Santa Maria Handicap : Fran’s Valentine Wins and Picks Up $91,700

By contrast with today’s $500,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita, guaranteeing $288,250 to the winner, Saturday’s $154,700 Santa Maria Handicap appeared on the modest side--and size.

Not the bankroll of winner Fran’s Valentine, however.

Already the all-time earnings leader for California-bred fillies and mares, Earl Scheib’s reliable 5-year-old boosted her career total to $1,361,965 with a three-quarter length victory worth $91,700.

The reward will be even greater when Fran’s Valentine next starts in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational March 1, but she will have to beat Eclipse Award winner Lady’s Secret in that one.

Lady’s Secret, who defeated Fran’s Valentine by 2 1/2 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 1, passed on Saturday’s Santa Maria as eight fillies and mares went in the 1 1/16-mile event.

Ridden by Patrick Valenzuela and trailing by three lengths on the turn for home, Fran’s Valentine rallied through the stretch to catch the Wayne Lukas-trained pacesetters, Life At The Top and North Sider.

Winning in 1:42.3/5 as the 2-1 favorite, Fran’s Valentine paid $6.60, $4.00 and $3.20. North Sider paid $9 and $4.80 to finish second, and Infinidad, closing from last place, paid $4.60 for third.

Fran’s Valentine has won 13 of 31 career starts, including 7 stakes at Santa Anita, where she has won at least one stake in each of the last five meetings.

The latest win moved Fran’s Valentine past Silveyville and put her second on the all-time Cal-bred earnings list for both sexes.

Only Snow Chief, the 4-year-old colt who will attempt to enhance his career earnings of $2,833,440 in today’s Strub, is ahead of her.

Can she handle Lady’s Secret? Valenzuela said he wasn’t sure, but he alluded to trainer Joe Manzi and said of Fran’s Valentine: “She’s really good right now. I think Joe has got her at her best. She sat behind the leaders real easy today. I didn’t move on her until I got to the 5/16th pole. Then she really responded. She came home running.”

Said Eddie Delahoussaye, who rode North Sider: “I thought I was home free in the stretch, but Fran’s Valentine just outfinished us. I’d rather win, but it’s no disgrace to get beat by a filly like that.”

Since running that strong second to Lady’s Secret in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Fran’s Valentine had finished fourth in the Silver Belles Handicap at Hollywood Park and fourth in the Santa Monica Handicap Jan. 17 at Santa Anita.

Bill Shoemaker had been up in both races, but Saturday’s change to Valenzuela, who had ridden Fran’s Valentine through much of her early career, was prompted only by the fact that Shoemaker underwent knee surgery last Tuesday.

Manzi said that a muddy track contributed to Fran’s Valentine’s performance in the Silver Belles, and that she was bumped at the start of the Santa Monica Handicap and didn’t care for the distance (seven furlongs).

“She’s as game as they come and she likes this track,” Manzi said. “There was a legitimate pace up front today. My only concern was when Patrick hit her left-handed (near the head of the stretch) and she ducked out. Once he got her straightened away, she really took off. She showed how she can run.”

Will it be good enough against Lady’s Secret? Forget the Santa Margarita. Manzi is looking beyond that. He’s already thinking about the Fall Classic.

“We’re heading for the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “If we make it, it will be four in a row for her.”