Looking Back at a Solid Meet

Even though it may seem it was only days ago Dixie Union was beating Caller One and Wooden Phone in the opening-day Malibu Stakes, the end of the Santa Anita meet has arrived.

After a third consecutive 10-race card today, another winter-spring season in Arcadia will be history. After a brief respite, Hollywood Park begins its spring-summer session on Friday night.

Here’s a rundown of one man’s opinions on the bests of Santa Anita, 2000-2001:

* 3-Year-Old, Horse of the Meet--Point Given. He followed up his decisive win in the San Felipe Stakes with an even more authoritative victory in the Santa Anita Derby. It was the most visually impressive win in the local Derby since Sunday Silence dusted his five rivals in 1989.

* Older Horse--Tiznow. The reigning horse of the year stumbled in the Strub Stakes when upset by Wooden Phone, but he bounced back for trainer Jay Robbins with a powerful win in the Santa Anita Handicap. Let’s hope the anticipated showdown between Tiznow and Dubai World Cup winner Captain Steve materializes in the Pimlico Special on May 12.

* Older Filly/Mare--Lazy Slusan. One of the best claims in recent memory, the mare scored an upset in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, giving trainer John Dolan, who also is one of her owners, the biggest victory of his career.

* 3-Year-Old Filly--Golden Ballet. The talented California-bred went three for three during the meet, winning the Santa Ynez, Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks.

* Grass Horse--Bienamado. After an ill-fated try in the Santa Anita Handicap, the son of Bien Bien made like his dad and won the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap on Saturday. It was his second stakes win of the meet. He also took the San Marcos at 10 furlongs in January.

Road To Slew also deserves a mention. The gritty California-bred beat a good field in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 3, then, back in with state-breds, won the Crystal Water Handicap three weeks later.

* Grass Filly/Mare--Astra. Making her first start since last July, the Theatrical mare returned in style in the Santa Barbara Handicap two days ago.

* Trainer--Bob Baffert. Point Given’s trainer is in position to win his third Kentucky Derby since 1997 and he long ago wrapped up his fifth training title in a row at Santa Anita.

* Jockey/Achievement--Laffit Pincay Jr. He has been on top of the standings almost from the start of the meet competing against the strongest jockey colony in the world. In peak form at 54, the world’s winningest rider earned his 14th title at Santa Anita and his first since the 1988-89 meet.

* Sprinter--Kona Gold. The defending Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion got the money in both of his starts this winter in Arcadia, winning the San Carlos the day after Tiznow won the Big ‘Cap, then calling upon all of his class to prevail in a thrilling Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap four weeks later.

* Claimer--Salty Pearl. Although she never got any respect at the mutuel windows, the gray filly became the only four-time winner of the meet when she won Sunday’s third race at 7-1.

* Race--Potrero Grande. The Grade II sprint saw Hollycombe, Explicit and Kona Gold finish a neck apart. Kona Gold got the win and the other two finished in a dead heat. Of course, most people who watched the race live and on replay would have sworn that Explicit finished second by himself.

Another thriller was the Irish O’Brien Stakes. La Feminn avenged an earlier loss to Go Go with a nose victory in the dash down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course on March 17.

Notes

Echo Eddie ($4.20) won for the seventh time in 13 starts, winning the $105,900 Valiant Pete Handicap by a length over favored Full Moon Madness. . . . Santa Anita stewards Ingrid Fermin, Dave Samuel and Tom Ward ordered the purse redistributed from the race last May 3 at Hollywood Park in which winner Nautical Look tested positive for the prohibited drug morphine. In terms of purse money, Lovely Cozzene was moved up to first, then came Indeedyedo, Viridian City, Maison Lennart and Devil’s Creek. A hearing regarding the positive for Nautical Look, who was trained by Bob Baffert, was recently concluded and a ruling is expected in May regarding a possible fine or suspension for Baffert.