Trainer Won’t Be Looking Backward

Stopping long enough from answering the question about why he didn’t run Mud Route in the Santa Anita Handicap, trainer Ron McAnally saddled Toda Una Dama Sunday for a 32-1 upset in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap.

Carrying 114 pounds, nine less than favored Exotic Wood, Toda Una Dama won by one length to give McAnally his sixth Santa Margarita win in the last 10 years. The 5-year-old mare, ridden by Goncalino Almeida, is an Argentine-bred, like Paseana and Bayakoa, who gave McAnally four of his previous Santa Margarita wins. Queens Court Queen was McAnally’s other winner.

Exotic Wood, who finished second at 3-5, was unable to withstand Toda Una Dama in the last sixteenth of a mile. A win by Exotic Wood would have matched the 1960 feat by Silver Spoon, who swept the Santa Monica, Santa Maria and Santa Margarita Handicaps.

McAnally wouldn’t second-guess himself after the unlikely windup to Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap. McAnally’s Mud Route, who had twice finished second to Silver Charm, skipped the Big ‘Cap and won a mile allowance race by seven lengths.

“It’s all hindsight,” McAnally said. “You don’t know Silver Charm’s going to scratch and Gentlemen’s going to bleed.”

With Silver Charm on the sidelines because of a bruised hoof, Gentlemen suffered pulmonary bleeding as the 1-20 favorite and ran last in a four-horse field. His stablemate, Malek, won the race at 5-1.

“If the race had been run [Sunday], we probably could have made it,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Silver Charm. “My horse was kicking and trying to knock the barn down [Sunday]. I’m taking him back to the track [today] for a jog. The race we’re pointing for is the Oaklawn Handicap [in Arkansas on March 22].”

McAnally said that Mud Route might also run in the Oaklawn.

Gentlemen’s career is on hold until trainer Richard Mandella addresses the horse’s repeated bleeding problems. Lasix, which frequently prevents bleeding, has not worked for Gentlemen, who will miss the $4-million Dubai World Cup on March 28 in the United Arab Emirates, where race-day medications are prohibited.

Malek became a probable for the Dubai race with his Big ‘Cap win.

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Deputy Commander, shipped to the Fair Grounds rather than face Gentlemen and Silver Charm, was a well-beaten seventh Sunday as the 4-5 favorite in the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap.

The winner, Phantom On Tour, paid $14, beating Precocity by 1 1/2 lengths. Lord Cromby finished third in a disappointing day for the California shippers. Refinado Tom was sixth and Da Bull ran last in the eight-horse field. Phantom On Tour ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48, breaking the track record set last year by Isitingood.