SANTA ANITA : Bayakoa Will Be On for Off Track

Thanks to the wet weather, the Bayakoa-Gorgeous rematch is a go.

The heavy rain that fell Friday and Saturday, along with the forecast of more for today, convinced owner Frank Whitham and trainer Ron McAnally to start Bayakoa in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap rather than wait for the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap March 4.

“(The rain) really made up our minds for us,” McAnally said. “This is her kind of track. We’ve been waiting a couple of years for this kind of opportunity.

“She loves this kind of going. She beat the colts down there (in her final race in Argentina) by 12 lengths on this kind of track. We just had her out there and she just glided over the track. She handled it without any effort at all.”

Bayakoa has started three times on an off track in this country. On Jan. 5, 1989, she won by 12 lengths in the slop at Santa Anita when 3-5 against allowance rivals. Prior to that, she was second to Miss Brio over a good track Dec. 17, 1988 at Hollywood Park going seven furlongs.

Most recently, she won the Santa Maria Handicap two weeks ago on a surface labeled good.

If it hadn’t rained, Bayakoa, the 1989 Eclipse Award-winner as the nation’s top older filly or mare, almost certainly would have tried to become the first female ever to win the Big ‘Cap.

Instead, she will seek a repeat in the Santa Margarita--a feat last accomplished by Tizna in 1974-75--and attempt to defeat Gorgeous for the second time. Their other meeting was in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last November at Gulfstream Park. Bayakoa won by a length and a half.

A battle with Prized and others in the Santa Anita Handicap isn’t completely out of the question. “(Today) would have to be a real easy race on her,” McAnally said. “She’d have to win in hand.”

Chris McCarron will sit in again for Laffit Pincay on Bayakoa. In their initial matchup two weeks ago, McCarron rode the 6-year-old to an easy decision in the Santa Maria Handicap.

Gorgeous, a 4-year-old Slew O’Gold filly who easily won the La Canada Stakes the day before, will again carry 125 pounds--two less than Bayakoa.

Others entered are Carita Tostada, Kelly, Nikishka, Luthier’s Launch and Invited Guest.

The second string was more than good enough for trainer John Sadler Saturday at Santa Anita.

Having shown a strong dislike for mud, Olympic Prospect, Sadler’s ace sprinter, stayed indoors rather than participate in the $79,650 El Conejo Handicap, the shortest race of the meeting at 5 1/2 furlongs.

In his absence, Frost Free, whom Sadler originally planned on saving for the Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise, frolicked in the slop, easily defeating 1-2 favorite Sunny Blossom.

Under Chris McCarron, the 5-year-old It’s Freezing gelding broke best and simply improved his position from there, winning by 5 1/2 lengths while covering the distance in 1:03.

It was the fifth victory in seven starts for the 7-2 second choice and the second since he returned from a nine-month layoff after undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a bone chip in his knee.

“My plan was to run him in the Phoenix Gold Cup, but he’s a superior mudder, so I thought we had a strong hand in the race,” said Sadler. “He’s never lost (5-for-5) at Santa Anita. “I should run him in the Big ‘Cap, huh?

“I thought maybe he’d be laying third today, but he broke good and went right to the front. I felt bad that Gary (Stevens) couldn’t ride him today, but he was committed to Sunny Blossom six weeks ago. He really likes this horse, too.

“Chris doesn’t have a top sprinter, so I put him on hoping he might be able to stick with him.”

Sunny Blossom, who set a track record when upsetting Olympic Prospect in the Palos Verdes Dec. 30, had no excuses, according to his rider.

“He got outbroke, mainly,” Stevens said. “Chris’ horse was just breezing at the three-eighths pole. I went after him, Chris asked him and he just opened up and the race was over.

“He didn’t break as hard as last time, but better than he did at Hollywood Park (Dec. 3) when Olympic Prospect beat him. He just wasn’t fast enough. The winner was long gone.”

Prospectors Gamble was third in the field of five, 3 1/2 lengths behind Sunny Blossom. It was 15 more lengths to Ole Hank McGill and Bet On The Blurr.

Horse Racing Notes

Gary Stevens wants to set the record straight. He hasn’t been riding with a broken rib, contrary to an item released by Santa Anita Friday. “I don’t know where that came from,” said the track’s leading rider. Stevens had some X-rays taken, but they proved negative. “I feel fine riding. If I didn’t, I’d be at home watching. I want to make sure the fans know they’re getting the real Gary Stevens.” Stevens was involved in a spill Feb. 7.

Mister Frisky, who won his 14th consecutive race in the San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes eight days ago, worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 a half-hour before the first race Saturday. With Stevens aboard, the Puerto Rican colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:14. He will make his next start in the mile San Rafael Stakes March 3. . . . Magical Mile, who would have made his 3-year-old debut in the Bolsa Chica Stakes Wednesday, will skip the race after missing a work Saturday because of the rain.

Chris McCarron’s victory on Frost Free gave him a sweep of the daily triple. He took the sixth and seventh on favorites Sir Beaufort and False Tenet, respectively. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye had two winners--J.L.’s Tribute in the third and Forest Fealty in the fifth.