SANTA ANITA : Tarascon Survives Inquiry for Win

Whenever Tarascon is mentioned, trainer Dave Hofmans begins to rave about the gelded son of Flying Paster.

“He’s such a neat horse,” Hofmans said. “He’s just a real friendly horse. He likes people and horses.”

The likable 3-year-old also has something else going for him. He can run.

Surviving a stewards’ inquiry, Tarascon made it four victories in six lifetime starts, beating Express It by 1 3/4 lengths in the $139,900 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes Wednesday at Santa Anita.

The 1-2 favorite, he also made it consecutive victories in the Cal Breeders’ for Hofmans and owner-breeder Georgia Ridder. Last year, Past Ages, another son of Flying Paster, was also an easy winner.

Just off the lead before he took control in the San Miguel on Dec. 29, Tarascon led every step of the way Wednesday. After a leisurely :45 2/5 half mile, he had more than enough left to stall Express It, who also chased him home in the San Miguel. He completed the seven furlongs over a dull track in 1:22 3/5.

Approaching the sixteenth pole, Tarascon did drift out, but he was clear. Express It altered course to the inside but came up second best again.

Still, nobody could have blamed Hofmans for worrying when the inquiry was posted. The trainer had lost a winner earlier in the meeting when Excellent Lady was taken down in what remains a controversial decision.

When the announcement was made that there would be no change, Hofmans congratulated jockey Chris McCarron and then caught the replay.

“It looked like a good call to me,” he said. “He’s clear and Chris had much the best horse.

“I didn’t think he’d be on the lead. I thought he’d be laying second or third. They went very slow early. He’s better when he has a target. He spurted away in the stretch and sort of pulled himself up.

“He won’t really run away from horses. He does that in the morning, too. But, he’s a good little horse.”

How far he can run is open to debate, and there is no firm plan on where Tarascon will make his next start.

“I think he’ll get a mile,” Hofmans said. “I don’t know about beyond. We’ll have to see how it goes. We hadn’t thought about anything beyond this race.”

Now perfect in two rides aboard Tarascon, McCarron also thought the stewards made the right decision.

“I was just barely clear, I guess,” he said. “But I don’t think (Express It) was going to run by me either way.

“He (Tarascon) has a lot of speed and shows it easily and comfortably. I was up there, breezing and happy with my position because he was going easy. He was playing around (in the stretch). He didn’t extend himself until I whacked him, but he was really trying at the end.

“He doesn’t leave the impression he’ll run all day, but he’s winning handily enough to get a mile. But, you never know until they try it.”

Gary Stevens, who rode Express It, 3 1/2 lengths better than Shapiro’s Hero, also had no quarrel with the stewards.

“It was probably the right decision,” he said. “It’s awfully tough to take down a horse that wins by a length and three quarters. My horse ran well. He relaxed kindly and finished up well.”

Hawaiian Pass, a maiden and the longest shot in the field at 95-1, was fourth in the Cal Breeders’, then came Solar Launch, who was victimized by an extremely wide trip, Shantin O., Wild Too, French Seventyfive, Iam The Iceman and Makaleha.

Scheduled to return today after a five-day suspension, Eddie Delahoussaye won’t be back until at least Friday.

Visiting Bobby Mitchell’s farm in Bradbury, Delahoussaye was kicked by a young filly right below his left knee. X-rays proved negative, but Wednesday he said there was still some soreness.

“A friend of mine had a horse he wanted me to look at,” Delahoussaye said. “This filly just wheeled and kicked. It was just one of those freak things.

“I’m going to the doctor (today) and I hope I can ride Friday.”

Horse Racing Notes

Although the official announcement is yet to come, Kent Desormeaux will make Southern California his home base and should begin riding at Santa Anita next month. Scheduled to ride at Laurel today and Friday before spending the weekend in New Orleans, Desormeaux finished 1989 with 597 victories, far surpassing Chris McCarron’s longstanding record of 546.

Lively One will accept his 122-pound impost for the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap Sunday. Present Value, who won the Goodwood and Ramser Handicaps during the Oak Tree meeting, is a possibility for the 1 1/16-mile San Pasqual. Idle since he finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Present Value missed a workout because of the recent bad weather, but he worked seven furlongs in 1:25 4/5 on Sunday. Other starters could be Raise A Stanza, Candi’s Gold, Stylish Winner, Criminal Type and Attesa.

Martin Pedroza will begin a five-day suspension Saturday for an incident on the far turn aboard Truly Naughty in Sunday’s second race. . . . Dave Hofmans also took the fifth race with Sexy Slew, and he has now won with six of 21 starters at the meeting. . . . Jockey Robbie Davis had three winners Wednesday--Papa Stan in the first, Sexy Slew and Suit Up in the finale.