Gann, Frankel Look to Cap Off a Big Year

For Ed Gann, 2002 was a cornucopia. Eighth in the country among owners, Gann raced horses that earned $4 million and averaged an amazing $47,241 every time they went to the track.

Then came the tough act that nobody guessed would follow. A few curtain calls, please. In 2003, Gann’s horses have run 78 times, won 14 graded races and earned $5.7 million, which ranks the 80-year-old Rancho Santa Fe entrepreneur fourth nationally. That per-start average a year ago was child’s play; this time around, Gann’s runners have sent an astounding $74,160 into the till every time they have raced. No one on the money list of top 15 owners is even close.

What’s more, the year still has a few days to go. Today at Santa Anita, where the Arcadia track opens its 67th season, Gann and his equally successful trainer, Bobby Frankel, will take shots at two of the three stakes on the nine-race card. Frankel will saddle Midas Eyes and Watchem Smokey in the Grade I Malibu, which will be run almost three hours after the Gann-Frankel tandem tries to win the ungraded Sir Beaufort Stakes with Bis Repetitas.

Asked about his prospects for 2004, when the linchpin of the stable, Medaglia d’Oro, will be back for more as a 5-year-old, Gann said: “It will be hard to do what we’ve done in 2002 and 2003. Mark Reid finds them, and Frankel trains them, and that’s a great team. Frankel’s just fantastic.”

Reid, a former trainer who’s now a bloodstock agent in Pennsylvania, was the middleman in Gann’s purchases -- for reasonable prices -- of Medaglia d’Oro, Peace Rules and You, who combined for eight of the barn’s graded wins this year. Frankel, who has had a record year with $18.9 million in purses and 25 Grade I wins, is a shoo-in to win his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award for training, and the Eclipse electorate would do well not to overlook Gann in the voting for top owner, an award he has never won.

Frankel and Gann have been together for most of the last 30 years. “When Frankel buys horses, he’s already got a plan about what to do with them, and that’s a nice way to do business,” Gann said. “Then when they start running, if they don’t win, Frankel doesn’t give up on them. He keeps them fit longer than most trainers. He’s always interested in protecting the value of the horse.”

With a few breaks, Gann suggested, Medaglia d’Oro could have gone undefeated this year.

“The only two times he lost, we got beat by a freak,” he said.

Medaglia d’Oro started the year with three wins in a row, then ran second twice, to Candy Ride in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar and against Pleasantly Perfect in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The goal for Medaglia d’Oro during the 84-day Santa Anita meet is the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, a race Frankel has won the last two years with Frank Stronach’s Milwaukee Brew. Prep races for the March 6 Big ‘Cap include the San Fernando Stakes on Jan. 10 and the San Antonio Handicap on Jan. 25.

Besides Gann’s pair, Frankel is also running Special Rate for Juddmonte Farms in the Malibu. Special Rate hasn’t won on dirt since breaking his maiden at Santa Anita in February. Midas Eyes, winless since his victory in the Kentucky Derby Trial in April, finished second last month against the estimable Congaree in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Watchem Smokey, in his second start since Gann bought him, won the Vernon O. Underwood at Hollywood Park in his last start.

With Julie Krone, who rode Watchem Smokey in the Underwood, waiting for her two cracked ribs to heal, Pat Valenzuela has taken over the mount on the 3-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding.

Valenzuela has a 13-day suspension to serve as the Santa Anita meet starts, but he’s eligible to ride in steward-designated stakes the first eight days. With 94 wins, Valenzuela was the leading rider at Santa Anita last season, a title that kicked off a sweep of all five championships at the three major Southern California tracks in 2003. Valenzuela’s run equaled the five-for-five feat by Chris McCarron 20 years ago. McCarron is now the general manager at Santa Anita.

“When I’m not riding in the designated races, I’m going to be spending a lot of time with my family,” Valenzuela said. “I also hope to go to the Rose Bowl, for only the second time. My wife Valerie’s a big USC fan.”

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Gann’s stakes total this year includes four Grade I’s, six Grade II’s and four Grade III’s.... Juddmonte, which has won 16 stakes and 11 Grade I’s, has averaged $54,827 for every stakes starter.... Buddy Gil, winner of this year’s Santa Anita Derby, returns in the Malibu, running for the first time since he was injured while finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby. New York-based Jerry Bailey came to Santa Anita to ride the 3-year-old gelding in a recent workout, but family holiday obligations cleared the way for Gary Stevens to ride Buddy Gil today. Stevens has won three stakes -- including the Santa Anita Derby -- with the horse.... Fort Point, a 4-year-old gelding running in today’s ninth race, is owned by a partnership that includes Pete Rose.

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Track Records

Records at Santa Anita Park:

*--* HORSE YEAR DISTANCE AGE WGT JOCKEY TIME DIRT Beautiful Moment 1996 2 F 2 118 Martin Pedroza :21 King Rhymer 1946 3 F 2 118 Jack Westrope :32 Valiant Pete 1991 4 F 5 120 Julio Garcia :44 1/5 Willy Float 1972 4 1/2 F 2 118 Laffit Pincay :51 2/5 Jr. Zero Henry 1996 5 F 2 120 Richard Pfau :57.78 Kona Gold 1999 5 1/2 F 5 119 Alex Solis 1:01.74 Sunny Blossom 1989 6 F 4 115 Gary Stevens 1:07 1/5 Son Of A Pistol 1998 6 1/2 F 6 114 Garret Gomez 1:13.71 Spectacular Bid 1980 7 F 4 126 Bill Shoemaker 1:20 Ruhlmann 1989 1 M 4 118 Patrick 1:33 2/5 Valenzuela Efervescente 1993 1 1/16 M 5 118 Alex Solis 1:39.18 (ARG) Star Spangled 1979 1 1/8 M 5 117 Laffit Pincay 1:45 4/5 Jr. Spectacular Bid 1980 1 1/4 M 4 126 Bill Shoemaker 1:57 4/5 Be Faithful 1946 1 3/8 M 4 122 Ted Atkinson 2:15 1/5 Queen’s Hustler 1973 1 1/2 M 4 112 Rudy Rosales 2:27 1/5 Noor 1950 1 3/4 M 5 117 John Longden 2:52 4/5 English Harry 1940 2 1/4 M 5 112 Lester Balaski 3:55 3/5 Big Ed 1940 2 1/2 M 4 114 John Longden 4:22 English Harry 1940 3 M 5 111 John Adams 5:20 1/5 TURF Cayoke 2003 6 1/2 F* 6 117 David Flores 1:11:45 Atticus 1997 1 M 5 118 Martin Pedroza 1:31.89 Kostroma 1991 1 1/8 M 5 117 Kent Desormeaux 1:43.92 Double Discount 1977 1 1/4 M 4 116 Eddie 1:57 2/5 Delahoussaye Hawkster 1989 1 1/2 M 3 121 Russell Baze 2:22 4/5 Bienamado 2001 1 3/4 M* 5 122 Chris McCarron 2:44.56 *-about

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Meet Facts

*--* * What: Santa Anita’s 84-day race meet. * When: Today through April 18. * Where: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia. * Race days: Wednesday through Sunday, plus Mondays Dec. 29, Jan. 19 and Feb. 16. No racing on Wednesdays Jan. 21 and Feb. 18. * First post: Today, noon; most weekdays, 1 p.m.; most weekend days, 12:30 p.m. Special post times: Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.; Thursday, 12:30 p.m.; Jan. 24, noon; Feb. 1, 11 a.m.; Feb. 7, noon; March 6, noon; April 3, noon; April 9 and April 16, 3 p.m. * Grade I races: Today, $250,000 Malibu; Saturday, $250,000 La Brea; Jan. 25, $250,000 Santa Monica Handicap; Feb. 15, $250,000 Las Virgenes; Feb. 16, $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap; March 6, $1-million Santa Anita Handicap; March 13, $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks; March 14, $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap; April 3, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby. * Sunshine Million day: Jan. 24 (in conjunction with Gulfstream Park): $1-million Classic, $500,000 Filly & Mare Turf; $300,000 Filly & Mare Sprint, $250,000 Dash. * Other races: Jan. 10, $200,000 San Fernando; Jan. 31, $250,000 San Antonio Handicap; Feb. 7, $300,000 Strub; March 6, $200,000 San Rafael; March 13, $250,000 San Felipe; April 18, $300,000 San Juan Capistrano. * Last season’s leaders: Trainer Bob Baffert, 43 wins; jockey Pat Valenzuela, 94 wins

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