Uncharted Haven rallies from last to win the San Clemente Handicap, and Skimming takes the San Diego Handicap

The weekend when nothing could go wrong had just ended for trainer Bobby Frankel, capped by Skimming's eye-opening victory in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap (G3) on August 6. The Racing Hall of Fame trainer was at a loss to explain it in the winner's circle.

San Diego H. (G3)
Del Mar, August 6, $250,000, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:41.06
1-SKIMMING, c. 4, Nureyev-Skimble, by Lyphard.
2-Prime Timber, c. 4, Sultry Song-Wine Taster, by Nodouble.
3-National Saint, c. 4, Saint Ballado-Ski Nation, by Baldski.

"You go through these things, and I don't know why they happen," said Frankel. "I don't know why things happen the other way, either." Frankel won all four stakes held here in three days in all conceivable ways. On August 4, Riviera (Fr) was elevated to victory in the $78,400 Wickerr Handicap via disqualification after being carried out in the stretch by American Spirit and losing by a nose. All avenues on the turf opened for 3 Plus U stablemates Uncharted Haven (GB) and Hastenby (Ire) in come-from-behind victories in the $150,000 San Clemente Handicap (G2) on August 5 and the $67,590 Sandy Blue Stakes on August 6, respectively.

But the real icing on the cake came in the San Diego with a scintillating, front-running eight-length victory by the rapidly improving Skimming in a manner reminiscent of Mazel Trick in the race last year.

"I didn't expect him to go that quickly, to be honest," said Frankel after the four-year-old colt covered 11Ú16 miles in 1:41.06 on a fast track. "I didn't even think he would be on the lead. I thought he would get out behind National Saint and Forty One Carats and be laying third. But he (jockey Garrett Gomez) just let him go."

Skimming, the 3.50-to-1 third choice and 112-pound lightweight, cut fractions of :22.79, :45.86, and 1:09.70 and left an exhausted field of challengers behind him by the far turn. Prime Timber came on to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of third-placed National Saint.

Florida invader Forty One Carats, the 2.90-to-1 second choice, finished fourth, another 3 1/2 lengths back, followed by Casey Griffin, Hal's Pal (GB), and River Keen (Ire), the 1.40-to-1 favorite who was wide all the way and finished some 19 lengths back. Speedster Musical Gambler was scratched, another factor that helped the winner.

"Today, he just wasn't himself," said Victor Espinoza, jockey of River Keen. "He didn't want to warm up and just wasn't happy. I don't think it was his feet."

River Keen has a chronic problem with quarter cracks in his hind feet. Skimming most likely earned a berth in the $1-million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles on August 26, an opportunity that Mazel Trick never received. After Mazel Trick's six-length San Diego victory in 1:40.68 last year, Frankel called the horse as good as any he had ever trained, but he broke down in training for the Classic a few days later and was retired to stud.

"This is a nice, quiet sound horse, and he's improved every time," Frankel said. "Let's hope he can recuperate in time for the race. He will have a big number (Beyer speed figure) in this race. Let's hope he doesn't bounce." Skimming, a Juddmonte Farms homebred by Nureyev out of the Lyphard mare Skimble, scored his first stakes victory. He began his career modestly in Europe, winning 1-of-6 starts in France and England before being shipped to Frankel in March. He has won 3-of-5 starts in this country, finishing a game second behind Sir Bear in the July 5 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) in his last outing. The $150,000 San Diego first prize raised his earnings to $326,601. "I'm not in shock that he won-obviously River Keen didn't fire-I'm in shock the way he won," said Frankel. "What a game!"

Haven in the San Clemente

When Frankel visited the Goffs Arc yearling sale in France last autumn, he bought three fillies for Charles and Audrey Kenis's 3 Plus U Stable.

San Clemente H. (G2)

Del Mar, August 5, $150,000, 1 mile, turf, firm, 1:35.13
1-UNCHARTED HAVEN (GB), f. 3, =Turtle Island (Ire)-Tochar Ban, by Assert (Ire).
2-Automated, f. 3, Repriced-Good Potential, by Relaunch.
3-Islay Mist (GB), f. 3, Distant Relative (Ire)-=Finlaggan (GB), by Be My Chief.

The former claiming king has not lost his eye for good horses. The Seven Seas won the listed Estrapade Stakes on July 24 at Hollywood Park, Millie's Quest captured the Lake George Stakes (G3) a week later at Saratoga Race Course, and Uncharted Haven accounted for the San Clemente Handicap for three-year-old fillies.

"Bobby, you drink this," said Kenis, a retired wine and spirits dealer from Los Angeles, as he left the winner's circle with a giant bottle of champagne awarded by the track.

Uncharted Haven, ridden by Alex Solis, rallied in the stretch to overtake stubborn pacesetter Automated in the final strides to win by one length in 1:35.13 for one mile on firm turf. Islay Mist (GB) finished third, another 2 1/2 lengths back, in the field of ten.

Uncharted Haven hopped in the air at the start, and Solis bided his time in last place down the backstretch before he moved her up to fourth along the inside, swung wide into the stretch, and got up in time. The winner was the 6.50-to-1 fourth choice in a wide-open race.

"I felt real good at the three-eighths pole," said Frankel. "I just said 'Don't get shut off.' He never hit her inside the sixteenth pole."

Uncharted Haven scored an impressive three-length victory in her United States debut on May 24 in a one-mile turf allowance race at Hollywood Park, and Frankel decided to wait until this meeting for her second outing.

Uncharted Haven, by Turtle Island out of the Assert (Ire) mare Tochar Ban, won once in four starts last year in France for trainer Jean de Roualle. The San Clemente's $90,000 first prize nearly tripled her earnings to $136,020 and earned her a berth in the $250,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1) for three-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on grass on August 27.

Graduation romp

A rare August thunderstorm lit up the sky 15 minutes before the $125,000 Graduation Stakes on August 2, providing a fitting introduction for The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Arabian Light.

The highly regarded chestnut colt did not disappoint, winning the 51Ú2-furlong stakes for California-bred juveniles in a manner suggesting he will generate more electricity in his division, triumphing by five lengths over Stocks Are Rising in 1:03.93 over a fast track as the 3-to-5 favorite. "It was a big gamble," said trainer Bob Baffert of owner Ahmed bin Salman's decision to risk $700,000 for the colt at the Barretts March two-year-olds in training sale. "He was by Fly So Free (out of the Majestic Light mare Heartlight) and looked like (Grade 1 stakes winner) Captain Steve, and I said 'Go buy him.' "

Sequel Bloodstock bought the colt at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Del Mar yearling sale last year for $60,000 before selling him at Barretts for a tidy profit.

Arabian Light, ridden by David Flores, remained unbeaten in two starts and will be pointed to the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity (G2) at seven furlongs on September 13, a race Baffert has won the last four years. "This is the kind of horse who will go on and on," Baffert said.

FINISH LINES-Although it took a disqualification to do it, the winner of the Wickerr Handicap on August 4 was fitting, both logically and sentimentally. Riviera, the 9-to-10 choice, is owned by Edmund Gann, trained by Frankel, and ridden by Chris McCarron, the same connections who won the 1981 Eddie Read Handicap (G3) with fan favorite Wickerr. American Spirit finished a nose in front of Riviera after a stretch-long duel but was disqualified for interference in the one-mile turf race. É Racing Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who had been working horses in recent weeks, abandoned thoughts of a comeback because of concern over his ailing knees. É Richard Mulhall, The Thoroughbred Corp. general manager, said most of the more than 20 horses previously trained by Alex Hassinger Jr. have been transferred to John Shirreffs, who will maintain a public stable. Hassinger recently resigned after several horses were taken out of the stable and given to other trainers. É Alexis Barba, who took over the bulk of Eddie Gregson's stable following the trainer's death in June, recorded her first victory with Red Hot and Blue in a $49,000 maiden race for fillies and mares on August 4. Japanese champion Yutaka Take rode the 22-to-1 longshot for his first victory at Del Mar. É Trainer Neil Drysdale said Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus continues to gallop and is nearing his first work before plans for a fall campaign are formulated.