San Gabriel Handicap : Conquering Hero Finally Becomes a Stakes Winner in the U.S.

Different jockeys, different equipment, different venues--trainer Darrell Vienna made all the moves in trying to make his European import, Conquering Hero, a stakes winner in the United States.

After winning only 2 allowance races in 15 starts last year, Conquering Hero finally clicked Sunday at Santa Anita, coming from last place to run down the leaders for a neck victory in the $111,500 San Gabriel Handicap before 38,100 fans.

Afterwards, Vienna was almost speechless--not due to shock, because he knew Conquering Hero had ability--but because he was at a loss to explain the 5-year-old horse’s first important victory in the United States.

“I’d really like to give some reasons why he won today, but I can’t,” Vienna said. “Do you want me to make some up?”

The jockey, Gary Stevens, thought that the slightly soft turf helped Conquering Hero, but the horse experienced an off-track before and still not won.

Vienna added blinkers, but that was last July--eight races ago--and Conquering Hero still had trouble winning when the big money was on the line. In his last start, dropping down to allowance company again, Conquering Hero bounced off the rail at Hollywood Park and finished ahead of only one horse.

In the early summer, Conquering Hero was shipped East, where he also struggled, finishing ninth in the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington Park and being unable to win in New York.

“We found out that he wasn’t a good shipper,” Vienna said. “He looks and behaves all right when you ship him, but then he doesn’t run well.”

After his narrow win Sunday over Hot and Smoggy, Conquering Hero’s future will be in California, although Vienna might have trouble finding an easier spot than the San Gabriel. The mediocrity of the field was underscored by the fact that the Charlie Whittingham-Sidney Port-owned entry of Bruiser and Ifrad went off the 13-10 favorite. Bruiser hadn’t won a stake all last year and Ifrad won only two races in two years.

Ifrad ran sixth and Bruiser was eighth in the nine-horse field. Hot and Smoggy, a claiming horse who was bought for $30,000 by trainer Mel Stute, continued to cash checks, increasing his earnings to almost $300,000 by holding on to second by three-quarters of a length over Ten Keys. Santella Mac, also trained by Vienna, and Truce Maker, trying to become the first 10-year-old to win a stake at Santa Anita, finished in a dead heat for fourth, a neck back of Ten Keys.

Truce Maker forced a slow early pace, and both trainer Michael Whittingham and jockey Frank Olivares were unhappy that Hot and Smoggy’s jockey, Alex Solis, pushed them as soon as he did.

“Can you tell me why that jock did what he did?” Whittingham said.

Echoed Olivares: “He had no reason to move at the half-mile pole. He might have cost us the race, and he cost himself the race, too.”

Solis indicated that he had no choice. “My horse was rank (hard to handle) all the way around. He pulled me to where he was.”

Asked if he knew Conquering Hero was coming, Solis said: “I was too busy riding my horse to see the other horse. I was trying to reach up and pull the wire toward me.”

Conquering Hero, going over the $200,000 mark with his $66,500 purse for a syndicate of owners, ran 1:50 3/5 for the 1 1/8-mile grass distance. His rush at the end was deceptive, because the leaders were tired and Ten Keys was the only other horse doing any late running.

Conquering Hero paid $17, $8 and $6.40. Hot and Smoggy, who was 15-1, paid $12 and $7.60 and Ten Keys, at 10-1, paid $6.60.

Stevens has been aboard for Conquering Hero’s three wins. They were last for three-quarters of a mile Sunday, once trailing Truce Maker by seven lengths.

“A hole opened up nice for me at the quarter pole,” Stevens said. “I think the soft turf helps my horse, and then the speed backed up to us. That last eighth of mile was run real slow.”

When Stevens got clear, Vienna sensed victory at the eighth pole.

“He’s a determined horse,” the trainer said. “This horse had a very nice record coming to the U.S. I won’t say what we paid for him, but he wasn’t cheap. His form over there was what he’s doing now. In the interim, I don’t know what happened. He wasn’t a very willing work horse, and then he just came around.”

Stute said that Hot and Smoggy, who was making his fifth grass appearance after winning the Bay Meadows Derby on turf two starts back, will probably stay on grass.

Stute was trying to win his second stake in as many days, having taken the La Brea with Very Subtle Saturday.

“I would have felt like (Wayne) Lukas if I had won another one,” Stute said.

Horse Racing Notes

Angel Cordero’s back injury is more serious than what was thought and he prognosis is that he’ll be out three more weeks. Cordero was thrown from a horse that fell at Santa Anita last Wednesday. Cordero will return to New York, where he lives, to be treated by a specialist. . . . Apprentice Arturo Banderas suffered a strained knee in the ninth race Sunday when his mount, Boo Boo’s Buckaroo, tried to jump the fence near the three-eighths pole and unseated him. Banderas was able to walk to the ambulance and was treated in the first-aid room. . . . Gary Stevens wound up with a four-win day when Lucky Harold H., after finishing second, was moved up to first by the stewards in the ninth race. Valiant Cougar, ridden by Aaron Gryder, was disqualified for crowding Lucky Harold H. on the rail in the last sixteenth of a mile and placed second. . . . Foreign Legion won the seventh race, which was worth $60,000 and might have been the richest overnight non-stake ever run. Under a contract with the horsemen, Santa Anita is allowed to run non-stakes for 80% of the minimum stake purse and the lowest stake this season is $75,000. Racing resumes Wednesday with the $75,000 Pasadena Stakes, which has drawn seven 3- year-old fillies, including Tomorrow’s Child and Tap Your Toes, who have been in the money in major races.