HORSE RACING / OAK TREE INVITATIONAL : Baze Gets Ride, Hawkster Gets Record

Early Saturday afternoon, trainer Ron McAnally should have been a happy man. From Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., he received word that Bayakoa, his brilliant filly, won the Spinster by 11 1/2 lengths, and in a few hours at Santa Anita McAnally was going to saddle Hawkster, the morning-line favorite in the $500,000 Oak Tree Invitational.

But McAnally was frowning. Shortly after noon, jockeys’ agents started approaching him, asking for the mount on Hawkster, because they heard that Pat Valenzuela, who rode the 3-year-old colt to three consecutive turf victories, had called in sick.

By then, there weren’t a lot of replacements left, because eight other horses were running in the Oak Tree and two of Santa Anita’s finest were out of town, Chris McCarron riding at Belmont Park and Laffit Pincay handling Bayakoa at Keeneland.

As it turned out, Hawkster was aching to be ridden by any jockey. Under Russell Baze, who hadn’t been on him since the colt won the first race of his life at Del Mar in 1988, Hawkster rolled to a huge lead early before 34,866 fans and was still rolling at the finish. He won the Oak Tree by four lengths over Pay the Butler in a time of 2:22 4/5, the fastest 1 1/2 miles ever run, and a time that’s considered a world record even though horses going that distance at Santa Anita have the advantage of running the start of the race downhill.

Hawkster earned $300,000 for his owner, Shelly Meredith of Del Mar, with Baze earning 10% of that for the biggest one-race payoff of his 16-year career. Baze, 31, won the Oak Tree with Both Ends Burning in 1984 when first place was worth $240,000.

Hawkster, undefeated in four grass starts after going two for 13 on dirt and finishing fifth in all of the Triple Crown races, is a leading candidate for an Eclipse Award on turf. Meredith is not leaning toward running in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park, which would require a $240,000 supplementary entry payment. Other choices include the Hollywood Derby and the Japan Cup, but no matter where Hawkster races, McAnally made it clear that Baze will continue to ride him.

“Pat (Valenzuela) is awfully talented,” McAnally said, “but he’s not reliable and what happened today really left me hanging. Neither Pat or his agent (Jerry Ingordo) contacted me, and then they weren’t to be found. I had to find out from the other agents.

“We put Pat on this horse for his three other grass wins and then he gives me no notice. You’ve got to ride somebody on the horse who’s definitely going to be there.”

Valenzuela told the stewards that he had flu, the third day this season that he has missed riding and given that reason. Valenzuela, the leading jockey at Oak Tree last year, was supposed to receive an award named after Bill Shoemaker between races Saturday. Shoemaker, who will end his career next Feb. 4 at Santa Anita, made his last Oak Tree appearance Saturday.

Valenzuela has never tested positive for drugs in California, but a urine test once showed that he had cocaine in his system in New Mexico. But there was a problem with the legality of the test, and Valenzuela was able to compete.

Pete Pedersen, one of the Santa Anita stewards, said that Valenzuela has not been tested since the Oak Tree season began on Oct. 4.

“Pat has always been willing to test, but naturally we are concerned about his not being here for a big race like this,” Pedersen said. “When he called in sick, we told him to see a doctor, just as we did the last time.

“We’ll ask him to be tested when he gets back. It’s the thing to do, because of the public perception and for his own protection.”

Ingordo, who resumed booking Valenzuela’s mounts after they parted last year, said Saturday night that he is no longer representing the jockey, who ranks sixth nationally this year with almost $8 million in purses.

“I can’t work for this guy anymore,” Ingordo said. “I didn’t know he was off his mounts (Saturday) until I called the racing office to see who won the first race.

“He missed mounts on Lively One and Ruhlmann, very important horses, and I fell for the excuses. Now he misses a race on one of the best grass horses in the country. He’s got no conscience. He’s got three kids, and he doesn’t want to work in the mornings or anything.”

Ingordo declined to give a reporter Valenzuela’s home phone number. “It won’t do you any good, he won’t answer, anyway,” the agent said.

The Valenzuela situation couldn’t overshadow a tremendous performance by Hawkster. From the start, the Oak Tree winner distanced himself from the field, leading by seven lengths after a half-mile, nine lengths at the three-quarters pole and eight lengths going into the stretch. The record he broke was 2:23, set by Fiddle Isle at Santa Anita in 1970 and equaled there by John Henry 10 years later.

Because he’s a 3-year-old, Hawkster carried 121 pounds, five fewer than seven older horses in the race. He ran the first six furlongs in 1:10, the mile in 1:33 4/5 and 1 1/4 miles in 1:58.

Trainer Bobby Frankel finished second and third, with Saratoga Passage running two lengths behind Pay the Butler. Hawkster paid $7.80, $4.80 and $3.40, Pay the Butler paid $11.20 and $5.60 and Saratoga Passage returned $3.20.

Horse Racing Notes

Agent Jerry Ingordo said that he is still entitled to his commission if Pat Valenzuela rides Sunday Silence in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Valenzuela has won with three of 41 starters at the meet. . . . Ron McAnally could win his third major race of the weekend when he saddles Single Dawn and Hero Worker, the entry that is a 6-5 favorite in the Norfolk at Santa Anita today. . . . Hawkster won the Norfolk last year--his only stakes victory on dirt--and McAnally won the Oak Tree three straight years with John Henry, starting in 1980.