SANTA ANITA : Rial Wins for New Trainer With Familiar Face

There was something different about Rial’s latest stakes success for Enrique Carlos Boelcke.

He won Del Mar’s Escondido Handicap and the Oak Tree Invitational as an owner, but Rial’s runaway in Monday’s $275,900 San Luis Obispo Handicap was his first as the 6-year-old’s trainer.

Ridden confidently by Jorge Velasquez, Rial cruised to the lead before six furlongs had been run, then kept extending his margin to the wire. At the end of the 1 1/2 miles on turf, he had 4 1/2 lengths on 13-1 shot Intelligently while completing the distance in 2:24.

Previously trained by Vincent Clyne and Pico Perdomo, Rial has been with his owner since Boelcke took out his license in December. This was his second victory, but Monday’s was much more lucrative than the first. Porchetto won a $10,000 claimer Jan. 17.

“I’m very happy,” said Boelcke, who prefers to be called Eric. “When I came (from Argentina), I felt California had the best racing in the world and I thought it would be very tough to compete here.

“I’m lucky to have a very good horse and I have very good friends who helped me adapt to the training system here. Pico Perdomo helped me come to the states and change my way of training. He helps me in any way I need.

“Since Rial came back in July last year, he’d had eight races. He was skinny in his last race (a troubled fifth in the Hollywood Turf Cup Dec. 16), so we thought he deserved a vacation. He gained about 50 pounds and that 50 pounds worried me because I had a feeling he might be a little short. He’s more strong and fit now.

“I’ll run him in the San Luis Rey (March 24) and our goal is the San Juan Capistrano (April 21).”

Intelligently, whose only U.S. victory came in an $80,000 claimer, was a neck in front of 15-1 shot Royal Reach. Vaguely Hidden, the 5-2 favorite, was fourth and El Senor, the 120-pound highweight making his first start since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, beat only Tsu’s Dawning in the field of nine.

This was the second time Velasquez rode Rial. Their other result was a distant second to Phantom Breeze last September in the Louisiana Downs Handicap.

“He really likes this distance,” Velasquez said. “(Boelcke) has done a good job with him.”

Easily the most impressive winner on Monday’s program was Split Run, a 3-year-old son of Relaunch.

Three weeks after breaking his maiden by six lengths in his debut, the Glen Hill Farm-owned colt doubled that margin when stretched out by trainer Tom Proctor.

The 1-2 favorite, Split Run made the lead under Jose Santos, set slow fractions (23 2/5, 47 2/5 and 1:11 3/5), then roared home to win in 1:41 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

“If this horse stays sound and keeps going the way he is now, he’s going to be one of the top horses around,” Santos said.

Another of the West’s promising 3-year-olds, Whadjathink, will make his stakes debut Wednesday in the $81,450 Bradbury Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

A striking son of Seattle Song, Whadjathink broke his maiden first time out by a head going six furlongs, then stretched out and won by 5 1/2 lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 Jan. 21 over a track that wasn’t particularly fast.

Trained by Michael Whittingham and owned by Dick Duchossois, who also has a share of Excavate, the Illinois-bred has continued to work well since his last start. He went a mile in 1:39 1/5 Feb. 11, then came back five days later with a :59 1/5 for five furlongs. Gary Stevens will ride him.

The main threat to the 120-pound highweight is General Meeting, the runner-up to stablemate Best Pal in the Hollywood Futurity. Most Recently, the Seattle Slew colt was second at 4-5 odds behind Sea Cadet in Bay Meadows’ El Camino Real Derby.

Other entrants are Slew The Surgeon, second to Apollo in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes; Santa Catalina runner-up Conveyor; Doc Of The Day, Famed Devil and Recent Arrival.

Horse Racing Notes

Squalling, a half-sister to multiple-stakes winner Prized, won in her debut Monday, upsetting favored Long Time Ago in the sixth race. Trained by David LaCroix and ridden by Julio Garcia, the 3-year-old Beau’s Eagle filly returned $92.80. . . . . . . . Rial paid $9.40 to win and the $163,400 payday boosted his earnings to $615,495. . . . Jorge Velasquez also won the third with My Lucky Son, who won his third in a row for trainer Chuck Marikian. Gary Stevens and Garcia also had two winners Monday. . . . Post time moves to 1 p.m. when racing resumes Wednesday.