For Herat, the Big ‘Cap Is Just a Little Too Long : The 157-1 Longshot Nearly Runs Away With It Until Greinton Runs Him Down

Those who like looking for omens could have found one Sunday afternoon outside trainer Jack Van Berg’s barn at Santa Anita.

There, a stable hand spent an hour or so applying a fresh coat of purple and gold paint to the statue of the jockey that stands in front of the barn.

The paint was hardly dry before a 4-year-old bay colt named Herat gave Van Berg a reason to change his stable colors. Now, solid gold would seem more fitting.

In a performance that stunned the crowd of 70,177, Herat, ridden superbly by Rafael Meza, came within three-quarters of a length of stealing the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap. In a field of millionaires, the longest of the longshots almost ran off with all the money.

As it was, Herat’s second-place finish behind Greinton, still was worth $200,000 to owner John R. Franks of Shreveport, La., and $80 to those who bet on the Kentucky-bred colt to place. Franks was not about to complain.

Herat, who led the way out of the gate and stayed in front until Greinton caught him in the final sixteenth of a mile, had his owner, trainer and jockey all believing he could win.

“I did,” Franks said. “I felt we were going to hang in there, but, of course, Greinton’s just one hell of a horse. He’s older, we’re only four. Maybe we’ll get him next year.”

Franks said he was not altogether surprised by Herat’s performance, however, pointing out that his colt had finished fourth in the San Antonio Handicap Feb. 16 and second in the Hollywood Derby Nov. 17 at Hollywood Park. Both are Grade I races.

What did surprise him, Franks said, were the odds. Handicappers and bettors alike scoffed at Herat’s chances, sending him to the post at an astronomical 157-1. The tote board showed 99-1, but only because that’s as high as it can go.

The general consensus was that Herat was merely in the race to play “rabbit” for stablemate Gate Dancer. The feeling was that he would grab the lead and hold it only until the real contenders such as Precisionist and Vanlandingham decided to take it from him. As it turned out, only Greinton was able to catch him.

“I didn’t leave him in there to play around,” Van Berg said. “That horse can run.”

Herat, a son of Northern Dancer out of Kashan, ran himself right into the record book. He is the longest-priced horse ever to finish in the money in the Big ‘Cap. In 1963, Game went off at 108-1 and finished second, while in 1973 Cabin came home third after being sent to the post as a 118-1 outsider.

Meza never believed he was riding a longshot.

“I knew he was a good horse,” the jockey said. “After I went the first quarter-mile by myself, I knew he was going to go on, that he was going to last. He was running pretty good throughout the race. He never did quit. I tried to steal the race. Unfortunately, the other horse beat him.”

Meza said it crossed his mind that he might have a chance to win, but it was not until they entered the stretch that it really seemed possible.

“I never felt that I had it but he was running good,” he said. “I felt that I had plenty horse left. I got away pretty good out of the gate and I was able to come over (to the rail) easy enough. He was nice and relaxed, I knew he was running fast, the first three quarters were very, very fast.

“Once he gets on the lead by himself, which he did, he can run fast all the way round, which he did. It (the 1-mile distance) might have been a little too far for him, but you never know. The other horse was just a super horse.

“When I hit the 3/8-pole I hit him a little bit and asked him to go and he did. When I hit him a couple of times right-handed he responded and then I hit him left-handed and he was digging. He was flying, but that other horse caught him.”

Meza said his plan was to take the lead from the start and hang on as long as he could, and that was just how the race developed.

“I knew that I had a speed horse in the race and I knew that Vanlandingham was a speed horse,” Meza said, “so I felt if I broke good enough maybe they’d see I was going to run and they’d give me an easier lead.”

Van Berg had no doubt his horse could go the distance. It all depended on the pace.

“I told Mr. Franks everybody thinks he wants to run 3/4 or 7/8 of a mile, but they push him too much when he runs that,” the trainer said. “When he goes long, where he can get a breather, he just flows along and runs.”

On Sunday, Herat almost ran Franks’ green, white and orange colors right into the winner’s circle. But, as Meza said to the owner on dismounting, “He ran very well. He tried hard. He got beat by the best horse.”

But the 157-1 outsider still was better than 11 others, and that, too, says something.