NEWS
All Heart in Whittingham
Posted: Saturday, June 03, 2000
White Heart wins Grade 1 turf race for former Whittingham assistant Neil Drysdale
Trainer Neil Drysdale thought he might have spotted a wink from heaven at the conclusion of the $300,000 Charlie Whittingham Handicap (G1) on May 29. Drysdale, Whittingham's most accomplished former assistant, was named to join his legendary late boss in the Racing Hall of Fame last month and showed why by capturing the Memorial Day feature named in Whittingham's memory with White Heart (GB).
Charles Whittingham H. (G1)
Hollywood Park, May 29, $300,000, 11/4 miles, turf, firm, 2:00.83
1—WHITE HEART (GB), g. 5, Green Desert—Barari, by Blushing Groom (Fr).
2—Self Feeder (Ire), h. 6, Lycius—=Last Drama (Ire), by Last Tycoon (Ire).
3—Deploy Venture (GB), g. 4, =Deploy (GB)—Tasseled, by Tate Gallery.
Whittingham won the race, which was previously named the Hollywood Turf Handicap, a record seven times through 1998, but his prized former aide is gaining. Drysdale won the race for the fourth time after falling a half-length short with runner-up Majorien (GB) last year.
The race took an alarming twist shortly after the start when 9-to-10 favorite Dark Moodancer (GB) was pulled up leaving the chute after taking a bad step between horses. "He bobbled, and I heard a pop," jockey Chris McCarron said.
Ron McAnally, trainer of Dark Moondancer, said: "After Chris pulled him up, he thought he looked all right. When he walked into the ambulance, he said he looked okay. Since the day we got him, I can honestly say this horse has never never been unsound."
Drysdale consoled McAnally after the race and patted him on the back. "It was a terrible shame about Dark Moondancer, but the race was run just about the way we thought it would be run for us," Drysdale said.
White Heart, a five-year-old gelding making his second United States start, rallied from fourth under Kent Desormeaux to get up in the final strides for a neck victory over stubborn Self Feeder (Ire), a 16.40-to-1 longshot who led most of the way. Deploy Venture (GB), the longest shot in the field of six at 53.30-1, finished third, another half-length back. Senure, the 2.20-to-1 second choice, was fourth, another three-quarters of a length back and the same distance in front of Sardaukar (GB).
White Heart, owned by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum, covered 11/4 miles on turf in 2:00.83 as the 5.60-to-1 third choice. By Green Desert out of the Blushing Groom (Fr) mare Barari, White Heart won 5-of-15 starts in Europe—the biggest of which was the 1999 Oettingen-Rennen (Ger-G3) at Baden-Baden before joining the Drysdale stable here in November. "Mark Johnston, his trainer in England, just said he was a tough, game horse," Drysdale said.
White Heart had never raced beyond 11/16 miles and came off an allowance victory at one mile on the turf here but handled the extra distance the way 1971 Horse of the Year Ack Ack was once stretched out by Whittingham.
Like Drysdale-trained Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, White Heart apparently has a mind of his own. He dumped Desormeaux during an aborted recent turf workout here.
Although Drysdale has earned most of his plaudits with Fusaichi Pegasus, he is also enjoying a brilliant year on the turf with such horses as Single Empire (Ire), Sunshine Street, Majorien and now White Heart. He is winning at a 33% clip and is in contention for his first Eclipse Award.
"I'm delighted to win this race because it's named in honor of Charlie," Drysdale said. "Everything I do is a reflection on Charlie."
A video of Whittingham highlights was shown before the feature, and horn blower Jay Cohen played "All The Way," Whittingham's favorite song.
Two other notable trainers were honored with Memorial Day stakes. Caller One, ridden by Corey Nakatani for trainer Jim Chapman, led all the way to win the $99,568 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes for three-year-olds. Owned by Carolyn Chapman and Theresa McArthur, the Phone Trick colt completed the seven furlongs in 1:21.10 for a two-length victory over favored Dixie Union, with Swept Overboard third.
Favored Squirtle Squirt, ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr. for trainer Joe Garcia, outfinished 42.70-to-1 longshot Our Magistrate by 11/2 lengths to win the $79,725 Willard L. Proctor Stakes (formerly the Westchester Stakes) for two-year-olds in :51.87 for 41/2 furlongs. The Marquetry colt is owned by David J. Lanzman Racing.
Milady fairest
While working as the head assistant for Ron McAnally, Eduardo Inda twice watched the Racing Hall of Fame trainer sweep the Hawthorne (G2), Milady Breeders' Cup (G1), and Vanity (G1) Handicap series for fillies and mares on the dirt with Bayakoa (Arg) in 1989 and Brought to Mind in 1991.
Milady Breeders' Cup H. (G1)
Hollywood Park, May 28, $203,100, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:42.01
1—RIBOLETTA (Brz), m. 5, Roi Normand—=Joy Valley (Brz), by =Ghadeer (Fr).
2—Bordelaise (Arg), m. 5, =Espacial (Arg)—=Maconnaisse (Arg), by *Keats.
3—Excellent Meeting, f. 4, General Meeting—Fitted Crown, by Chief's Crown.
Inda learned his lessons well before going on his own in 1995. The Chilean-born trainer stands one victory away from his first sweep of the triple after sending out Riboletta (Brz) to a convincing 31/4-length victory in the $203,100 Milady on May 28.
Riboletta, a five-year-old mare by Roi Normand, recorded a seven-length victory in the Hawthorne on May 7. Despite running down on her right hind heel in the Milady, she should recover in time for the $300,000 Vanity at 11/8 miles on June 25, according to Inda.
Riboletta has won her last three starts on the main track (at Hollywood and Santa Anita), twice relegating the McAnally-trained Bordelaise (Arg) to runner-up finishes in the Santa Margarita Handicap (G1) and the Milady.
Carrying jockey Chris McCarron to a record ninth Milady victory, Riboletta was pushed to a :45.88 half-mile by early pacesetter Spanish Fern and Smooth Player before inching away at the far turn and drawing clear to cover 11/16 miles in 1:42.01 as the even-money favorite.
Bordelaise, the 3.90-1 third choice, closed willingly from fourth but was no threat to the winner. Excellent Meeting, the 2.60-to-1 second choice making her second start of the year, rallied from fifth to finish third, another 11/2 lengths back and a nose in front of Speaking of Time. Excellent Meeting carried highweight of 121 pounds, one more than the winner.
"I think happy times are here again," said owner Aaron Jones, who transferred his horses that had been with Bob Baffert to Inda at the beginning of the year. "When Laz Barrera trained for me, he recommended Eduardo and said he understood the South American horses.
"She's just an altogether different individual since she joined Eduardo's barn," Jones said. "I spent a lot of time on the backside and could see her change. Some of her tack was changed, and she got happy. I think she feels like she's back in South America."
Riboletta, winner of the 1998 Brazilian Oaks (Brz-G1), recorded her ninth victory in 23 starts and increased her earnings to $595,103.
Honeymoon gifts
Classy Cara provided trainer Doug O'Neill with a birthday present and namesake Cara Zamora with a graduation gift by rallying for a three-quarter-length victory over Kumari Continent in the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap (G2) for three-year-old fillies on May 27.
Honeymoon H. (G2)
Hollywood Park, May 27, $150,000, 11/8 miles, turf, firm, 1:48.05
1—CLASSY CARA, f. 3, General Meeting—Anastastia Honey, by Czaravich.
2—Kumari Continent, f. 3, Kris S.—Rajmata, by Known Fact.
3—Minor Details, f. 3, General Meeting—Sparkling Star, by Lyphard.
Minor Details finished third, another three-quarters of a length back and a nose in front of European import Shericaine (Ire). Senorita Stakes (G3) winner Islay Mist (GB), the tepid 3.20-to-1 favorite in the well-balanced field of nine, finished fifth.
Ridden by Iggy Puglisi, Classy Cara unleashed a powerful stretch kick four-wide from eighth to cover 11/8 miles on turf in 1:48.05 as the 122-pound highweight. Dismissed as the fifth choice at 6.50-to-1, Classy Cara is now a graded stakes winner on both turf and dirt. She accounted for the Fantasy Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park on April 14.
"This is the first really special horse I have had," said O'Neill, who turned 32 on May 24 and who is in his third year as a head trainer.
The filly is named after Cara Zamora, who was scheduled to graduate from Mater Dei High School on June 3. She is the daughter of John Zamora, who bought the filly for $20,000 at the 1999 Barretts May two-year-olds in training sale and saw her raise her earnings to $383,347 with her fourth victory in nine starts.
Zamora, a Los Angeles printing executive who lives in Anaheim Hills and owns J Z Stock Farm in Temecula, sold a minority interest in the horse to Damon Stathatos of Pasadena before the filly's third-place finish in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1).
"I always thought she might like grass a little better than dirt," Zamora said of the Washington-bred daughter of General Meeting. "But we're considering the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Belmont (on July 22), and then the Alabama (Stakes [G1] at Saratoga Race Course on August 19)."
Kumari Continent, rebounding from a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, was ridden by Desormeaux, who returned from a suspension and replaced Eddie Delahoussaye, who took off all of his mounts to be with his wife, Juanita, who was hospitalized.
FINISH LINES—Full Moon Madness, a five-year-old gelding claimed by trainer Robert Marshall for $32,000 after his first start, also became a stakes winner on both dirt and grass on May 28 after annexing the $90,600 Radar Ahead Handicap under Desormeaux by a half-length over Prince Foley (GB) in stakes-record time of 1:01.32 for 51/2 furlongs on turf. Defending champion Champ's Star finished third, another three-quarters of a length farther back and 11/2 lengths in front of Beaumes de Venise, the 8-to-5 favorite. ... Golden Ballet, winner of the Nursery Stakes for two-year-old fillies on May 20, has been purchased privately by Team Valor and partners from co-owner and trainer Jerry Dutton. ... Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Aptitude worked six furlongs in 1:14.20 here on May 28 under Alex Solis in preparation for the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10. ... Multiple stakes winner Puerto Madero (Arg) underwent surgery for removal of a bone chip from his ankle following a last-place finish in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (G2) on May 13. ... Best-named two-year-old filly at the meeting: Tanya Darling, by Devil On Ice out of Temper Tantrum.
Steve Schuelein is a Southern California correspondent of Thoroughbred Times.
