SANTA ANITA : Turf Race Becomes a Soft Touch

While his son, Michael, was winning two races Saturday, trainer Charlie Whittingham was seeing his winless streak extended to nine races at Santa Anita.

Then on Sunday, the elder Whittingham ended his losing streak with an unlikely horse. Royal Touch, who had never won a race in the United States and was winless in 12 starts over 15 months, rallied from the outside to win the $140,100 San Gorgonio Handicap by three-quarters of a length before 27,970.

Countus In, winner of the Dec. 2 Matriarch at Hollywood Park over Royal Touch and three other San Gorgonio starters, ran second Sunday, after making the lead in mid-stretch. Three-quarters of a length farther back in third place was Marsha’s Dancer and fourth place went to Petalia, another mare trained by Whittingham. Little Brianne, sent off the 8-5 favorite, was close to the pace before finishing eighth in the 10-horse field.

Royal Touch, who is owned by Sheik Mohammed, the minister of defense for Dubai, earned $83,850 and paid $15. Winning beyond 1 1/16 miles for the first time in her career, the 6-year-old Irish-bred ran 1 1/8 miles on a turf course labeled good in 1:47 4/5. With Chris McCarron in the saddle, Royal Touch carried 118 pounds, three less than the top-weighted Little Brianne, who had run third in the Matriarch.

Royal Touch has always been competitive, with six seconds and four thirds in 22 races, but the San Gorgonio was only her fifth victory, coming after an eighth-place finish in the Matriarch.

Sunday was the first time Royal Touch caught a soft course in the United States since she made her American debut in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Gulfstream Park in 1989 and ran a strong fourth, losing to Steinlen by less than 1 1/2 lengths.

So last week’s rain came at the right time for the 77-year-old Whittingham. “She won on those soft courses in Europe,” the trainer said. “Those firm courses bother her feet.”

A month before the Matriarch, Royal Touch ran third in the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita, behind Plenty of Grace and Petite Ile, two stars of the female grass division.

“She didn’t have a very good trip in the Yellow Ribbon,” Whittingham said. “With a little luck, she would have won the race.”

Such as it was, the speed in the San Gorgonio was Agirlfromars and Countus In, who entered the backstretch comfortably in front of the others.

On the turn for home, Royal Touch was in fifth place, behind Agirlfromars, Countus In, Little Brianne and Songlines.

Countus In passed a struggling Agirlfromars near the sixteenth pole, but she was appeared unhappy with the soft going and her jockey, Corey Nakatani, said that she bobbled several times. Four wide, Royal Touch passed both of the leaders with a sixteenth of a mile left, McCarron using the whip only once in the run to the wire.

“When I clucked to her at the five-sixteenths pole, she just took off,” said McCarron, who won four races Sunday after flu forced him to take off Saturday after riding only one race. One of the mounts McCarron missed, Classic Value, won the Las Flores Breeders’ Cup Handicap for Gary Stevens.

“This mare (Royal Touch) likes soft ground,” McCarron said. “I was very confident that she’d run better than she has been. When the ground is firm, she runs like she’s mad.”

Both Jack Van Berg, who trains Little Brianne, and Steve Rieser, who handles Countus In, had second thoughts about running their mares because of the soft going.

“The rain hurt our chances,” Rieser said. “I came close to not running. But the mare who won deserves credit. She ran a big race.”

Horse Racing Notes

Eddie Delahoussaye, who was scheduled to ride Marsha’s Dancer, was ill and took off his mounts. “I thought we were going to get there,” said Robbie Davis, who replaced Delahoussaye. “Royal Touch was a couple of lengths ahead of us on the backside, but she had a little left when we got to her.”

Excavate, trainer Charlie Whittingham’s top 3-year-old, has been slowed by a bruised foot. Whittingham said that the colt may return to racing in a couple of weeks. . . . Ack Ack, who was trained by Whittingham when he was voted horse of the year in 1971, died at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., Friday. Ack Ack, 24, sired more than 50 stakes winners, including Youth and Broad Brush. Ack Ack carried 134 pounds while winning the Hollywood Gold Cup and won the Santa Anita Handicap under 130 pounds.