SANTA ANITA : Breeder Johnston Has a Busy Week

Buddy Johnston has spent this week accepting congratulations for the recent La Habra Stakes victory by his filly, Somethingmerry, and condolences for selling his half of Real Cash just a few days before the colt’s stunning upset in Sunday’s $150,000 San Felipe Handicap.

Johnston, one of California’s leading thoroughbred breeders, refuses to second-guess himself on the sale. He prefers instead to concentrate on the chances of his 5-year-old turf horse, Just as Lucky, in this Sunday’s $300,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita.

“Maybe I sold Real Cash too soon,” said Johnston from his Old English Rancho office in Ontario. “But I got an awfully good price for my half.”

Johnston said he received “about $200,000” for his half of Real Cash from Kentucky breeder William T. Young. Johnston had bred and owned the son of Tank’s Prospect in partnership with trainer Wayne Lukas, who still owns 50% of the colt.

“I’m always happy to take a profit on a horse and let someone else do well with him,” Johnston said. “But at the time I sold him, it was hard to imagine he would be a Derby horse. He’s certainly worth more now than when I sold him. And if he wins the Santa Anita Derby, he’ll be worth a lot more.”

Since Just as Lucky never has managed to win a major stakes event, his value also would rocket if he can handle the likes of Prized, Hawkster, El Senor and defending champion Frankly Perfect in the San Luis Rey. Although Just as Lucky was beaten barely a length by Frankly Perfect in the San Luis Obispo Handicap on Feb. 19, a victory Sunday by the Johnston horse is no more likely than, well, Real Cash beating Silver Ending and Pleasant Tap in the San Felipe.

Just as Lucky lived up to his name last September when he survived the C.B. Afflerbaugh Handicap at Fairplex Park. Four of the nine horses in the race failed to finish, two others were distanced, and one horse broke down so badly he had to be destroyed. Meanwhile, Just as Lucky blithely circled the carnage to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

In fact, the only real setback for the son of Somethingfabulous in a career of 22 starts was an attack of hives during the summer of 1988. At the time, trainer Don Warren was convinced the colt was on the verge of emulating his accomplished older brother, Something Lucky. Johnston recalled their frustration.

“We tried everything to cure him,” Johnston said. “We changed his feed, changed his bedding, even changed his groom. Don got to the point where he offered to change his trainer. Finally, the hives just went away, but we’d lost the last half of his 3-year-old season.”

In his post-rash period, dating from last May, Just as Lucky has won five of 15 starts and brought back a piece of the purse in all but two of his races. He has finished close to good horses in the past--beating San Gabriel Handicap winner Wretham in a Hollywood Park allowance race last December in addition to his third in the San Luis Obispo. But Just as Lucky will need to run the race of his life simply to get a piece of the San Luis Rey.

Weight is the reason.

Just as Lucky carried 114 pounds in the San Luis Obispo, while Frankly Perfect had 124. Sunday, each will carry 126.

Because all starters in the San Luis Rey carry equal weights, the race has become the truest test of class on the spring and summer grass racing calendar. Flukes rarely even hit the board. Since 1973, when the event was converted from a handicap, the San Luis Rey winners have included two turf champions (John Henry and Perrault), seven millionaires, a Belmont Stakes winner and an Irish classic winner.

“It’s a shame he’s got to pick up so much weight against such good horses,” Johnston lamented. “It’s just that there’s really no other place to run him.

“But he’s on top of his game right now. And he loves the Santa Anita turf course. If he’s ever going to run to the maximum of his ability, it will probably be Sunday.”

Horse Racing Notes

El Senor arrived from Florida at 1 p.m. Wednesday with his trainer, Billy Wright, and was bedded down in Charlie Whittingham’s barn. The millionaire turf specialist has not run since finishing seventh as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last Nov. 4.

Richard Duchossois’ San Luis Rey candidate, Delegant, worked five furlongs on the Santa Anita turf Wednesday in 1:02 1/5 for trainer Mike Whittingham. Delegant got an eight-pound break in the weights, 116-124, when he finished a close second to Frankly Perfect in the San Luis Obispo.

Also working Wednesday was Malibu Stakes winner Music Merci, who has recovered from a sinus infection that knocked him out of the Arcadia Handicap three weeks ago. Now trained by Ron McAnally, the gray gelding sped five furlongs on the main track under Pat Valenzuela in :58 3/5, the best of 45 works at the distance.

Leon Rasmussen’s “Treasures of the Bloodstock Breeders’ Review,” now available from London publisher J.A. Allen, is a compilation of fascinating vignettes from the legendary British racing publication. Modern-day readers should enjoy the irreverent, no-nonsense style of the “BBR” prose. For instance, the bulk of the field for the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap in 1935 was described as “patched-up cripples,” and the winner, Azucar, was flatly called “the luckiest horse that ever stood on plates, as there were at least 15 horses through the season that would not have experienced the slightest difficulty in defeating him at level weights.”