Ladies Din, also trained by Julio Canani, finishes second for the second straight year

There is conventional training wisdom, and then there is Julio Canani, about whom there is little that is conventional.

When he decided in 1963 to leave Peru, then in the throes of political upheaval, he figured he could not tell government functionaries in his homeland that he was planning to work at the racetrack in the United States. So he told them he planned to study electrical engineering.

When he won the $1-million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) with Silic (Fr) at Gulfstream Park last November, he was the only trainer of a 1999 Breeders' Cup champion who did not stick around until the following morning for the customary press breakfast. Canani was already back in Southern California with his horses.

Longtime denizens of press boxes at area tracks might find that amusing. When Canani is not at the barn or in the paddock, he prefers hanging out high atop the track in the company of journalists mapping out pick six tickets.

But clearly, the man can train.

He proved it again on June 18 when Silic shook off the cobwebs of 225 days without a race and won the $488,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park for the second year in a row.

The Shoemaker was the only North American race upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 this year.

To top off a brilliant piece of horsemanship, Ladies Din, also trained by Canani and the loser by a nose to Silic in the 1999 Shoemaker, ran second again-this time a half-length behind his stablemate. They were coupled in the wagering as the Shoemaker's 7-to-10 favorites.

"I think I'm more proud of this than winning the other races, even the Breeders' Cup," said Canani, who trains both Silic and Ladies Din for a group that includes MGM Grand Chairman J. Terrence Lanni.

The pride, Canani explained, came from proving Silic could win without a competitive appearance since the five-year-old French-bred won the Breeders' Cup Mile.

"I learned from Charlie Whittingham a long time ago," Canani said, "that if you have a good horse and he's training good, he doesn't need a race. I've been trying to tell people that I didn't think Silic needed a race. He's just a great horse."

Canani admitted, however, that Silic's long hiatus between dances was not intentional. "He lost two bar shoes the first time I worked him here," the trainer said. "So I missed ten days with him while I took care of his feet." Silic has never raced in bar shoes.

With usual partner Corey Nakatani in the irons for the Sillery horse's Father's Day tour of the track's turf course in 1:33.36, Silic's performance was not an easy stroll through Hollywood Park. Silic stalked the early pace of 96.30-to-1 First Titanium, took the lead in the stretch, and opened 11Ú2 lengths on his ten opponents at the furlong pole. But his afternoon's work was not finished. Ladies Din-who was well back early and forced six lanes wide with Kent Desormeaux-closed hard from eighth at the furlong pole and was only a half-length from the lead at the wire.

"Actually, as wide as he went, I think Ladies Din was the best horse in the race," Canani said.

Ladies Din is not a Breeders' Cup nominee, so he was kept home when Silic was sent to Gulfstream for last year's Mile. "We might supplement Ladies Din and send them both this year," Lanni said. "We think we have the two best turf milers in the world."

In the June 18 co-feature, Golden Ballet, making her first start for owner Team Valor and trainer Jenine Sahadi, won the $96,225 Cinderella Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

The California-bred daughter of Moscow Ballet-Golden Jewel Box ran 51Ú2 furlongs in 1:03.83 under Chris McCarron and beat Bar Breeze by eight lengths. Golden Ballet was purchased privately by Team Valor from Jerry Dutton, her breeder and former trainer, after she won the Nursery Stakes at Hollywood Park in May.

California connections

Two talented California-breds won restricted stakes races on June 17. Full Moon Madness, a $32,000 claim in his first race as a two-year-old, pushed his career earnings to $512,975 with a 11Ú2-length victory over The Morris Monroe in the $76,950 Answer Do Stakes. The five-year-old gelded son of Half a Year sped 51Ú2 furlongs on grass in 1:01.66 under Corey Nakatani.

"Once I got him in the clear, he finished tremendously," Nakatani said after Full Moon Madness's fourth stakes score of the year for trainer Robert Marshall. He is owned by the Corey Family Trust.

The first running of the $100,000 California Sire Stakes for three-year-old fillies was captured by Top of Our Game, a daughter of Steinlen (GB) who was winning her first career stakes. Under David Flores, Top of Our Game stayed on or near the pace for the entire race and won for the third time in six career starts, covering 11Ú16 miles on grass in 1:41.41. Carla Gaines trains Top of Our Game for Harris Farms.

CLOSERS-The Oak Tree Racing Association, which conducts the fall meet at Santa Anita, is the "first choice" of Breeders' Cup Ltd. officials to host the 19th edition of the event in 2002, President D. G. Van Clief Jr. said. ... The Deputy (Ire), 14th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) as the second choice, will get the summer off and be pointed for Santa Anita's Strub Series for four-year-olds, trainer Jenine Sahadi said. The Petardia colt won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April. ... Hamsaat Hi Haat, a two-year-old daughter of Hennessy and the first horse run by Eoin Harty as the trainer for Godolphin Racing, ran sixth in the field of eight maiden fillies in the five-furlong fifth race at Hollywood Park on June 17. Harty previously was Bob Baffert's top assistant. ... Crows (Arg) and Penny Blues, two runners formerly trained by the late Eddie Gregson, have been moved to the barn of Vladimir Cerin. Crows, a six-year-old horse by Payant (Arg), is scheduled to make his next start on July 15 in the $150,000 Bel Air Handicap (G2). ... Manndar (Ire), winner of the Manhattan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park on June 10, will make his next start either in the Eddie Read Handicap (G1) at Del Mar on July 30 or the Arlington Million (G1) at Arlington International Racecourse on August 19, trainer Beau Greely said. ... Honeymoon Handicap (G2) winner Classy Cara will be shipped to Belmont Park for the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 22, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.