Racing at Del Mar : Lively One Ends Slump in San Diego Handicap

After four months of running against the best older horses in the country, Lively One finally found a field he could handle in Del Mar’s $132,450 San Diego Handicap Saturday.

The 4-year-old son of Halo caught front-running Mi Preferido to win by 1 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile race on the main track.

It was Lively One’s first stakes victory in more than a year.

Said owner, Canadian breeder John Sikura, before the race: “I can’t believe how unlucky this colt has been. And now on a day of longshots, he ends up being the favorite.”

Sikura was referring to earlier winners who returned $40.40, $55.20 and $91.20. Lively One was favored at 6-5.

Carry 120 pounds including Robbie Davis, Lively One was timed in 1:40 4/5, equaling the winning efforts of Super Diamond in 1987 and Skywalker in 1986.

Trainer Charlie Whittingham reminded Davis before the race that Lively One had a tendency to shy from the spray of dirt in his eyes.

“Keep him in the clear, on the outside,” Whittingham told his jockey.

It wasn’t exactly news to Davis. The Del Mar meet’s second leading rider had been aboard Lively One in each of his five starts this year.

“He runs his best out there,” said Davis, who was winning his second straight Saturday feature for Whittingham. “The post helped. But the difference was the horses he was in against.”

Breaking from post number four in the field of five, Lively One had no trouble staying on the outside. He did catch a face full of sand, however, from the heels of Mi Preferido, who moved smoothly to the lead from his number five post.

A colt who likes his own way, Mi Preferido could not have been more comfortable out on a lonely lead. Under such circumstances, the son of Island Whirl has risen to the occasion in the past, winning such major races as the San Felipe Handicap and the San Fernando Stakes.

But the other riders have caught on to Mi Preferido’s act. Midway down the backstretch, both Gary Stevens on Hot Operator and Davis began edging into the lead.

They reached the top of the stretch three across. Hot Operator was the first to drop out from between horses, but Mi Preferido hung tough to well inside the furlong marker. Then Davis gave Lively One a solid crack with the whip “to make sure he didn’t give up” and the race was over.

Hot Operator held on for third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Mi Preferido. The winner paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.10. Mi Preferido returned $$3.20 and $2.40, and Hot Operator paid $2.20 to place.

Both Lively One and Mi Preferido were considered Triple Crown candidates in the early spring of 1988, but their careers have been checkered since then.

Lively One actually ran in the Kentucky Derby--he finished 12th--but Whittingham always insisted the fiesty near black colt would blossom as a 4-year-old.

After winning his 4-year-old debut at Santa Anita, Lively One was thrown in against the likes of Blushing John, the top older horse in North America, as well as Sabona, Proper Reality and Ruhlmann. Each was at the top of his game at the time.

Usually, the San Diego would lure the cream of the California handicap crop--but the cream has thinned out considerably. After such recent winners as Cutlass Reality, Skywalker and Super Diamond, the ’89 version was anemic by comparison.

Whittingham knew Lively One would only have to run his usual competent race to win the San Diego.

“He’s an honest horse and he usually gives it his best,” said the trainer. “He just did get beat on this track last year by Precisionist.”

And with no Precisionist around this year, Lively One figures to have a clear shot at the next stop on the local schedule, the $200,000 Cabrillo Handicap on Aug. 26.

Horse Racing Notes

In an unusual move by the local stewards, Pat Valenzuela has been suspended for five days but the horse he rode was not disqualified. Valenzuela was cited for his ride on Saros Town, four-length winner of the third race Aug. 3. “The horse was obviously much the best in the race,” explained steward Dave Samuel. “But we felt the rider needlessly endangered other riders.” Valenzuela will miss the Aug. 7-12 Del Mar programs. . . . Sunday Silence continued his training for the Sept. 10 Molson Challenge in Canada with a five-furlong work Saturday morning in 1:00 1/5 for Charlie Whittingham. . . . Prized, who upset Sunday Silence in the recent Swaps Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:01. He is also pointing for the Molson.