DEL MAR : McAnally Is Hoping Silver Ending Can Follow Same Path as Hawkster

It was last year that another son of Silver Hawk skipped his way through the schedule without a mistake. First the Del Mar Derby, followed by the Secretariat at Arlington Park, then the Oak Tree Invitational at Santa Anita.

And it was in the Invitational that Hawkster turned in one of the sport’s most dazzling performances on turf with a spectacular, wire-to-wire victory. A mediocrity on the main track, Hawkster was exceptional on the green.

Ron McAnally is hoping that Silver Ending can emulate his now-retired older brother, starting Sunday when the bargain yearling takes on nine other 3-year-olds in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby.

Far more accomplished on the dirt than Hawkster, Silver Ending has every right to move up on the turf. Besides his sire, Copperhead, his dam, is also by Hawaii, so he’s bred for the surface on both sides.

In his one previous turf try, the Kentucky-bred, owned by Angelo Costanza and McAnally’s wife, Debbie, won an allowance race by two lengths Nov. 15 at Hollywood Park. Although the competition wasn’t much, Silver Ending was impressive.

Since then, he has gone on to earn well over $600,000, including victories in the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows and the Arkansas Derby. Most recently, Silver Ending was second, beaten by a neck, by Jovial in the Swaps on July 22.

Now, he’ll take on a Derby field that includes the Bruce Jackson duo of Aksar and In Excess; stablemate Tight Spot, who won the recent La Jolla Handicap; Mehmetori; Chicago import Super Abound, and Itsallgreektome.

“He’s coming up to the race as good as can be expected,” McAnally said. “He worked seven furlongs in 1:24 1/5 and galloped out a mile in 1:37 2/5 last week. Eddie (Delahoussaye) said he felt good and strong. He went 1:03 4/5 on the turf Thursday and he just skipped over it. His ears were up all the way.

“He’s bred on both sides for the turf and hopefully, he’ll live up to it. He’s got the right kind of action. If all goes well, we’ll try to follow the same pattern as Hawkster.”

Tight Spot, a son of His Majesty who will race coupled with Silver Ending, is unbeaten in two tries on the turf. He went wire-to-wire in the Star Dust at Hollywood Park in late June, then held off Itsallgreektome to win the La Jolla by a nose.

With Delahoussaye, whom McAnally allowed to choose his Derby mount, opting for Silver Ending, Laffit Pincay will ride Tight Spot. “He might have a little trouble getting the extra distance (the Derby is 1 1/8 miles, a sixteenth longer than the La Jolla),” McAnally said. “But the turf seems to be playing a little more for speed now.

“Laffit worked Tight Spot the other day, and he said he felt strong. I’ll just tell him to try and slow the pace down as much as he can. There is some concern about him coming back (in two weeks), but he’s a strong colt and a good doer who can take a little more punishment than some of the others.”

Even though Jovial is sitting this one out in favor of next month’s Molson Export Challenge, Jackson is well-represented with two other foreigners, Aksar and In Excess.

Both were second in their American debuts, the former in an allowance race, the latter in the first division of the Oceanside, where he was a head back of Mehmetori.

Gary Stevens rode both colts, and although he was named on Aksar, he has the option of switching to In Excess if he chooses. However, America’s leading jockey said he’s “90% certain” he will stay where he is.

“They’re very hard to separate,” he said. “I think the two are of equal caliber, but I think Aksar’s style will fit this race a little better. He’s easy to place and he’s got an unbelievable finish. At this point, I think both colts have the credentials to possibly develop into better horses than Jovial.”

This is quite a mouthful, considering that Jovial has won three of his four starts in this country, including the Cinema Handicap and the Swaps Stakes.

Stevens added: “All three are built the same, carry themselves alike and are willing to do whatever you want them to do. I don’t think any of them have come close to peaking yet. All three have lots of room for improvement.”

Defending champion Brown Bess will head a field of nine in the $271,500 Ramona Handicap today.

The 1989 Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top female grass performer has found things a bit tougher as an 8-year-old, winning only one of four starts.

“I’m not disappointed with her races this year,” trainer Chuck Jenda said. “She’s a champion who’s paying the price of a sensational year by carrying a lot of weight this season. Just look at the Ramona.

“She carried 117 pounds when she won last year and now she has 122. She also picked up weight from last year in the Yerba Buena and Golden Gate Handicap.”

Jenda also thinks the shorter distance--the Ramona is 1 1/8 miles and her last two races have been 1 3/8 miles--will help Brown Bess, who, as usual, will be ridden by Jack Kaenel.

The other Ramona contestants are Nikishka, Reluctant Guest (who had two stakes victories at Hollywood Park), Run to Jenny, Stylish Star, Daring Doone (second in this race last year), Rosadora, Double Wedge and Jabalina Brown.

Horse Racing Notes

All starters in the Del Mar Derby will carry 122 pounds. . . . The co-feature Sunday is the $107,125 Rancho Bernardo Breeders’ Cup Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. Trainer Wayne Lukas, who has won the race three of the last four years and five of the previous eight, will send out Saratoga Chill, San Rama and Plume Poppy. . . . The rest of the field includes Jig’s Jove, Down Again, Sexy Slew, Hot Novel, Warning Zone, Plume Poppy and Tasteful T.V.

Chris McCarron, who worked three horses again Friday morning, said he will be back in action next Friday, less than three months after breaking his legs and an arm in a Hollywood Park spill. . . . Apprentice Vann Belvoir, who was hurt in a spill Thursday morning, will return Wednesday. “The doctor told him to take four or five days off,” said agent Scotty McClellan. “He has a little soreness in his back from a compressed vertebra and had 10 stitches inside his lower lip.”

Pat Valenzuela continues his domination of the jockeys’ race. He won four more races Friday to boost his total to 34, moving him 15 ahead of Gary Stevens, who had two winners.