SANTA ANITA : Nikishka Faces Claire Marine Again

When Delighter won the 1988 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, Joe Cannon was busy tending to Aaron Jones’ farm in Oregon.

Since then, Cannon has become Jones’ trainer, and he will be well represented by Nikishka in the 1989running of the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Sunday at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting.

The 4-year-old daughter of Nijinsky II is highly rated for the Grade I race on the grass because of her impressive Las Palmas Handicap victory last month.

Successful in three of five starts last year while being trained by Laz Barrera, Nikishka has been even better this year, going three for four. Her lone defeat was inflicted by Brown Bess in the California Jockey Club Handicap on the latter’s home track at Bay Meadows.

Nikishka was out of racing for more than nine months due to a bleeding problem, but all has been well lately.

“So far, so good,” said Cannon, 45, who worked as a veterinarian for 12 years before going to work for Jones. “She’s older now and has had more racing. She’s relaxed and has been able to show her real ability.”

No effort was better than her Las Palmas win. Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for the first time, she sat just off the lead early, then drew away, putting a resounding halt to Claire Marine’s three-race streak.

“She’s done very well since then,” said Cannon, whose father, Darrell, was a trainer when Santa Anita opened in 1934. “She’s worked nice and relaxed and that’s the most important thing with her.”

If Nikishka is going to duplicate her last performance, she will have to do it with more weight. In the Las Palmas, which at 1 1/8 miles is a furlong shorter than the Yellow Ribbon, she carried 116 pounds, nine fewer than Claire Marine. For their rematch Sunday, each will carry 123.

Besides benefiting from the favorable weight shift, Claire Marine also drew the inside post, a big plus going this distance on the Santa Anita turf course. Chris McCarron will ride the Charlie Whittingham-trained filly.

Brown Bess, who won the Ramona Handicap at Del Mar on her last trip south, will have regular jockey Jack Kaenel aboard as she seeks her fifth victory in nine starts this year.

The field also includes Las Palmas runner-up No Review, who should be helped by the extra eighth of a mile; Darby’s Daughter; Delighter, who has done next to nothing since winning the Yellow Ribbon last year; River Memories; Miss Unnameable, and three Europeans--Colorado Dancer, Be Exclusive and Sherarda.

Whatever happens in the Yellow Ribbon, Cannon is enjoying his latest profession. He has 17 horses under his care, including Sabulose, also a stakes winner.

“It’s unbelieveable the way it has been,” he said. “It’s just a reflection of the type of horses Aaron has and has had. The deciding factor for me to come back to California from Oregon was the quality of the horses. It has been a very positive move.”

Ten 2-year-olds foaled in California will race in the $100,000-added B.J. Ridder Stakes at a mile today.

After being two for two at Del Mar, French Seventyfive will try two turns for the first time. The son of Boitron beat $50,000 maidens at 63-1 in his debut, then returned to take the Graduation Stakes. Although sold for $325,000 to the Gayno Stable at a dispersal of the late Louis Rowan’s stock, French Seventyfive is still being trained by William Canney and will again be ridden by Martin Pedroza.

French Seventyfive will carry 122 pounds, as will Navy Flag.

The latter won easily in the Foster City Mile at Bay Meadows, taking advantage of a swift pace to draw off by eight lengths for trainer Jeff Bonde. The Pirate’s Bounty colt will be ridden by Chris McCarron in his local debut.

Individualist I has won two of three races for David Hofmans. The good-looking son of Bel Bolide scored in his debut, then was trounced in the Sunny Slope Stakes. Treated with lasix, he returned to take an allowance sprint two weeks ago. His biggest minus today is the extreme outside post.

Others in the field include Shapiro’s Hero, a disappointing fourth in the Desert Wine Stakes; Due to the King, a distant third in the Norfolk Stakes, and Champagne N Jules, another visitor from Northern California.

Frankly Perfect is the 122-pound high weight for the Carleton F. Burke Handicap, Monday’s closing-day attraction.

Idle since finishing second to Pranke in the Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park, Frankly Perfect missed the Arlington Million because of illness. The son of Perrault, who has been training well for the $200,000-added Grade I race at 1 1/4 miles on the grass, won the San Luis Rey Handicap on this course last spring.

Another probable starter is Mill Native, upset winner of the 1988 Arlington Million. Fifth in his lone race this year, Mill Native is now being trained by Charlie Whittingham’s son, Michael.

Alwuhush, who didn’t draw in from the also-eligible list for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, will carry 120 pounds. Third in the Man o’ War at Belmont in his latest start, Alwuhush is trained by Angel Penna.

Mister Wonderful II, who has the distinction of being the last horse to beat Steinlen, and Pranke are the other contenders. Mister Wonderful’s upset of Steinlen came in the American Handicap at Hollywood Park last July. Most recently, Richard Mandella’s stretch-runner was third behind Caltech and Yankee Affair in the Budweiser International over a soggy course at Laurel.

Oak Tree Notes

Longshot players had to love the $61,000 Dancing Femme Stakes Friday. The sprint down the hillside, which attracted 14 fillies and mares, was won by 51-1 shot Spring Trooper. Making her first start on the turf and ridden by Gary Stevens, the Washington-bred horse ran down 13-1 pacesetter Linda Card to win by a head, with Young Flyer a neck back in third place. Spring Trooper paid $104.40 to win, and the exacta was worth $4,183. This was an especially tough loss for Linda Card, who set the fastest half-mile fraction that anybody could remember--:42 2/5--in her first race on the grass. . . . Stylish King, who worked five furlongs in :57 2/5 earlier this week, will make his debut in today’s sixth race. The 2-year-old is conditioned by Jay Robbins and will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye. Three others in the six-furlong sprint may also be worth watching: For Sure is a half-brother to Alysheba; Five on Five is a son of Seattle Slew and a half-brother of Blushing John, and Tsu’s Dawning is a son of Tsunami Slew and kin to former local grass star Zoffany. . . . Local horses Maria Jesse, Daring Doone and Agirlfromars top the field in the Hillsborough Handicap, which will be simulcast at Santa Anita from Bay Meadows. The race, at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, will be shown after Oak Tree’s ninth.