HORSE RACING SANTA ANITA : Present Value to Show What He’s Worth in Goodwood Today

Present Value, a 5-year-old bargain who cost his owners $160,000 nine months ago, has gone through the year proving to bettors that he’s worth their support. And now, six stakes wins later, he will be asked to prove himself again against Rahy, a horse he beat two weeks ago, in today’s $200,000 Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita.

Present Value has been favored in only two of his victories, which have come at six different tracks, and although he’ll be coupled with two other horses because of an ownership overlap, he won’t be the favorite again today. Rahy will still be the public’s choice in the Goodwood--just as he was, at 9-10, in the Ramser Handicap on Oct 7.

Before the current Oak Tree season began, Neil Drysdale, who trains Rahy, thought that he’d need two races at Santa Anita to prepare the 4-year-old English import properly for the Breeders’ Cup at Gulfstream Park two weeks from today. In the Ramser, which was Rahy’s first start in almost three months, Drysdale’s horse battled On the Line through brisk early fractions, then lost a stretch battle to Present Value, who was a half-length better at the wire.

The Ramser was only the fifth start this year for Rahy, but two of the races were overpowering performances at a mile during the Hollywood Park meeting. He won them by a total of 15 lengths, in superb times of 1:33 4/5 and 1:33. The Goodwood is 1 1/8 miles, which is a sixteenth of a mile farther than the Ramser, and it will be the farthest Rahy has run on dirt in the United States.

Rahy carried four more pounds than Present Value the last time and he’s two pounds heavier today. Present Value paid $15.20 in winning the Ramser, a nice mutuel but bagatelle compared to the $100.60 he returned while winning the Michigan Mile and One-Eighth in July. In the 40 years of that Detroit Race Course stake, only one winner has paid more.

Present Value’s other victories have come at Portland Meadows, Sportsman’s Park, Arlington International and Canterbury Downs. The Canadian-bred son of Halo has earned almost $600,000 since he was purchased for his owners by trainer Jerry Fanning, who liked the looks of the horse when he was stabled in a barn next to his at Santa Anita last winter.

Present Value won seven of 13 starts as a 3-year-old but last year he slipped to only one victory in eight tries.

Eddie Delahoussaye has picked up the mount on Present Value after Bill Shoemaker and Frank Olivares won with him earlier this year. Olivares is on crutches, the result of a spill at Fairplex Park last month, and Shoemaker is in Australia, plugging away at his marathon retirement tour.

Gary Stevens will be riding Rahy for the first time since they clicked off those two impressive victories at Hollywood Park.

Chris McCarron, who rode Rahy last time, was handed a five-day suspension by the stewards Friday, the result of a winning horse being disqualified for interference Thursday.

That suspension won’t start until Wednesday, however, so McCarron will be able to ride On the Line and Winning Colors today at Aqueduct, and heavily favored Claire Marine, one of the best females he’s ever ridden, in the $150,000 Las Palmas Handicap Sunday at Santa Anita.

Horse Racing Notes

Pat Valenzuela, who hasn’t ridden since a week ago Friday when he called in sick with the flu, met with the Oak Tree stewards Friday and agreed to a drug-rehabilitation program. Valenzuela also submitted to a drug test, which takes 48 hours to analyze. He is expected to be tested again for drugs and, if the test isn’t positive, could resume riding by late next week. A track official said that Chris McCarron might ride Sunday Silence in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic two weeks from today if trainer Charlie Whittingham doesn’t stick with Valenzuela, who won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness with the colt.

Steinlen, who won the Arlington Million in his last start, is running today in the 1 1/8-mile Keeneland Breeders’ Cup on the grass. . . . Santa Anita will take bets today on the telecast of the Tanforan Handicap from Bay Meadows in San Mateo, Calif. The high weights are Delegant and Variety Road at 116 pounds apiece. . . . Three Santa Anita jockeys will be at Laurel Sunday for the Budweiser International: Gary Stevens will ride Fair Judgment, Fernando Toro will be aboard Mister Wonderful II, and Laffit Pincay will be on In Extremis. Yankee Affair is the favorite in the $750,000 stake.