SANTA ANITA : Akinemod Is Out of La Canada

Akinemod, co-favored in today’s $200,000 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita and one of the fastest fillies in the country, will be scratched from the race because she has been running a high fever this week.

The fever flared up, regressed and then appeared again, leaving trainer Jerry Fanning with no choice but to keep owner Jack Klugman’s Akinemod in the barn.

Gorgeous might have won the La Canada anyway, but now the the daughter of Slew o’ Gold becomes a prohibitive favorite. Gorgeous hasn’t run in more than two months, but space between races agrees with her. In her last start, Gorgeous’ first in four months, she finished a stubborn second to Bayakoa in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Gulfstream Park.

Gorgeous finished second to Open Mind in the Eclipse Awards voting for best 3-year-old filly last year.

On Sunday, Bayakoa, who won the Eclipse for best older filly or mare, will make her first appearance since the Breeders’ Cup when three or four horses will challenge the 6-year-old mare in the $150,000 Santa Maria Handicap.

Laffit Pincay, who rode Bayakoa in her 11 starts--including nine victories--last year, is sidelined with a broken collarbone suffered in an exhibition race at Los Alamitos and will be replaced Sunday by Chris McCarron.

The Santa Maria field, in post-position order, consists of Carita Tostada, with Sandy Hawley riding, 112 pounds; Bayakoa, McCarron, 126; Lucky Song, Robbie Davis, 114; Nikishka, Eddie Delahoussaye; 117, and Invited Guest, Russell Baze, 117. Lucky Song might run in the La Canada, which is down to five starters with Akinemod out.

Sunday’s $500,000 Charles H. Strub Stakes drew a large field of 11 4-year-olds.

Hawkster, the third-best grass runner in the country--after Steinlen and Yankee Affair--according to Eclipse voters, returns to the dirt in the 1 1/4-mile Strub. Hawkster hasn’t won on dirt since he took the Norfolk at Santa Anita on Nov. 15, 1988.

The field for the Strub, in order of post position, with jockeys and weights: Splurger, Gary Stevens, 115 pounds; Flying Continental, Corey Black, 119; Super Ready, Rafael Meza, 114; Exploding Prospect, Ray Sibille, 116; Quiet American, McCarron, 114; Opening Verse, Davis, 114; Live the Dream, Pat Valenzuela, 118; Hawkster, Russell Baze, 126; Secret Slew, Delahoussaye, 114; Presidential, Hawley, 114, and Crown Collection, Alex Solis, 114.

Horse Racing Notes

Hollywood Park has resumed discussions with Santa Anita about Trevor Denman. Santa Anita, because of its contract with Denman, has prevented the track announcer from also working at Hollywood Park. . . . The Thoroughbred Racing Assns. and representatives of Kent Desormeaux are at odds over whether the jockey was offered expense money to fly to Los Angeles a week ago to accept his Eclipse Award on national television. The TRA says it would have paid Desormeaux’s way, but the jockey’s advisers also wanted an appearance fee. ABC, which televised the affair, was caught in the middle, and now some of the network’s executives are saying that carrying the awards show may not be worth the trouble.

Fred Hooper, a major breeder and owner, plans to send some horses Bill Shoemaker’s way for the start of his training career. . . . Jockey Pat Valenzuela has won the Strub three times, including two of the last three years with Snow Chief and Nasr el Arab. . . . Trainer Charlie Whittingham’s 0-for-47 slump ended Thursday when Light Ice won. . . . Annoconnor runs one more time, in the Santa Anna Handicap on March 11, and then she will be bred to Mr. Prospector.

Today’s first race is at 12:15 p.m., and the Legend’s Last Ride Handicap, the fifth race, has an approximate post time of 2:45. . . . Santa Anita hopes to catch up with its on-track business, which is off about 8%. However, the track has been bolstered by off-track betting, which is up about 20% over last year. “I’ll be happy if we get 50,000 people on Saturday,” said Cliff Goodrich, track president.