Best of Both Is a Winner in Feature at Santa Anita

Best of Both led all the way Saturday in winning the $91,800 Santa Gertrudes Handicap by a half-length over Swoon before a crowd of 40,443 at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye and carrying 120 pounds, Best of Both covered 1 miles on the turf in a stakes-record time of 1:59 and paid $8.60, $4.80 and $3.60. The victory in the race for 4-year-olds and up was worth $55,800.

Swoon, ridden by Gary Stevens and also carrying 120 pounds, crossed the finish line four lengths in front of Pol and Dic and returned $4.40 and $3.60.

Pol and Dic, with Bill Shoemaker aboard and carrying 117 pounds, paid $6.40 to show.

The win was the sixth in 13 lifetime starts for Best of Both and the first stakes victory in this country for the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred who raced in France in 1983.

A field of eight is entered in today’s $150,000-added Santa Susana Stakes at Santa Anita, with each of the entries in the 46th running of the 1 1/16-mile event for 3-year-old fillies assigned 117 pounds.

Fran’s Valentine, who will be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, has the inside post position.

The rest of the field, from the rail out: Rose Cream, Sandy Hawley; Rambolie, Darrel McHargue; Savannah Dancer, Bill Shoemaker; Trunk, Rafael Meza; Rascal Lass, Ray Sibille; Goldspell, Laffit Pincay, and Wising Up, Eddie Delahoussaye.

Pancho Villa, racing in his first stakes, ran away from eight other 3-year-olds and won the $139,200 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday.

Trained by Wayne Lukas and ridden by Frank Lovato, Jr., Pancho Villa took the lead on the turn and won by 3 3/4 lengths over El Basco, with 3-2 favorite Spend A Buck another 1 3/4 lengths back.

The victory was the second in for starts for Pancho Villa and was worth $83,520. Pancho Villa carried 114 pounds over the seven furlongs in 1:22 1-5 and paid $30.80, $11.60 and $4.80.