SANTA ANITA : This Lukas Horse Ends Up Shining Bright

When the entries came out for Monday’s $80,925 Santa Ysabel Stakes, Seaside Attraction was conspicuous by her absence.

The 3-year-old filly was impressive in an allowance race a couple of weeks earlier and the restricted Santa Ysabel seemed the logical next step for her.

Trainer Wayne Lukas chose instead to wait for the Las Virgenes Feb. 24, but that didn’t stop Santa Anita’s leading trainer from winning his fifth stakes race of the 38-day-old meeting.

Bright Candles, who isn’t generally regarded as one of the best sophomore fillies in Lukas’ barn, rallied for the second time in the race and beat Heaven for Bid by three-quarters of a length in 1:45 3/5 for the mile and a sixteenth.

A $675,000 yearling, Bright Candles, a daughter of El Gran Senor, is obviously improving. Previously, she had lost by a head to Fit to Scout in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez.

Still, she hadn’t come close in two previous two-turn efforts, being beaten by a total of 21 1/2 lengths.

The 3-1 second choice Monday, she appeared to have been put away by Heaven for Bid approaching the stretch.

“She was in awfully tight (on the far turn),” said Gary Stevens, who won three times in padding his lead in the jockeys’ standings. “It was just good race riding (by Pat Valenzuela on Heaven for Bid). My filly may have been a little intimidated down in there.

“She didn’t seem to want to go through. When Heaven for Bid kicked it in gear and got a length on my filly, the leader relaxed and dropped down. She’d been trying to get out and it surprised me when she dropped down. I was afraid I might clip heels, so I checked and went outside.

“She showed she’s a pro and when she got outside and we hit the quarter pole, she re-broke. I felt all along I had a lot of horse under me. It surprised me when she didn’t go through on the rail. When she got outside, she made the move I thought she had in her.

“She may have been getting a little late again today, but they will do that when you get them stopped and ask them to make two runs.”

Mel Stute, trainer of the runner-up, who was trying a distance race for the first time, thought she might have had an excuse.

“She might have pulled up when she saw the starting gate,” he said. “Pat said she kept looking and looking and looking.”

Annual Reunion, the 3-2 favorite, was third, beaten by slightly more than two lengths.

“She hesitates running inside,” said Gary Boulanger. “She doesn’t like the dirt hitting her. I tried to save ground, but she wouldn’t punch it down there, so I got her out in the clear, but by then it was too late.”

Present Value, who flopped at even-money in the San Antonio Handicap, will be back to try again in the Santa Anita Handicap March 4.

“I can’t figure it out,” said trainer Jerry Fanning. “I really thought he would run a good race and he never ran a jump. He looked like he was laboring all the way. He seemed fine this morning. You just have to throw it out.”

Present Value, who won stakes all over the country last year, never looked as if he was going to be a factor in the San Antonio. Some knowledgeable observers didn’t like the way he looked going to the gate, then he lugged out in the clubhouse turn.

Criminal Type, who won his fourth consecutive race in the San Antonio, will be supplemented to the Big ‘Cap for $25,000, along with Lively One, the San Pasqual runner-up.

Martial Law, who scored a shocking upset in last year’s Big ‘Cap, was the second supplementary entry to win the race. The other was Prince Dantan in 1974.

Carols Tri Crown, the 9-5 favorite in Monday’s fourth race, reared as the gates opened and never joined the race.

Not until several minutes after the race was official did most of the 15,000 know what had happened to the filly. The stewards correctly termed her an official starter, but they should have posted the inquiry sign immediately and the announcement about her status should have been made long before the race was made official.

Horse Racing Notes

Gary Stevens also won with Rictorious and Ali’s Song Monday and now holds a 50-42 lead over Chris McCarron in the jockey standings. He also has a meeting-high seven stakes victories. . . . Wayne Lukas, who also won the seventh with Santa Tecla, said Steinlen will make his 1990 debut in the Arcadia Handicap March 4. He also said Land Rush will start in the San Rafael March 3 and that Stella Madrid and Del Mar Debutante winner Rue De Palm are back in training.

Corey Black and McCarron each had two winners Monday. . . . There will be a Pick Six carryover of more than $98,000 when racing resumes Wednesday. . . . Joe Garcia, Laz Barrera’s longtime assistant, quit Monday morning and will go out on his own.