In Their Case, Close Definitely Counts

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. —  The three California horses are here not so much to test undefeated Favorite Trick in today’s $500,000 Arkansas Derby as to show their trainers whether they have the right stuff for the Kentucky Derby, only three weeks off.

On the surface, the West Coast contingent appears overmatched:

* Quake, despite being the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, has run only four times, all this winter at Santa Anita, and will be making his stakes debut.

* Post A Note, second to another undefeated Kentucky Derby contender, Event Of The Year, in his last start at Bay Meadows, broke his maiden in a race for $20,000 claiming horses. He is listed at 12-1 here at Oaklawn Park.

* Hanuman Highway, a gelding whose career started in England, is running off two allowance races at Santa Anita, the most recent an off-the-pace victory at a mile in a moderate time. He’s 20-1 here.

Favorite Trick, last year’s horse of the year, is unbeaten in nine tries and could become one of the shortest-priced winners of the race.

“I know we’re a longshot,” said Kathy Walsh, who trains Hanuman Highway. “But my horse has the pedigree to run all day. If we had run in the Santa Anita Derby [a week ago], we’d have faced four very legitimate horses. There’s only one here. . . . I might have paid $35,000 to prove I couldn’t catch those four horses, and then still not know what I have.”

Hanuman Highway wasn’t eligible for the Santa Anita Derby, so it would have cost his owner, Sydney Belzberg of Carlsbad, a $20,000 supplementary fee and a $15,000 entry payment to run.

Hanuman Highway worked a spectacular 1:09 2/5 for six furlongs last Sunday at Santa Anita. David Flores, the horse’s third jockey in as many races this year, will ride him today.

“He won’t have speed and that’s one of the drawbacks at Oaklawn,” Walsh said. “But he was a little closer to the pace last time than he was in the first race I ran him. Depending on how he runs, if he finishes in the first three, we might still consider the Kentucky Derby.”

Besides the California three and Favorite Trick, other horses entered today are Robinwould, Fight For M’lady, Victory Gallop, Hot Wells and Battle Royale. The distance is 1 1/8 miles and the track should be fast, with temperatures in the 70s. Only one Arkansas Derby winner, Sunny’s Halo in 1983, has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, but in recent years up-the-track finishers in the Oaklawn race--Grindstone and Lil E. Tee--won the Kentucky Derby.

Quake, a grandson of Seattle Slew, the Triple Crown champion in 1977, is a striking colt trained by Richard Mandella and ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

“When Quake arrived here, he reminded me of my first look at Deputy Commander last year,” said John Piesen, the Arkansas correspondent for the Daily Racing Form. “You look at horses like this for the first time and just say, ‘Wow!’ Deputy Commander didn’t do much in the Arkansas Derby, but he showed what kind of a horse he was later when he won the Travers and the Super Derby.”

Because he was a late foal--born in May--and such a big horse, Quake didn’t race as a 2-year-old, spending extra time at the farm to develop. He has had four races this season at Santa Anita, breaking his maiden at 1 1/16 miles in his second start. Then on March 13, when Indian Charlie, the eventual Santa Anita Derby winner, ran a 1:35 mile in an allowance race, Quake was second, beaten by 2 1/2 lengths.

Post A Note, also a grandson of Seattle Slew, won the Golden State Mile in February at Bay Meadows, then three weeks later finished 3 1/2 lengths behind entrymate Event Of The Year in the El Camino Real Derby.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has replaced jockey Rafael Meza with Russell Baze.

Horse Racing Notes

Bill Mott, who trains Favorite Trick, saddled Escena, 2 1/2-length winner Friday over Glitter Woman in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn. Favored Toda Una Dana, winner of the Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita in her last start, finished third, beaten by 7 1/2 lengths.