SANTA ANITA : Patchy Groundfog Gets Shoemaker

Although he has won 14 races and earned almost $541,000, Patchy Groundfog has never received the kind of attention he will get Saturday at Santa Anita. The 7-year-old son of Instrument Landing will be Bill Shoemaker’s mount in his final race, the $100,000-added Legend’s Last Ride at a mile on the turf.

Shoemaker worked trainer Julio Canani’s veteran, who is the probable starting highweight at 118 pounds, three furlongs in :35 flat Wednesday morning. In his last race, Patchy Groundfog was second, under Corey Black, in the San Gabriel Handicap on New Year’s Eve.

If Patchy Groundfog is a last-minute scratch, Shoemaker has two backup choices to assure him a mount in the race. Shining Steel, trained by Charlie Whittingham and owned by Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and Sylvester Stallone, is his first alternate; Ofanto, another occupant of Canani’s barn, is the other.

“I’m very happy he’s riding my horse,” Canani said. “I feel honored, because he’s a real gentleman. He’s classy and has done a lot for the sport. With Steinlen not running, I think Patchy Groundfog is the horse to beat.”

Later Wednesday, Shoemaker passed the test for obtaining a trainer’s license, which will be his new profession. In the routine procedure, he was questioned by a committee consisting of Dr. Donald Dooley, official Peter Moreno and trainer L.J. Brooks.

Entries for Shoemaker’s farewell race will be taken this morning, and a full field of 12 is expected. Besides Patchy Groundfog, Shining Steel and Ofanto, other likely starters include Bosphorus, Exemplary Leader, Nediym, Hollywood Reporter and Colson, who won eight of 11 starts in France.

More than once, Gary Jones has said Quiet American is the best horse he has trained since Turkoman.

The 4-year-old Fappiano colt will get his first real chance to prove Jones correct Sunday in the $500,000 Charles H. Strub Stakes.

A maiden when he arrived at Del Mar from England last August, Quiet American is unbeaten and untested in two American starts.

He defeated winners in his debut, a Nov. 19 allowance race at Hollywood Park.

Then Quiet American overwhelmed Stalwars and six others Dec. 30 at Santa Anita. Ridden confidently by Chris McCarron, Quiet American covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:41 while winning by 6 1/2 lengths, then galloped out 1 1/16 miles in 1:47 2/5.

Now, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Florida-bred will go after a Grade I victory.

He completed his preparation for the 1 1/4-mile Strub with a :59 3/5 work and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 4/5, according to Jones, who added: “He’s trained perfectly and he’s coming up to it just right. We’ll find out what he’s made of this time.”

Obviously, a fondness for the dirt has been the main reason for Quiet American’s emergence in America. He did manage a second and a third overseas.

“It had to be the turf,” Jones said. “He was trained by a very good horseman (Michael Stoute). He was just begging for dirt. He was bred in this country. He’s by Fappiano out of a Dr. Fager mare. He’s been a pleasant surprise for all of us.”

Shortly after his arrival in California, Quiet American became ill, which was why his first start was delayed. “He’s been a push-button horse right from the start,” Jones said. “He’s been a perfect horse. The only thing he hasn’t done is beat the kind of horses he’s going to run against Sunday.

“I think he has the natural ability (to win), but he doesn’t have the kind of seasoning I would like. I’m real high on him. I loved the way he won his last race and the way he galloped out.

“It’s a big test for him. If he wins this, we’re talking about a major horse.”

Assigned 114 pounds, Quiet American will be carrying 12 fewer than Hawkster, who will be making his first start on the dirt since finishing fifth in the Belmont Stakes last June. Hawkster, who will be ridden by Russell Baze, is scheduled for a work on the turf this morning.

Eight others appear probable for the Strub: San Fernando upsetter Flying Continental, Splurger, Secret Slew, Crown Collection, Opening Verse, Exploding Prospect, Super Ready and Live The Dream.

Horse Racing Notes

On the Line, injured shortly after the start of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was humanely destroyed Tuesday at Belmont Park. The son of Mehmet severed a tendon after being one of several horses involved in an incident that resulted in Sam Who’s disqualification. A five-time stakes winner in 1989, On the Line finished his career with 14 victories in 36 starts and earned $1,125,810 for owner Gene Klein. According to trainer Wayne Lukas, On the Line was doing well but took a turn for the worse, and multiple complications developed.

Chris McCarron will replace the injured Laffit Pincay on Bayakoa when the Eclipse Award winning-mare makes her 1989 debut Sunday in the Santa Maria Handicap. . . . Fernando Toro celebrated his 49th birthday by riding his first winner of the meeting. He went wire-to-wire in the fifth race on 27-1 shot Hail The Foxybabe.