Weekend Racing at Santa Anita : This Futures Market Is Booming

Charlie Whittingham frequently deals in futures, not to be confused with soybeans.

While Whittingham tries to add to his accomplishments at Santa Anita this weekend, he also will be thinking about Paris, where another Whittingham future from Europe will run in the Arc de Triomphe, France’s richest race.

After Golden Pheasant runs in the $1.3-million Arc Sunday, he will be headed for the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park Nov. 4. Then the 3-year-old colt is expected to move on to Whittingham’s barn as a candidate for next year’s Strub Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap.

By winding up in California, Golden Pheasant will be closer to his equal-partner owners, Wayne Gretzky of the Kings and team owner Bruce McNall. McNall has already won one Arc, with Trempolino, a horse he bought shortly before the Longchamp race in 1987.

Traditionally, Whittingham has had talented horses from abroad, but this year’s group seems to be exceptional. Whittingham has already picked up Oczy Czarnie, shortly after the filly won a stake at Arlington International Racecourse. He also has River Warden, a winner in France before he ran poorly in the Arlington Million. River Warden has been invited to the $500,000 Oak Tree Invitational a week from today, but he has been sent to the San Luis Rey Downs training center and won’t run.

Mill Native, who is the high weight for Sunday’s $100,000 Koester Handicap at Santa Anita, was put in Whittingham’s care after winning last year’s Arlington Million. Whittingham will also saddle Peace in the Koester, which is at one mile on the turf. Others in the 10-horse field are Sabona, Mister Wonderful, Truly Met, Mi Preferido, Warned, Political Ambition, Pranke and Trokhos.

Meanwhile, Golden Pheasant, trained by Jonathan Pease, had an eventful route to the Arc, most of it not of his own doing.

As a yearling, Golden Pheasant was purchased for Josephine Abercrombie by Brian Sweeney at a Kentucky auction. Abercrombie was prepared to go to $70,000 for the Caro-Perfect Pigeon colt, but had to pay only $44,000. Sweeney said that Golden Pheasant had been sick during Keeneland’s select summer sale, which accounted for the price when he went through the ring at a lesser auction.

Golden Pheasant never ran in the United States and was sent to Clive Brittain, who was Abercrombie’s European trainer.

A rift was building between Abercrombie and Brittain, who was upset that she was selling off a few of her horses without offering the stock to some of Brittain’s other clients. The conflict reached a peak when Abercrombie sold the talented Mountain Kingdom. Brittain reportedly told Abercrombie to get another trainer.

Enter McNall, who liked what Golden Pheasant had done in his second race, finishing a strong second to Old Vic, one of Europe’s outstanding horses. McNall bought Golden Pheasant, probably for more than $500,000, eventually made Gretzky a partner and wanted Brittain to continue training the colt. Brittain, however, was still furious about Abercrombie unloading another of his horses, so Golden Pheasant was sent to Pease, after making an interim stop in John Gosden’s yard.

After one victory and three seconds in four starts, Golden Pheasant’s last race was his most impressive. At 14-1 at Longchamp, where the Arc will be run, Golden Pheasant handed Nashwan his first defeat. Nashwan, considered one of the best European horses of the decade, finished third at 1-5 and isn’t running in the Arc.

Golden Pheasant’s victory didn’t come too soon, as far as Gretzky was concerned. The colt’s record was marked by one excuse after another after those second-place finishes, and Gretzky was weary of the alibis.

“If my aunt wasn’t my aunt, she might be my uncle,” said Gretzky, remarking that all wasn’t going as expected before Golden Pheasant’s big victory over Nashwan.

Horse Racing Notes

Steve Cauthen has the mount on Cacoethes, the California-bred who is running in the Arc de Triomphe in France. . . . Young Mother, who is trying to become the 15th female to win the race, will be one of the favorites, along with Cacoethes and Aliysa.

On the Line, the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint four weeks from today, runs against the highly regarded Rahy and three others at Santa Anita today in the Ramser Handicap, the first graded stake of the Oak Tree season. . . . Neil Drysdale, who trains Rahy, will be at Belmont Park to saddle Prized in the $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup. . . . Drysdale will be represented by Sabona and Political Ambition in the Koester.

With Steinlen not running in today’s Kelso Handicap at Belmont, the high weights will be Wanderkin and Highland Springs, each carrying 118 pounds. . . . Of the 12 horses invited to the Oak Tree Invitational, Great Communicator, Hawkster, Lively One, Pasakos, Pay the Butler, Pleasant Variety, Saratoga Passage and Warrshan are expected to run. Colorado Dancer, a filly, will run if she isn’t saved for the Yellow Ribbon on Nov. 12. . . . Great Communicator ran second to Nasr el Arab in last year’s race.

Annoconnor, carrying high weight of 121 pounds, has four opponents for today’s $200,000 California Jockey Club Handicap at Bay Meadows. In Extremis is headed for the Laurel D.C. International on Oct. 22.