Oak Tree Meeting at Santa Anita : Disqualification Gives Flying Lieutenant a Win

These are busy times for Flying Lieutenant. Saturday, the 2-year-old son of Flying Paster won the B.J. Ridder Stakes at Santa Anita on a foul. Next Friday, he may be sold during an auction at Hollywood Park, and next Saturday, he’s scheduled to run in the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

Flying Lieutenant, currently owned by Fred Sahadi and Dan Agnew, ran second, two lengths behind Pas De Guerre, in the $113,900 Ridder. But the stewards, after reviewing a replay of the one-mile stake for eight minutes, disqualified Pas De Guerre and made Flying Lieutenant and jockey Fernando Toro the winners.

Pas De Guerre, a 22-1 longshot ridden by Ray Sibille, was moved back to fourth for swerving to the left near the sixteenth-pole and interfering with Flying Lieutenant and the horse inside him, Savona Tower.

Flying Lieutenant, whose sire was owned by the late B.J. Ridder, paid $9.60 to win. Broadway Pointe, the 2-1 favorite who set fast early fractions, ran third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Pas De Guerre, then was moved up to second after the disqualification. Savona Tower, beaten by more than eight lengths, was moved up from fourth to third. Time for the mile was 1:38 3/5, more than two seconds slower than Snow Chief’s winning time in last year’s race.

Saturday’s 42,748 spectators had been promised Breeders’ Cup caps, but when the arrival of the caps from Tawain was delayed--by both ship and plane--Santa Anita issued rain checks and said that it would either mail the caps to the fans or have them available for pickup before the season ends a week from Monday. To assuage the fans, Santa Anita issued them two complimentary admissions that can be used on any day but Breeders’ Cup day during the rest of the meeting.

Rosie’s K.T. and Sun Master, who ran 2-3 behind Groovy in the Ancient Title Stakes on Oct. 15, were part of a five-horse field in Saturday’s third race. Sun Master won in a three-horse photo finish, with Rosie’s K.T. second and Party Leader third.

Groovy will be heavily favored in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Asked if he considered supplementing Sun Master to the stake at a cost of $120,000, trainer Wayne Lukas said: “No. It would have been my money, and we would have had to finish better than third to win it back.”

Sun Master is owned by Lukas and his son Jeff.

Twilight Ridge, who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Aqueduct, ran next-to-last in Saturday’s fifth race, which was to be a prep for her appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Saturday’s race was Twilight Ridge’s first appearance on grass, and only her second start since last March.

Notes Hidden Light, lame after running last in the Las Palmas Handicap, will miss the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but should be back next year. Hidden Light is still a candidate for the 3-year-old filly title. . . . In other races Saturday, Lotka won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, with Minstress second and Top Corsage third. Moment of Hope won Aqueduct’s Discovery Handicap, followed by Gold Alert and Clear Choice; and Wilderness Bound gave Dan Agnew another stakes win, taking the San Mateo Stakes at Bay Meadows, with Prince Sassafras second and Sentinel Star third.