Frankel Finds Grass Less Than Perfect, Scratches Two Horses

There was only one early scratch Saturday for today’s program at Santa Anita and it was a shocker.

Possibly Perfect, a likely 3-5 favorite in the $150,000 Santa Anita Budweiser Breeders’ Cup against five other fillies and mares, will wait instead for the $125,000 Wilshire Handicap on May 12 at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Bobby Frankel, who has enjoyed considerable success on Santa Anita’s grass course and had no complaints after Wandesta won her second Grade I stake of the meeting a week ago in the Santa Barbara, also scratched Tychonic from the San Simeon Handicap and is trying to scratch Idle Son from today’s first race.

“I’m not going to run any more horses on that turf course,” he said. “I don’t know what happened, but (on Friday) sand was flying and everything, and the jockeys have been complaining about holes out there. It’s disgusting.

“(Possibly Perfect) is perfect. I know it’s a $150,000 (purse), but the long-range plans are for the Beverly D and the Matriarch. If I ran her (today) and she got hurt, I’d never forgive myself. If I ran any more horses on that turf course and they got hurt, I’d only have myself to blame.”

Often criticized in recent years by horsemen and jockeys, the Santa Anita turf course will be renovated, starting as soon as the meeting ends on April 24. It will be done in two stages, the main portion first, so it will be ready in October for the Oak Tree meeting. The hillside portion will be completed next spring.

In Possibly Perfect’s absence, the favorite will probably be Las Meninas, a 4-year-old Irish-bred filly who trainer Gary Jones has said doesn’t really like this turf course, or Wende, third behind Possibly Perfect in an allowance race two weeks ago. Jacodra’s Devil, Fondly Remembered and Low Key Affair round out the field in the one-mile race.

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In the best handicap race run anywhere this year, Cigar proved again that he’s for real with a convincing victory over Silver Goblin, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Concern, Best Pal and Santa Anita Handicap winner Urgent Request in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap at Hot Springs, Ark.

An allowance horse when last seen in California in 1993, the 5-year-old Palace Music won for the seventh time in eight dirt starts under Jerry Bailey.

Reserved off the early pace being set by the overmatched Sticks And Bricks, Cigar, unbeaten in four starts this year, took over from Silver Goblin in midstretch and went on to win by two lengths in 1:47 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

“He’s got the attitude in his mind that nobody can beat him,” Bailey said. “He certainly convinced me.”

Owned by Allen Paulson and trained by Bill Mott, the favored Cigar paid $5.40 as he won for the eighth time in 19 races.

Silver Goblin, who had an eight-race winning streak broken, was second, followed by Concern, Best Pal, Urgent Request and Sticks And Bricks.

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Finder’s Fortune joined Larry The Legend and Straight To Bed as four-time winners at the Santa Anita meeting with a neck victory over 7-5 favorite Rotsaluck in the $109,550 San Simeon Handicap.

Second to Rotsaluck, who had been perfect in two previous tries on Santa Anita’s hillside layout, Finder’s Fortune, a 6-1 shot, forged ahead near the wire to win in 1:13 3/5 for the about 6 1/2 furlongs. Pembroke, the 2-1 second choice, was third.

A gelded son of Buckfinder, Finder’s Fortune is a course specialist himself. He now has four victories, a second and a third in six tries down the hill.

“I thought (Rotsaluck) was going to be tougher to catch, but my horse really kicked in nicely the last three-sixteenths,” said Pat Valenzuela, who rode the winner for trainer Darrell Vienna. “He usually does. So I wasn’t too worried about it, but the other horse did dig in tough.”

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Horse Racing Notes

Kent Desormeaux had no winners Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, so he is still one shy of 3,000. . . . Danny Sorenson rode Individual Style to victory in the $50,000 Montclair Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. . . . Hollywood Park, which begins its 67-day spring-summer meeting on April 28, will add rolling daily doubles to its already extensive wagering menu. Another change: The Pick Six will be offered on the last six live races at the track. On nine-race cards, it will be races 4-9; on 10-race cards, it will be races 5-10.