SANTA ANITA : Tarascon Leads Field of Six in San Vicente Cup

Tarascon, winner of the San Miguel and California Breeders’ Champion Stakes already this winter, will be trying to extend his string to three straight added-money victories when he heads a field of six 3-year-olds in the $100,000-added San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Hollywood Futurity runner-up Farma Way and Top Cash from the D. Wayne Lukas barn will be among the challengers at seven furlongs. Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera has brought in an unknown player named Mister Frisky, winner of 13 out of 13 races in Puerto Rico.

Tarascon will be carrying new colors to post in the San Vicente. He was purchased this week by John Franks of Shreveport, La., after winning four of six starts for his California breeder, Ridder Thoroughbred Stable. David Hofmans continues to train the gelded son of Flying Paster.

No one has come close to Jose Fernandez’s Mister Frisky in his races at El Comandante Race Track in Puerto Rico. He started there for the last time on Jan. 6, winning a stakes race by 10 1/2 lengths in track record time for seven furlongs.

Barrera recalls training another Puerto Rican-raced colt named Bold Forbes, who won the 1976 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

With six starters, the San Vicente will offer as much as $106,075 in purse money, including $25,000 from the Breeders’ Cup premium award fund. The winner will earn $61,075, if he is eligible for the Breeders’ Cup.

In post position order, the full field includes Farma Way, ridden by Ray Sibille and carrying 113 pounds; Top Cash, Pat Valenzuela, 120; Phantom X., Eddie Delahoussaye, 116; Leading Laddie, Alex Solis, 118; Tarascon, Chris McCarron, 120; and Mister Frisky, Gary Stevens, 118.

Farma Way was a disappointing fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Los Feliz Stakes last month after chasing division leader Grand Canyon to the wire in the $1-million Hollywood Futurity a month earlier. He broke his maiden by five lengths in his previous start.

Top Cash was beaten by a nose in the Los Feliz, finishing third behind the dead-heated victors Balla Cove and Land Rush. He won the Desert Wine Sales Stakes here last autumn and was second in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes, but has lacked consistency.

Leading Laddie has shipped in from his native Canada, where he was a multiple stakes winner as a juvenile. He will make his first start since October.

Truly Met, forced to go around the other seven horses entering the stretch, won the $48,000 turf feature at Santa Anita by one-half length Thursday.

Annual Date held on for second, a length ahead of the late-closing Bon Vent.

Guided off the pace by jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, Truly Met had no place to go as the field turned for home, so he had to go around the other horses who were charging down the middle of the track. Delahoussaye encouraged the long-striding Truly Met by showing him the whip while giving him a strong hand ride.

Truly Met, a 5-year-old son of Mehmet, was timed in 1:13 4/5 for about 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf course. Truly Met was making his first start for trainer Brad MacDonald, who recorded his first victory in Southern California.

Sent off as the second betting choice of the crowd of 13,759, Truly Met carried high weight of 116 and returned $9.80, $5.40 and $4.80.