SANTA ANITA : Akinemod Might Not Know It, but She Might Be Quite a Filly

With her easy victory Monday in the $107,650 La Brea Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Santa Anita, Akinemod ran her win streak to five, the only blemish on her record coming when she was a troubled fourth in her debut last April.

Not bad for a filly who still hasn’t figured out exactly what she’s supposed to be doing for a living.

“It’s like a big game to her,” said Gary Stevens after steering the Time To Explode filly to a two-length win over Fantastic Look.

“I don’t feel she knows what she’s doing. I still feel there’s room for improvement.”

This would be disheartening news to those who chased her home Monday. After battling with Pat Copelan and Linda Card through a :22 and :44 1/5 half, she opened up by 2 1/2 lengths about a furlong from the finish. Fantastic Look, the beneficiary of a perfect trip and who looked dangerous around the turn, could make no impact late.

Covering the seven furlongs in 1:21 3/5, the 6-5 favorite earned herself a start in the middle leg of the La Canada series, the El Encino Stakes Jan. 15. That would mark her initial venture around two turns, and among her likely opponents is Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Gorgeous.

“I don’t know how far she wants to go, but we’ll run her in the next one and see,” said Jerry Fanning, who trains Akinemod for owner Jack Klugman. “I wasn’t so much worried about the speed in the race as when I saw (Fantastic Look) coming up so fast.

“But Akinemod just kept running. She finished well and she’s just a good filly.”

Although she had never bled in a race, Akinemod did so in her Dec. 22 work and that’s why she ran with Lasix Monday.

“We scoped her and it kind of worried us a little,” Fanning said. “We gave her Lasix for her next work (Dec. 28) and if she hadn’t worked well with it, we wouldn’t have run her with Lasix.”

Stevens, who has ridden her in half of her lifetime starts, thinks Akinemod will handle a distance of ground.

“I don’t feel it’s going to be any problem,” he said. “She galloped out real strong and I didn’t get her pulled up until the middle of the backstretch.

“She’s real relaxed early and she’s not speed crazy. She relaxed well today with a horse inside (Linda Card) of her and a horse (Pat Copelan) outside of her. She’s a natural athlete. She’s got more natural ability than 90% of them.”

Akinemod’s victory completed a dream afternoon for Klugman. In the opener, his Flor ‘em Jak, a 4-year-old Jaklin Klugman gelding, broke his maiden at first asking. He is also trained by Fanning and was ridden by Stevens, who was aboard three winners Monday.

“It’s like being reborn,” Klugman said. “My heart is going a mile a minute. I think I’ve owned two winners on one card once before in my life and that was years ago.”

Fantastic Look, the 9-2 second choice, was 3 1/2 lengths clear of Reluctant Guest, then came Affirmed Classic, Kiwi, Linda Card, Stocks Up and Pat Copelan.

Opening Verse, the unluckiest loser the first week of the meeting, may come back in the San Fernando Stakes a week from Sunday.

Trained by Richard Lundy and owned by Allen Paulson, Opening Verse made his U.S. and main track debut in Sunday’s seventh race. The 4-year-old son of The Minstrel drew the rail in the classified allowance mile, moved up comfortably to be just off the leaders down the backside, then had nowhere to go almost the rest of the way.

When he finally did get some room, it was too late and he was beaten a half-length by Attesa, the longest shot in the field who had rallied from last and had clear sailing outside.

“He sure proved he had a lot of heart in that race,” said Pat Mitchell, Lundy’s assistant. “He was ready to run some more when he came back to unsaddle. He was fine this morning and the plan is to nominate him to the San Fernando.”

A poll of the media covering Santa Anita selected John Henry, Laffit Pincay and Charlie Whittingham as the “best” in California thoroughbred racing through the just-concluded 1980s.

John Henry, who was horse of the year in both 1981 and ‘84, received 17 of the 20 votes cast. Alysheba, Spectacular Bid and Ferdinand received one apiece.

Pincay, who is the world’s second-winningest rider behind Bill Shoemaker, outpolled Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye. Whittingham and Wayne Lukas were the only trainers to be mentioned.