Weekend Racing at Santa Anita : Trainer Canani Seeks a Pair of Stakes Victories

Trainer Julio Canani, third on the national money list despite having run horses in only 65 races this year, has two excellent chances to solidify his position this weekend.

Canani, whose horses have earned $1.1 million according to Daily Racing Form statistics through March, will be at Oaklawn Park today and back at his home base, Santa Anita, Sunday. Today, he runs Martial Law, the upset winner of the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, in the $400,000 Oaklawn Handicap; Sunday, he’ll saddle Maria Jesse, winner of the Santa Ana Handicap, in the $150,000 Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Martial Law, who has accounted for about half of Canani’s purses this year, faces a tough assignment against seven other horses, including Blushing John, Proper Reality and another shipper, Slew City Slew. Proper Reality will carry high weight of 121 pounds, four more than Martial Law.

Running against Maria Jesse in the mile turf race for fillies and mares Sunday will be Claire Marine, Fitzwilliam Place, Carmanetta, Daloma, Pen Bal Lady and Double Wedge.

Claire Marine, Fitzwilliam Place and Daloma are trained by Charlie Whittingham and will be an entry in the betting. Whittingham is busy on other fronts this weekend, running Rosadora in her American debut today in the Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita and sending Forlitano to Florida to run in the Bougainvillea Handicap at Hialeah. Whittingham is second on the trainers’ national money list with $1.7 million, behind Wayne Lukas.