SANTA ANITA : Annoconnor to Run Final Race, Turn Broodmare

Multiple stakes winner Annoconnor will probably make her final start before retirement to the broodmare ranks in the $150,000-added Grade I Santa Ana Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the Santa Anita turf Sunday.

“I just breezed her three-eighths this morning,” said trainer Rick Mettee Thursday from Hollywood Park. The 6-year-old daughter of Nureyev was being moved to Santa Anita today.

Annoconnor has won 11 of 28 starts and earned $907,920. A winner of the Grade I Vanity and Ramona Handicaps in 1988, she was an Eclipse Award runner-up to Miesque for female grass horse.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet that this was her last work and that Sunday will be her last race,” said Mettee. “She’s supposed to leave April 1 to be bred to Mister Prospector in Kentucky.”

Annoconnor, owned by Morton Fink and Roy Gottlieb of Skokie, Ill., is named after a former employee of theirs who died of cancer at a young age.

Annoconnor, Eclipse Award winner Brown Bess and 1989 Santa Ana runner-up Fieldy head the Santa Ana lineup. The probable field: Brown Bess, ridden by Jack Kaenel and carrying 123 pounds; Royal Touch, Russell Baze, 121; Annoconnor, Corey Black, 119; Fieldy, Kent Desormeaux, 118; General Charge, Robbie Davis, 117; Invited Guest, Chris McCarron, 117; Mamma Rosita, Eddie Delahoussaye, 115; and Luthier’s Launch, Alex Solis, 113.

Silver Circus, a former $32,000 claimer who has earned $559,000, leads a field of 13 turf runners to the post Saturday at Santa Anita in the $75,000-added San Marino Handicap.

Trainer Julio Canani is stretching Silver Circus out to the 1 1/2-mile San Marino distance off a 1 1/4-mile allowance victory at Santa Anita last month. It was an auspicious debut for the gelding’s 5-year-old campaign, after he won just one of eight starts in 1989. His biggest win came in the 1988 Hollywood Derby.

Silver Circus will be ridden by Gary Stevens and was assigned high weight of 120 pounds for the 28th running of the 1 1/2-mile race for 4-year-olds and up on Santa Anita’s turf course.

Others entered were Pahlwaan, who will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye and was assigned 118 pounds; Colson, Corey Black, 117 pounds; Capel Meister, Fernando Toro, 116; Charlatan, Laffit Pincay, 115; Dream of Fame, Chris McCarron, 114; Laconda, Russell Baze, 114; Royal Reach, Robbie Davis, 114; Two Moccasins, Kent Desormeaux, 114; Super Ready, Patrick Valenzuela, 113; Stop the Stage, Martin Pedroza, 112; Kadial, Alex Solis, 111, and Lemmon Juice, Amir Cedeno, 110.

If all 13 entries go to the post, the total purse will be $86,250 and the winner will collect $52,500.