GOLDEN GLIMPSES #36

HELMSMAN NEEDS PERFECT PACE TO UPSET CIGAR

Helmsman is running in the Pacific Classic, Cigar or no Cigar.

When a horse stands to earn as much as $500,000 just for completing the course, a trainer'd be a fool not go for it, unless, of course, the horse wasn't ready.

Wally Dollase is no fool. And Helmsman is ready.

"I gave him two weeks off at the farm," Dollase said of the San Fernando and Strub Stakes winner. "He really didn't have any problems. I just wanted to give him a mental break. He had a rough campaign through Santa Anita, and he ran terrific."

Helmsman, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of El Gran Senor, was idle for more than two months after running fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2. He was second in his first two starts since, in the Inglewood Handicap on the turf behind the sensational Fastness, and in The Californian, beaten a half-length by Tinners Way, who will be seeking his third straight Pacific Classic victory.

Helmsman ran third, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by the front-running Siphon, in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30.

Helmsman and Luthier Fever are the only two survivors eligible for the MGM Grand Classic Crown participation bonus of $500,000. The bonus rewards horses running in three races -- the Santa Anita Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic, with 10 points earned for first, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

Mr Purple, the leader with 10 points thanks to his victory in the Santa Anita Handicap, is injured and will not run. Helmsman has eight points, Luthier Fever seven. If Luthier Fever does not run in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 10, Helmsman would win the entire bonus. Otherwise, it's a 67-33 percent payout of the $500,000, the horse with the most points between Helmsman and Luthier Fever receiving the greater share.

Dollase meets Cigar's challenge with realism and levity. "We're going to have to all get together out here in California and box him in some way, or something," the trainer said. "Seriously, it's going to take a better rating job than we've been doing with my horse.

"I think we'll come close to him. These are better horses than Dramatic Gold (second, 3 1/2 lengths behind Cigar in the Arlington Citation Challenge), and Dramatic Gold's a helluva horse.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking Dramatic Gold. But I'm comparing Dramatic Gold to Nonproductiveasset, who came pretty close to him at Hollywood Park (third by two lengths on May 17).

"The problem with Helmsman is that one race he goes too fast on the pace, and the next race he goes too slow. In the Hollywood Gold Cup, he went too slow. He was five lengths back going down the backside, and they went in :47 2/5. He couldn't catch Siphon at that pace.

"In The Californian, Del Mar Dennis set the pace and went in :46 flat (ultimately finishing last in a field of four), and we went :46 2/5. So that's too fast for him, but he only got beat a half-length by Tinners Way. Helmsman needs a :47 2/5 himself. If he can do that, he'll be right with the best of them. But the last two races, he's either gone too fast or too slow, and (Chris) McCarron knows that, so now we're going to try and hit the right pace in the Pacific Classic."

Dollase knows he'll need more hits than there are in "Oklahoma" to beat Cigar.

"Cigar's got it. He's for real," said Dollase, who was 59 on Aug. 1. "He's a great horse. In this day and age, to be that consistent, you have to be a remarkable animal. And a helluva training job (by Bill Mott). You can't get a cheap claiming horse to win five or six races in a row. It's very hard to win three or four in a row with any horse. They're either weighted too heavily, or they've lost their conditions. You have to be a phenomenal animal to do what Cigar's done.

"And he's done it on any kind of track, except for the turf course. But I bet if he went back to turf, he'd probably be damn good there, too."