Inside Post Hurts Chances of See Me Do It

Trainer Bobby Turner winced when See Me Do It drew the rail for the $250,000 Champion of Champions quarter horse race tonight at Los Alamitos.

“It’s hard for any horse to win it two years in a row, but it’s doubly hard for her now,” Turner said with a sigh.

The 4-year-old filly will have to overcome a major track bias if she is to repeat in the Champion of Champions and again become world champion. The last repeater in either was Dash for Cash, her paternal grandsire, who won both honors in 1976 and ’77.

Through midweek, after 250 races had been run at the current session, only 17 winners had started from the No. 1 post, a winning percentage of .068. The No. 2 post had produced an identically discouraging figure. Only the No. 10 post--five for 104, .048--had been less productive. The No. 4 post was best with a winning percentage of .17.

See Me Do It, who has won 15 of 19 starts, won the Champion of Champions here last year from post No. 5.

“She last drew the rail in the All-American Futurity at Ruidoso (N.M., two years ago) and finished second,” Turner said.

Whereas Turner was disappointed with the rail, trainer Lee Roy Heidelberg was elated with the No. 8 post for Tee-Roy Reb.

“I drew the rail in the Breeders Classic Championship (here Nov. 17) and got beat a head and a nose by two great horses, Heisajoy and Jazzing Hi,” Heidelberg said.

Heisajoy, who has won five stakes in seven tries at Los Alamitos the last two years, is expected to be a moderate favorite.

“His shoes are still a trial-and-error thing,” said trainer H.L. Hooper, still seeking the right combination after several slow starts.

Trainer Blane Schvaneveldt, a four-time winner in the 18 previous runnings of the race, will be saddling his 28th and 29th starters in Dash for Speed and Wicked Dash, daughters of Dash for Cash. Wicked Dash finished fourth in the race last year.

Daryn Charlton, conditioner of Jazzing Hi and Apprehend, thinks Jazzing Hi can only improve on his runner-up effort in the Breeders Classic Championship.

“He’s a lot better and sharper,” Charlton said. “I thought that race helped him out a bunch, and he only got beat a bob.”