DEL MAR : Corey Black Hoping His Selection of Flying Continental Is Right One

When Corey Black made the decision a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t difficult.

Rather than accompany Kansas City to Canada for Woodbine’s $1-million Molson Export Challenge, the jockey would remain here to ride Flying Continental in the Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup.

Of course, that was before Flying Continental, who had provided Black with victories in the San Fernando and Charles H. Strub Stakes last winter at Santa Anita, finished last in his comeback effort, the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien Aug. 29.

“If I had waited until after the race, the choice would have been really tough,” admitted Black, who had envisioned Flying Continental as his hope for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

So, Chris McCarron will ride Kansas City Sunday in Toronto, a few hours before Black and Flying Continental face Lively One, Ruhlmann and Stalwart Charger in the $206,300 Del Mar Budweiser Breeders’ Cup over a mile.

Should Flying Continental run poorly again, and Kansas City win his third in a row and upset Izvestia, Black won’t have second thoughts. After all, he wouldn’t be the first rider to make a wrong choice.

“If I’m wrong, I’m wrong and if I’m right, I’m right,” he said. “You just have to live with it because there’s nothing you can do. McCarron has to make choices like this all the time, and sometimes he’s right and sometimes he’s wrong.

“Look at Santa Anita last winter. He took off Criminal Type in the San Antonio after winning the San Pasqual to ride Ruhlmann, and Criminal Type won. He took off Ruhlmann in the Santa Anita Handicap to ride Quiet American, and Ruhlmann won. He took off Flying Continental before he won the San Fernando and Strub. He (McCarron) could have won every major colt race at the meeting.”

A 4-year-old son of Flying Paster, Flying Continental has been good to Black. Besides the San Fernando and Strub successes, he was third in the Big ‘Cap, beaten by less than two lengths by Ruhlmann, and was an unlucky second in the Pomona Derby last year at Fairplex.

Trained by Jay Robbins and owned by Jack Kent Cooke, the chestnut had been working exceptionally well before the O’Brien, so it was surprising to see him trail throughout. Granted, sprinting’s not his best game, but he should have gone past somebody.

“I thought he’d make a little bit of a run,” Black said. “He’d been traveling sounder than he’d been in a long time or had ever been. He’s always been a little bit funny about dirt in his face, and last time, he was buried in it down on the inside. He wouldn’t accelerate into the dirt.

“It didn’t seem like he tried too much. I hope that’s the reason why he didn’t run well. He felt good and he pulled up good after the race. I was a bit disappointed, but I just decided to put the race out of my mind and forget that it ever happened. We’ll find out more Sunday.”

Charlie Whittingham looks to have the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup surrounded. He will start 50% of the field--Ruhlmann and Lively One. Freshened since finishing a distant fifth in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Ruhlmann worked a mile in 1:38 1/5 last Monday, five days after going seven furlongs in 1:23 3/5. Lively One has been away since the Mervyn LeRoy May 20, but he has also trained well and is partial to this track.

The other starter, Stalwart Charger, had a three-race winning streak snapped when he was beaten at 3-5 by Jovial and Silver Ending in the Swaps July 22.

It didn’t take owners Frank and Carol Laiacono long to recoup their $40,000 investment in Oh Sweet Thing.

Since being claimed Aug. 3 by trainer Steve Ippolito, the 3-year-old Hostage filly has a second and a win, the victory coming in Friday’s $82,875 Torrey Pines Stakes.

Given a ground-saving ride by Pat Valenzuela, Oh Sweet Thing sat well off the fast early pace, slipped through along the rail in the stretch to take the lead and won by two lengths at $32.40. Earth Angel was second, a length ahead of 59-1 shot Saros Treasure.

Covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5, Oh Sweet Thing picked up $48,525, pushing her earnings for her new connections to $55,725, and she’s now won three of her 10 lifetime starts.

“I claimed her because I like her consistency,” Ippolito said after his first Del Mar stakes victory. “All her races were good, and she obviously was a trier.

How Del Mar’s leading rider felt after his meeting-high seventh stakes win shall forever remain a mystery. Valenzuela still isn’t speaking with reporters.

Vaguely Charming, the 2-1 favorite in search of her third consecutive victory, was last. Close early, she was finished after a half-mile. Directly in front of her were Heartsaflying, a previously unbeaten Flying Paster filly making her first start around two turns, and Northern Glance, the 5-2 second choice while coupled with She’s A V.P., who finished fifth.

Horse Racing Notes

Wedding Bouquet, who was impressive in her American debut Aug. 22, tops the field for today’s $83,325 Osunitas Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Group-placed in Ireland, Wedding Bouquet is now trained by Gary Jones and will be ridden by Chris McCarron. The rest of the field includes Daring Doone, Girl of France, Paper Princess, Baldomero, Annual Reunion, Beata, Kikala, Sonilla and Tessla, who will be racing for Ed Gregson for the first time since last October. She was unbeaten in three starts as a 2-year-old in 1988 in England, but tailed off last year.

Del Mar will hold a three-race All-Star Jockey Challenge Sunday. Team Del Mar, consisting of Laffit Pincay, Eddie Delahoussaye, Pat Valenzuela and Kent Desormeaux, will race against Team Arlington, made up of Pat Day, Jorge Velasquez, Earlie Fires and Randy Romero. The competition will be held in Races 4, 5 and 6. Mounts were assigned by random draw and the competition will continue Sept. 30 at Arlington International in Chicago. . . . Desormeaux will be at Belmont Park today to ride Timebank for Gary Jones in the $75,000-added Fall Highweight Championship.