Weight Will Keep Precisionist Out of San Antonio

Eclipse Award winner Precisionist was scratched Thursday from Sunday’s $200,000 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita by trainer Ross Fenstermaker.

“We can’t afford to run and pick up any more weight for the Santa Anita Handicap,” Fenstermaker said. “That’s what it boils down to.”

Precisionist had been assigned high weight of 127 pounds for the San Antonio, with rivals Gate Dancer and Greinton getting 124 and 122, respectively.

Seventeen horses had been nominated for the 1 1/8-mile race, but recent rain has made the field questionable. Trainer Charles Whittingham already has indicated that he would not run Greinton in the mud.

Horse Racing Notes Committed, who underwent surgery Thursday for a broken bone in his left front leg just above the hoof, was reported recuperating well by assistant trainer Eduardo Inda. . . . Lewis A. Cenicola, John Henry’s former exercise rider, won his first race as a trainer Thursday when Alex Solis brought Universal Dream home in the fourth race. . . . Palm Reader, ridden by Chris McCarron, scored a 1 1/2-length victory over Gormley in Thursday’s $45,000 feature race. The 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares was scheduled for the turf but was switched to the main track because of rain. The winner was timed in 1:49 and paid $4.40, $2.60 and $2.60. Gormley, ridden by Rafael Meza, paid $3.40 and $2.60, and Reine Mathilde, with Bill Shoemaker aboard, paid $2.80 to show.