone Star Park's Lone Star Derby and U.S.A. Stakes, and second-place finishes in the Illinois Derby at Sportsman's Park, the Ohio Derby at Thistledown and the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Brave Act, with Goncalino Almeida; Falkenham, with Rene Douglas; Floriselli, with Kent Desormeaux; Fantastic Fellow, with Alex Solis; Anet, with Gary Stevens; and Worldly Ways, with Chris McCarron.

SAHADI HOPES A FAST PACE WILL MAKE THIS RACE FOR RAINBOW DANCER

The saying "pace makes the race" is time worn, but also timely when it comes to Thoroughbred racing. It figures to be a major factor again today as eight grass runners go to the post at Del Mar for the Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. The winner's share of the purse is $150,000

Trainer Jenine Sahadi is hoping the pace she gets for her entrant, Rainbow Dancer, will be fast, but she knows that may be the longest shot in the race. "Here again, he's going to be a victim of the pace," Sahadi said. "If they go slow early, I'd say my chances are going to be compromised. But if for some reason, they decide to go [fast] then Mufattish is a question mark on the distance, and Dowty made an easy lead the other day [in winning the Escondido Handicap] and kept rolling. So I just hope there's pace on the front end.

"I know my horse is a good horse, but he's one that needs for everything to go his way to get up. Alex [Solis] has been working him and he's been working well on the turf down here [bullet works at 5, 6 and 7 furlongs], and we'll just have to say a little prayer, that's all."

Evergreen Farm's Rainbow Dancer, who has run in four graded races since his arrival in the United States this year, finished fifth in Hollywood Park's Grade II Sunset Handicap in his most recent outing, but Sahadi believes that was a better race for her horse than appears on paper. "They just went slow," she said, "and you got an idea of what Marlin [the Sunset winner] can do when they go slow in the Arlington Million [he won gate to wire]." Prior to the Sunset, Rainbow Dancer beat Marlin and Sunshack in the Grade I Hollywood Turf Handicap when the pace was quicker.

Sahadi won't have Marlin to contend with in the Del Mar Handicap, but the prospect of a slow pace is still there.

OF LATE, THE CHULA VISTA COULD BE CALLED THE MCCARRON HANDICAP

When it comes to Del Mar's Chula Vista Handicap, Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron could almost claim that possession is nine-tenths of the law and request a walkover in Sunday's 27th running of the Grade II, $300,000 race for fillies and mares going 1 1/16th miles on the main track.

Why a walkover? Well, McCarron has won the Chula Vista the past three years and five times overall since 1981. His past three winners were Sidney Craig's Paseana in 1994 for trainer Ron McAnally; 505 Farms' Borodislew in 1995 for trainer Eduardo Inda, who for many years was McAnally's chief assistant; and Craig's and McAnally's Different last year. Previously, McCarron won aboard John Nerud's Clabber Girl, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, in 1988, and Joseph Allen's Save Wild Life, trained by Howard Tesher, in 1981.

This year, McCarron is named on 505 Farms' Radu Cool, who he rode to victory in the Bayakoa Handicap July 28 to give the mare a record of three wins in three outings at Del Mar.

SECOND OF THREE JOCKEY PICTURE DAYS SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY

At least 10 riders are expected Sunday prior to the races for pictures with fans in the second of three Jockey Photo Days to be celebrated on this weekend.

The first of the picture days was scheduled for today and the final one will be observed on Monday, Labor Day. Fans with cameras will be snapping shots around the large fountain in the track's Plaza de Mexico area just inside the main Grandstand entrance. Riders will be available from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday and, due to an early first post, from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Monday.

Those jockeys who will be available for photos on Sunday are Alex Solis, Kent Desormeaux, Richard Culberson, G.F. Almeida, Eddie Delahoussaye, Javier Matias, Victor Espinoza, Omar Berrio, Jose Silva, Scott Stevens and J.G. Matos.

JOCKEY WHO MADE HIS MARK AT SOUTHERN TRACKS HEADS FOR DEL MAR

Marlon St. Julien, who has established himself as an up-and-coming jockey in Louisiana and Texas, is going to try his hand at riding at Del Mar soon. He expects to be at the seaside track in time to finish out the final days of the meet and prepare for the meeting at Fairplex that follows the Del Mar closing.

The native of Lafayette, LA, rode successfully at Evangeline and Delta Downs and New Orleans' Fair Grounds before moving his tack to Texas for the inaugural season of Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. He finished second in the rider standings there.

In fact, Lone Star training kingpin Dallas Keen has booked St. Julien to ride King Chalumbo in a race on the turf Wednesday. Keen said St. Julien rode five horses for him at Lone Star Park and brought home three winners.

About the impending journey to the Southern California circuit, St. Julien told the Louisiana Downs publicity department, "I'm kind of excited and a little nervous. It's a new place and I've never been there. I'm really looking forward to it because it is a big step in my career."

St. Julien will be accompanied by his agent, Richard Price.

SHORE LINES -- Trainer Richard Mandella reported this morning that Remington Park Derby winner Wild Rush is recovering well from a virus attack that struck him following the victory at the Oklahoma City track. He's back in training, Mandella said, with the possibility of returning to the races late in the year. ... Trainer Michael Machowsky said he was very pleased at winning his first stake at Del Mar after his charge, End Run, scored in the Warden Stakes on Friday's card. ... Chris McCarron, co- founder with his wife, Judy, and comedian Tim Conway of the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund, reported this morning that the team penning event held last Tuesday night is expected to benefit the fund to the tune of $30,000 to $35,000 when all receipts are counted.

TODAY'S SIMULCAST STAKES -- Saratoga: Hopeful (I); Edmonton: Canadian Derby; Louisiana Downs: Alabama Derby (III); Remington Park: Remington Green.