SANTA ANITA : Ifyoucouldseemenow Takes Rail in Stride in Winning Pasadena

Along the rail, a spot that usually isn’t a trainer’s favorite for sprinters at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park or Del Mar, hasn’t bothered Ifyoucouldseemenow lately.

Nearly two months after winning Hollypark’s Moccasin while inside, the 3-year-old Tuneupfilly was even more impressive from that post in Tuesday’s $85,750 Pasadena Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Santa Anita.

After chasing Lee Azucar most of the way, the 17-10 second choice pulled away in the final furlong to beat Brazen by four lengths in 1:09 3/5 for the six furlongs. Cuddles, the 9-10 favorite, was third, beaten by six lengths in the field of five.

This was the third consecutive victory for owner Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel’s filly and fourth in six starts overall. She was third and second in her two defeats.

“Imagine how good she would be if she ever got off the rail,” said trainer Brian Mayberry after winning the first stakes of 1991. “I just told Martin (Pedroza) to use his own judgment. I wasn’t worried about Cuddles, I was worried about Brazen.

“I didn’t run her in the Starlet because we already had decided to supplement Garden Gal for that race and didn’t want to supplement two. We decided to reserve this filly for here. She’ll probably go on to the seven-furlong stakes (the Santa Ynez Feb. 9) next. I think she’ll stretch out. Her sire is by The Pruner, and she’s from a distance family.”

Pedroza is confident about Ifyoucouldseemenow’s ability to tackle more distance.

“She can do anything,” Pedroza said. “I’ve been watching the races all day and haven’t seen many horses going wire-to-wire, but she was going so easy, I figured, ‘If she’s going to stop, she’s going to stop, and there’s not much I could do about it.’

“I’ve been working her since the Moccasin and every work she’s been improving. She can go1:02, 1:03 or :59. That’s the kind of filly she is.”

Making her first start since winning the Hollywood Starlet Nov. 25, Cuddles was never afactor.

“She ran all right,” jockey Gary Stevens said. “Shortening back up is tough. She got beat by a fast sprinter.

“I let her settle down the backside, but they started sprinting away at the three-eighths pole and I had to rush her. She’s got a good eighth of a mile run if you let her settle into it, instead of rushing her into it.”

Island Jamboree outfinished Decora to win the $64,100 Run For The Roses, which was run as the fifth race.

Ridden by Stevens, Island Jamboree, the 5-2 favorite, won by a half-length and completed the mile in 1:36 4/5.

In Excess, who outbattled longshot Rouvignac to win Monday’s San Gabriel Handicap, will make his main track debut in the $200,000 San Fernando Stakes Jan. 19.

“That’s what we’ve wanted to do all along,” said trainer Bruce Jackson after In Excess won for the third time in his last four starts. “We believe he’ll like the dirt better than the turf.”

Horse Racing Notes

Ifyoucouldseemenow’s victory in the Pasadena was worth $45,750 to her owners. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye won three times, aboard longshots Golden Whisper in the fourth, Shakem Up Haughty in the sixth and J.T.’s Pet in the ninth. . . . Trainer Bob Baffert became a father for the third time when his wife, Sherry, gave birth to Courtland Royal Monday morning. The Bafferts have two other sons. Also giving birth to a boy was Chantal McClellan, the wife of Scotty McClellan, Chris McCarron’s agent. Max Normand was born Monday at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. . . . Trainer Gary Jones and jockey Corey Nakatani will be the guests of Alan Buchdal on “Santa Anita Tonight” this evening at 7:30 p.m. on Channel 18.