SANTA ANITA : Exploding Prospect Got Quick Cure

Should Exploding Prospect win the $200,000 San Fernando Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita, give an assist to Dr. Ed Hill.

Hampered by shin problems off and on since he arrived at trainer Vladimir Cerin’s barn in November, 1988, Exploding Prospect came up with some tenderness in his left foreleg after his second victory last fall at Oak Tree.

Enter Hill, a Chino acupuncturist. A few minutes and one well-placed needle in an ear later, Exploding Prospect’s shin woes were over.

“He seemed to contribute in correcting this problem in about five minutes,” Cerin said. “We haven’t had a problem since. I’ve used acupuncture before, but never with any kind of success.

“There’s never been this dramatic a result. It was only one treatment and it just seemed to hold. I found it best sometimes not to try and understand those things, just accept them.

“I contacted Dr. Hill because I’m a little hesitant to start injecting to kill the pain. I wanted to see if we could get rid of the cause rather than only the symptoms. This horse hasn’t had a vet bill in two months.”

Although it took the son of Miswaki awhile to make it to the races, Exploding Prospect has made the most of his opportunities.

After finishing a troubled fourth in his debut Oct. 5, the 4-year-old has strung together three consecutive victories. He easily disposed of maidens in his second start, then handled winners and two turns in his next appearance, going a mile.

Moving to Hollywood Park, Irving and Marge Cowan’s colt went virtually wire to wire in the Affirmed Handicap, outrunning Splurger, Flying Continental and others. In doing so, he also gave Cerin his biggest victory.

Hoping to make it four consecutive wins, Exploding Prospect is facing his stiffest challenge in the San Fernando, the middle leg of the Charles H. Strub Series.

He will be traveling a mile and an eighth for the first time and the field includes Malibu Stakes winner and probable favorite Music Merci, Malibu runner-up Exemplary Leader, Opening Verse, the unluckiest horse of the meeting, Splurger and Flying Continental.

Impressed with Exploding Prospect from the moment he set eyes on him, Cerin is hopeful heading into the San Fernando.

“He seems to have improved since his last race,” said Cerin, who boasts some quality in his stable of 12. Besides Exploding Prospect, he also trains Hollywood Reporter, who upset Music Merci in a division of the Spotlight Handicap last spring, the hard-knocking Lady Brunicardi and the stakes-placed Yes I’m Blue.

“He’s trained superbly and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and probably just a little better than anticipated,” Cerin said. “We’ve tried to get him to rate (run slightly off the pace) a little bit and we seem to have accomplished that as well.”

With Exploding Prospect having won twice at a mile, Cerin wasn’t eager to shorten him up. Hence, the decision to skip the seven-furlong Malibu.

“I feel like it would have been counter-productive to do that and put speed back into him,” he said. “Our goal is to win 10-furlong races with him.

“I think a mile and a quarter’s within his reach. I hope I’m right and I hope we’ll have the opportunity to find out.”

Such a chance will be available Feb. 4 in the Strub Stakes. Whether Exploding Prospect returns in the $500,000 Grade I depends on what happens Sunday.

“Winning is so difficult to predict,” Cerin said. “They say there’s only one way to win a race and many ways to lose. If he comes up with a tremendous effort, that would help earn him a spot in the Strub. Winning would make it a lot sweeter. I know he’s in great shape. He’s beaten some of the entrants and hopefully he can beat the rest.

“I’d rather (he) not have the lead. He doesn’t need the lead, but if they go very slowly, he’ll take it. I believe he’s good enough where he can dictate the pace in the race by sitting second or third.”

With Laffit Pincay, who rode Exploding Prospect in the Affirmed, staying on Music Merci and Gary Stevens, who was aboard for his first two wins, sticking with Splurger, Pat Valenzuela has the mount Sunday.

Valenzuela hasn’t worked Exploding Prospect but the trainer doesn’t consider that a minus.

“I have tremendous faith in my exercise rider, Jesse Marquez,” Cerin said. “So long as the jockey has confidence in me and my ability, I feel that he’ll follow my instructions and Patrick does have confidence in me.”

Horse Racing Notes

Others entered in the San Fernando, which has been demoted to a Grade II stake, were Raise A Stanza, who is also entered in the San Carlos Handicap today, River Master, Live The Dream, Crown Collection and Secret Slew, who will be ridden by Bill Shoemaker. After the San Fernando, Shoemaker will fly to Bay Meadows and make his final appearance there Monday. . . . After drawing the rail in his last two starts, Olympic Prospect drew the outside for the seven-furlong San Carlos. His main rivals in the $110,500 race are Tanker Port, who is unbeaten in four starts on the dirt, Oraibi and Candi’s Gold.

An off track is a possibility for the San Fernando, but it doesn’t worry Vladimir Cerin. “I have no reason to believe Exploding Prospect won’t handle mud,” he said. “A good horse should handle any surface.” . . . The California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Assn. will hold its California Winter Mixed Sale Monday and Tuesday at Del Mar.

Hawkster, nominated for the Strub, worked seven furlongs on the turf in 1:26 3/5 for trainer Ron McAnally. Preparing for a possible return late next month, Magical Mile went half a mile in :51 4/5. . . . The William P. Kyne Handicap will be simulcast locally from Bay Meadows after Santa Anita’s ninth race. The Kyne, which figures to be run over a muddy track, drew 11 entrants, including Happy Toss, Honor Medal, Variety Road and No Marker.