Racing at Santa Anita : What a Diplomat Leaves the 3-Year-Old Picture Out of Focus

It is an understatement to say that the 3-year-old picture in California is hazy. It certainly didn’t get any clearer Saturday at Santa Anita.

In a field loaded with stakes veterans, the winner of the $135,600 San Rafael was What a Diplomat, a 24-1 longshot to win Saturday and, in Las Vegas, a 200-1 possibility to win the Kentucky Derby.

What a Diplomat was the only starter in the nine-horse San Rafael field to have never won a stake, having only started in one--a third-place finish last August at Del Mar--and having taken six races to break his maiden, just three weeks ago.

What a Diplomat suffered a splint-bone injury, just above the ankle, last September, and after coming back to the races at Santa Anita in January, he was such a dawdler out of the gate that his jockey, Eddie Delahoussaye, told the trainer, Dick Mulhall, that maybe a new rider would help.

Gary Stevens got on What a Diplomat for the first time in a maiden race on Feb. 7, and they’ve done nothing but win ever since. They won by four lengths that day, they won an allowance race by 2 lengths a week later, and Saturday they held off Flying Victor by a neck before 32,583 fans.

The owners and trainers of What a Diplomat and Flying Victor were naturally encouraged, but most of the horsemen in the San Rafael came away with their daubers down. For instance:

--Success Express, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November, was pushed for the lead by No Commitment, and after leading until mid-stretch, he finished third, a head behind Flying Victor. Although this was his best performance since the Breeders’ Cup, it was the third straight losing race for Success Express.

--Mi Preferido, undefeated in three races and considered to be trainer Laz Barrera’s best young horse since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, went off the 4-5 favorite and finished fifth after fighting for the lead with Success Express through the first six furlongs.

--Purdue King, winner of 5-of-10 starts and second or third the other times, didn’t rally in the stretch and finished sixth.

What a Diplomat, earning $79,350 for his breeders and owners, Mike and Mollie Gaskin of Beverly Hills, ran the mile in 1:38, the slowest time by 1 4/5 seconds in the eight-year history of the San Rafael. The California-bred son of Captain James and Diplomatic Trust paid $51.40, $16.40 and $7.80. Flying Victor, making his first start in more than three months and recovering from a foot abscess that sidelined him for 10 days, paid $7.60 and $5. Success Express paid $5.80.

The first time Stevens boarded What a Diplomat was for a half-mile workout out of the gate in early February.

“He just flat stood there,” Stevens said. “I hit him about 10 times, he worked in :46 and he hasn’t had a problem breaking since.”

Stevens positioned What a Diplomat in fifth going down the backstretch Saturday, about six lengths behind Success Express, who ran fast fractions of :45 1/5 for a half-mile and 1:10 2/5 for three-quarters.

“The horse that finished last (No Commitment) cost us the race by being up there,” said Wayne Lukas, Success Express’ trainer. “Without him to contend with, we could have made the lead by just cruising. But that’s horse racing.”

Stevens kept What a Diplomat on the rail all the way around, and then they were able to swing clear nearing the eighth pole.

“He handled the dirt coming back at him and was responsive all the way,” Stevens said. “He wasn’t getting tired at all and acts like he’ll go on.”

Russell Baze rode Flying Victor, another California-bred trained by Dick Mandella.

“He was tired, but he wasn’t giving up,” Baze said. “There’s no reason not to be high on this horse. He’s run some good races except in the Breeders’ Cup, when he was fourth despite a bad start.”

Mandella finished second to Masterful Advocate with Chart the Stars in last year’s San Rafael. Chart the Stars won the San Felipe Handicap, then ran last in the Santa Anita Derby, chipping his knee and not returning to action until recently.

“This horse should be better than Chart the Stars,” Mandella said. “He’s got better tactical speed and can be anywhere in the race that you want to put him. And he’s bred to go farther.”

Even though What a Diplomat was unable to win in three Del Mar starts--twice going off the favorite--he was losing to horses like Purdue King, No Commitment and Cougarized, horses who went on to win stakes, and this encouraged Mulhall.

“Nobody believed me,” Mulhall said. “I wouldn’t have made him 24-1, but I’m partial and there were a lot of horses in there who you expected to be a short price.”

The next appearance for What a Diplomat will be the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Handicap on March 20. Despite Saturday’s win he will scare away few opponents. The big California 3-year-old, if there is one, has yet to be identified.

Horse Racing Notes

Weights for next Sunday’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap will be announced today. Four horses--Ferdinand, Alysheba, Judge Angelucci and Super Diamond--are definite to run, and four others--Temperate Sil, Cryptoclearance, Masterful Advocate and Sebrof--are possibilities. Cryptoclearance would have to come from Florida, where he finished second to Jade Hunter in the Gulfstream Park Handicap last Sunday, but his handlers are considering the trip if the weights are favorable. Sebrof and Masterful Advocate struggled to finish a mile Saturday at Santa Anita, with Staff Riot, paying $31.40, running them down in the stretch. Trained by Kathy Hutchinson, Staff Riot was making his first start since last August. . . . Angel Cordero is in a strange position today for the Arcadia Handicap. He has first call on Conquering Hero, who is first on the also-eligible list. Cordero’s second call is on Vilzak, who is in the race and will be one of the favorites. If Conquering Hero is able to run because of a scratch, Cordero would be obligated to ride him instead of Vilzak. . . . By Land by Sea, trained by Gary Jones and trained by Fernando Toro, shipped from Santa Anita to Gulfstream Park and won Saturday’s $200,000 Rampart Handicap by 2 lengths, paying $5.20.