John Henry Handicap : Shoemaker Rides Peace to Victory

Bill Shoemaker, the 57-year-old ramblin’ man of racing, is never quite sure where he’ll be waking up these days.

It could be in snowy Chicago, rainy Portland, or in the seat of a 747 midway across the Atlantic, heading for yet another special appearance on his farewell tour of racing’s far-flung outposts.

Of one thing he is certain, however: If he finds himself on a colt named Peace in a grass race at Hollywood Park, he is bound win one more time.

Peace, bred and owned by Tom Gentry of Lexington, Ky., kept his record perfect on Hollywood’s close-cropped Bermuda with a three-quarter length victory over the relentless Steinlen in Sunday’s $163,900 John Henry Handicap.

Riding like a man half his age--which still would be older than four of the other seven jockeys in the field--Shoemaker got stakes victory number 1,002 in winning the first Grade I event of the Hollywood meeting.

“That’s 1,002 and on his way to 2,000,” announced Chris McCarron as Shoemaker admired his own work on the taped replay in the jockeys’ room afterward.

“I don’t know about that,” Shoemaker said. “But you can tell everybody old Shoe’s got a few more like that still in him.”

Peace gave Shoemaker his 1,000th stakes victory on April 30 when he defeated Steinlen in the Premiere Handicap by a length. Last weekend, the 4-foot-11, 98-pound champion found himself freezing in a freakish spring blizzard at Sportsman’s Park in Chicago, but that did not stop him from winning number 1,001 aboard Present Value in the National Jockey Club Handicap.

Thursday, Shoemaker is off to Baltimore to ride at Pimlico.

“I’m supposed to give a 30-minute talk on Friday for a bunch of businessmen on ‘Performing Under Pressure,’ but I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna say.”

Well, if he finds himself strapped, Shoe could talk about Sunday’s race when Peace was getting too fresh for his own good and the pacesetters--Steinlen and longshot Wait Till Monday--were backing up into his face.

“That could have gotten a little tight,” Shoemaker said. “But my colt came back to me and we were all right by the time we hit the backstretch.”

From that point, all Shoemaker needed was a small ration of his legendary patience. Wait Till Monday lasted until the far turn and then caved in, retreating to the back of the field. Steinlen was tough, as usual, but Shoemaker had him measured.

“I didn’t want to move too soon, though, because my colt likes to pull himself up sometimes when he makes the lead,” Shoemaker said. “Like he did today.”

Indeed, Peace appeared on his way to a big victory when he collared and passed Steinlen inside the eighth pole. Then, as Peace geared down, Steinlen rallied to make the race closer than it looked.

“My horse ran a winning race,” said Gary Stevens after bringing Steinlen back. “Everything went perfect, except for the outcome. What I can’t figure out is why my horse is still carrying so much more weight that Peace. If you ask me, he’s been getting away with murder.”

Jeff Lukas, trainer of the 6-year- old Steinlen, agreed with his jockey.

“What’s got to happen before they get the weights right on these two horses?” he asked. “Look at Peace’s record here. When’s he going to pick up some weight?”

In the Premiere, Steinlen carried 121 pounds to 115 on Peace. In the John Henry, it was 121-116.

Peace--who has a half-brother named War--is five for five on the Hollywood Park turf, dating to April 29, 1988, when he beat a colt named, appropriately, Perfecting.

The John Henry marked Peace’s third stakes victory over the course and ran his lifetime record to six wins in 19 starts.

Still, a skeptical crowd of 26,940 at the track and 8,104 off-track made Peace third choice in a three-way betting race. Steinlen was slightly favored over Peace’s stablemate, Payant.

Peace ran the nine furlongs in 1:46 1/5, a tick off the stakes record set last year by Deputy Governor. He paid $8.40, $3.80 and $3.20.

Steinlen returned $3.20 and $2.60, and Pay the Butler, running his best race since winning the Japan Cup last November, finished another half-length back in third and paid $4.40. Payant was fourth.

Peace will be nominated to the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap on May 29, but Rodney Rash, trainer Charlie Whittingham’s right-hand man, indicated that the 1 1/4 mile might be a little too ambitious for the colt. The June 18 Inglewood Handicap or the July 4 American Handicap, both shorter, are more likely encores.

Peace will have to get along without Shoemaker, though. Shoe’s moveable feast will head for London on May 30 for a six-week stay and a series of last hurrahs in England, France and Ireland.

Horse Racing Notes

Sam Rubin, the owner of John Henry, made the post-race trophy presentation to the Peace people. . . . Chris McCarron won three races Sunday to extend his lead in the local standings, 21-16, over Robbie Davis.