THOROUGHBRED RACING : St. Jovite’s Scratch From Classic Means Jolie’s Halo Has a Choice

St. Jovite, one of the more intriguing candidates for the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park a week from Saturday, was declared out of the race Thursday because of a sinus infection.

The scratch enables Jolie’s Halo to move up from the alternates’ list to the 14-horse field for the 1 1/4-mile dirt race. Jolie’s Halo has beaten only one horse in his last two starts, but he is undefeated at Gulfstream and has the quickness that makes him dangerous on a track that frequently favors speed.

Jolie’s Halo is also in the field for the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Mile, a grass race, and there reportedly is a difference of opinion in his camp about which he should run. Bob Camac, the 4-year-old colt’s trainer, is said to favor the Mile but Arthur Appleton, his owner-breeder, would like to see Jolie’s Halo run in the Classic. The decision must be made by Wednesday, when entries for the seven Breeders’ Cup races are drawn.

Jolie’s Halo, who has won three of five starts on grass, ran sixth in last year’s Mile at Churchill Downs. If Jolie’s Halo doesn’t run in the Classic--or if another horse scratches--that would create a spot for Reign Road to run. Reign Road started 19 times before winning a stakes race, and in his last two tries he has won the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Del Mar and the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita.

St. Jovite, bred and owned by American Virginia Kraft Payson, a former writer for Sports Illustrated, won this year’s Irish Derby by 12 lengths and finished fourth, beaten by less than four lengths, in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in his last start. He was going to make his first start on dirt in the Classic and would have been ridden by Laffit Pincay.

St. Jovite, who earned $1.5 million this year, is expected to run as a 4-year-old next year, perhaps in the United States. He is a son of Pleasant Colony, the 1981 Kentucky Derby winner. Pleasant Tap, who was also sired by Pleasant Colony, is expected to be favored in the Classic and could clinch the horse-of-the-year title with a victory.

With St. Jovite out, there are still two and possibly three European horses that will try to win the Classic. Rodrigo de Triano, who has won four major races this year, and Zoman, winner of last Saturday’s Budweiser International at Maryland, will be making their debuts on dirt. Arazi, the French-based colt who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year, will probably run in the Classic, although he is also eligible for the Mile.

In another Breeders’ Cup development, Dr Devious, one of the favorites in the $2-million Turf, has been sold by Sidney Craig for $6 million and will run in the race for Zenya Yoshida, the Japanese breeder.

Jenny Craig bought Dr Devious earlier this year for $2.5 million and gave him to her husband for a 60th birthday gift. After Dr Devious ran seventh in the Kentucky Derby, his first American race, he returned to England and won the Epsom Derby. In his last start, he was sixth in the Arc. Dr Devious, who has now been sold four times, earned about $1 million for Sidney Craig.

Yoshida has spent freely on established horses before. Sunday Silence, winner of the Derby, the Preakness and the Classic and horse of the year in 1989, was bought for a reported $10 million by Yoshida after he was retired in 1990. Yoshida also paid $2.5 million for Golden Pheasant after he had won the 1990 Arlington Million and the 1991 Japan Cup. Golden Pheasant, now in training at Santa Anita with Charlie Whittingham, is expected to run in the Japan Cup on Nov. 29, and it’s likely that he will have an entrymate in Dr Devious for the $2.9-million race.

The $1-million bonus that Mountain Cat won last Sunday at Keeneland has had a dramatic effect on the record book and this year’s national money standings.

Before Mountain Cat’s victory in the Breeders’ Futurity, jockey Pat Day was fourth in purses, trailing Kent Desormeaux by $2.3 million. Now, Day has jumped into second place and is $1.3 million behind Desormeaux, who has $11.6 million is making a run at the record of $14.8 million set by Jose Santos in 1988.

With Mountain Cat’s bonus, Wayne Lukas was able to pad his lead over Ron McAnally in the trainers’ standings. The Lukas barn, which has led the country nine consecutive years, leads McAnally, $8.7 million to $6.4 million.

Mountain Cat, who won four stakes at different Kentucky tracks to nail down the bonus, has earnings of $1.4 million, erasing the record of $1.1 million that Arazi set last year.

Although he has won six of seven starts, Mountain Cat is an unknown quantity for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He won the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga but otherwise all of his races have been in Kentucky and he hasn’t raced the best horses from New York and California.

The stewards at Keeneland have suspended Pat Day for five days because of a riding infraction. The suspension begins Saturday and runs through next Friday, which will enable Day to ride in the Breeders’ Cup.

Horse Racing Notes

Chris McCarron will ride Navarone in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Pat Valenzuela, who has been aboard during the colt’s current five-race winning streak, is under contract to owner Allen Paulson and will ride Fraise in the Turf. Before Navarone broke his maiden, McCarron rode him in his first two races, at Santa Anita early last year. . . . McCarron’s 13-year-old daughter, Stephanie, was released from a Virginia hospital Wednesday. She suffered a punctured lung and a lacerated liver last week in a riding accident.

Sheba Dancer, a French filly who was third while Marble Maiden was winning the All Along Stakes at Laurel last Saturday, has been scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Distaff because of a hoof injury. She will be replaced by alternate La Favorita, also from France. . . . Marble Maiden is being sent to trainer Gary Jones and may run in the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita on Nov. 8.

Magical Maiden, who is eligible for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, faces Race the Wild Wind and six others Saturday in the $100,000 Linda Vista Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita. Race the Wild Wind is the high weight at 122 pounds, one more than Magical Maiden. Others running are Omjii I, Cadillac Women, Autumn Mood, Interactive and Terre Haute. . . . Santa Anita will take betting on the Saturday telecast of the $100,000 Charles H. Russell Handicap from Bay Meadows. The high weights are Devil’s Orchid and Bountiful Native at 122 pounds apiece. . . . First post at Santa Anita changes to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Undefeated Mineral Wells won the San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Santa Anita last February for his third in a row, then disappeared because of physical problems. The 3-year-old Mr. Prospector colt made his return Thursday by scoring a one-length victory. . . . In an effort to get 12 Friday nights of racing approved by horsemen for next year’s main meeting, R.D. Hubbard of Hollywood Park has agreed to drop his plans to take bets on other breeds while the thoroughbreds are in action.