By ED GOLDEN

Splat!

That�s the sound bridge-jumpers made when Gentlemen finished out of the money as the 1-20 favorite in last Saturday�s Santa Anita Handicap.

Had Gentlemen finished at least second in the four-horse field (there was only win and place betting), it would have created the biggest minus pool at Santa Anita since Spectacular Bid won the 1980 Strub Stakes, according to track auditor Jim McBeth.

"I�ve been doing this since 1981 and this would have been the largest minus pool I�ve ever seen at Santa Anita, $154,160.92, if Gentlemen had finished at least second," McBeth said. "As I recall, the Spectacular Bid minus pool pushed $80,000 or so. But back then, the tracks had to eat the minus pool. The rule was changed in California because of that race. Now it�s shared, based on what the track, the horsemen and the state of California would receive as license fees on the day.

"NYRA, including some of the OTB sites that go through that tote, wagered the most money in the place pool on Gentlemen, $234,633. Nevada had $152,902; the New Jersey hub (Meadowlands, Monmouth Park and Garden State) bet 111,819; and Philadelphia Park had 108,767. Those were the only locations, including on-track or Scotwinc, that bet over $100,000 in the place pool. There was $84,735.90 bet at Santa Anita, but the track would have eaten very little of that. Most of the money would have come from the four sites that bet the most. They�re required to pay their own minus pool based on a percentage of what NYRA�s place pool is, versus the overall place pool. So NYRA, Nevada, the New Jersey hub and Philadelphia would have eaten the bulk of the minus pool."

Of the total win pool of $540,205.70, $421,767.10, or 78 percent of the money, was bet on Gentlemen, while in the total place pool of $972,372.60, $875,605.60, a whopping 90 percent, backed the Argentine-bred, who finished last.

There was no way to determine whether one player took a major hit, not without out-of-state tote companies examining their basic logs, no easy task, but McBeth figured there was a huge one-play loss at Philadelphia Park.

"There�s been a player or a syndicate there who�s hammered a few pools this meet," said McBeth, 42. "There have been rather large sums bet from there on show pools. Nevada actually has been pretty quiet this meet. The $152,902 wasn�t out of the ordinary. But the NYRA amount was higher than usual, although it has been one of the highest, along with Nevada. I know this: on Gentlemen, the players east of the Mississippi took the worst of it."

ARUBA MAGIC -- Pinched back shortly after start. Clean break should do it against $25,000 types at a mile or longer.

INDIAN CHARLIE -- Unbeaten Cal-bred 3-year-old from Baffert barn in rare form and has never been threatened. Ready for Triple Crown competition and will win the Santa Anita Derby.

HOT WIRE -- Baffert runner lagged far back early before looping field in first race in more than seven months. Primed now for a mile or beyond.

LOVE U FRAN -- Maiden daughter of Phone Trick lost enough at break to cost victory in debut. Closed resolutely for third despite going wide.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Trainer Randy Bradshaw says Paraneck Stable owner Ernie Paragallo, highly visible in 1995 when he predicted a Derby victory for his favored Unbridled�s Song, has maintained a "hands-off" policy in allowing Bradshaw to train Artax, game winner of Saturday�s San Felipe Stakes by a head over Real Quiet. "He�s just the opposite lately," Bradshaw said of Paragallo. "He�s kept a low profile, and I think by design. It�s real easy to get caught up in Derby fever first-time around. It�s tough to get a Derby horse in the first place, then when you get one who is favored, it can make you a little overzealous. But Ernie�s been great. He doesn�t bother me, doesn�t call me and doesn�t tell me what to do." . . . Kent Desormeaux, after failing to catch Artax on Real Quiet: "They won the battle, but we�ll win the war." . . . Bob Baffert on why he switched gears from Oaklawn Park to Dubai for Silver Charm: "The horse is doing great and there�s a $4 million race on the line. Oaklawn (with a $750,000 purse) is not the easiest place to get to, and I�d been having trouble getting flights. I�ve got the perfect horse for Dubai. As it was, it was either go there or go in the Santa Anita Handicap. We didn�t want to run in both, so when his hoof bruise forced him out of the Big �Cap, then healed the next day, I told (co-owner) Bob Lewis we can take a shot at Dubai, and he said let�s do it. Bob knows I am not going to put that horse in jeopardy. That horse is family to me." Baffert on Indian Charlie, who will make his next start in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby: "We were thinking about the Jim Beam on March 28, but that�s the same day as Dubai. I told Gary Stevens we�re not going to run this horse while we�re out of town. He likes Santa Anita, and I�d hate to move him from track to track. Right now, he�s going to stay for the Santa Anita Derby. This is an exceptional horse. He�s way ahead of where Silver Charm was at this time last year. Way ahead." The California-bred son of In Excess won a mile allowance race on March 13 in 1:35.02, and no 3-year-old has run a faster mile in over three years . . . Santa Anita page Danny Hernandez has a growing list of turf club members who enjoy Gaming Today. "One of the guys who was here last week got a copy and told me to be sure and bring him another when he comes back next week," said Hernandez. The GT fan: Pete Rose . . . Trevor Denman said Silky Sullivan would have been proud of the incredulous rally Cyrano Storme unleashed to win a $62,500 claiming race at six furlongs on March 4. The 8-year-old gelding trained by Jack Van Berg came from 19 lengths behind at the half-mile pole to win by 1 1/4 lengths under Rene Douglas. "He�s always far back, but not that far back," Douglas said. "I thought we had no chance. I looked over and we were barely ahead of the ambulance." . . . Add Golden winners: Legend of Russia, $4 . . . Dick Mandella on the attention Gentlemen receives around the world: "Well, he must be pretty important. Every hotel has a room named after him."