SANTA ANITA : General Meeting Is Narrow Winner

Even though Wednesday’s $81,450 Bradbury Stakes didn’t go exactly as planned, Dave Hofmans and John Mabee had no problem with the outcome.

General Meeting, a little farther back early than trainer and owner would have preferred, ran down 16-1 shot Doc Of The Day in the final yards for his first stakes victory.

A 3-year-old son of Seattle Slew, General Meeting had been right there in three other added-money efforts after winning in his debut last Oct. 21.

He was a troubled third in the Hollywood Prevue, then was second behind stablemate Best Pal in the Hollywood Futurity. Most recently, he was second as the 4-5 favorite in the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows.

However, he did have excuses that day.

“He broke badly and he bled bad enough to affect his performance,” Hofmans said.

Treated Wednesday with Lasix, an anti-bleeding medication, General Meeting, the 6-5 favorite, was fourth for six furlongs, moved outside turning into the stretch, and was up to win by a head under Laffit Pincay in 1:48 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Doc Of The Day, who was 3 1/2 lengths clear with a furlong to run, finished two lengths ahead of 11-1 shot Conveyor.

Disappointing was Whadjathink. The 7-5 second choice was a non-threatening fourth while losing for the first time in three starts.

“He just got awful hot and washy,” said jockey Gary Stevens. “He’d run his race before he got to the gate. He was real nervous. . . . I don’t know why.

“The third jump out of the gate he let out a gasp as if to say he was done. I was kind of surprised with the move he put in around the turn, but then he didn’t have anything left. He was fine (going to the gate) in his first race, the second time he was a little stirred up and today he was completely bonkers.”

General Meeting is one of three talented 3-year-olds Mabee owns. He also has Best Pal, California’s top 2-year-old, and Avenue Of Flags, the Hollywood Juvenile runner-up who upset Excavate in his 1991 debut. Best Pal is scheduled to make his initial appearance of the year in the San Rafael Stakes March 2.

“There are plenty of races (for all of them),” Mabee said. “We don’t know how good Avenue Of Flags is yet. We’ll look for a race and maybe take him up north.

“If the time comes when it would be wise to run them together, we would. It’s exciting. I think this horse will run all day.”

Hofmans also says General Meeting’s best days are ahead, but he did have some anxious moments Wednesday.

“We wanted to be closer to the pace,” he said. “I was afraid of somebody getting away on an easy pace and stealing the race and that’s almost what happened.

“He had enough to come around them and catch the leader, who wasn’t stopping. I was impressed with how he ran away from (Whadjathink).”

Pincay, who rode General Meeting for the first time in the El Camino Real Derby, explained why the Kentucky-bred wasn’t closer.

“This horse has got a lot of ability, but he doesn’t want to put out,” he said. “I had to keep hitting him. I had a ton of horse at the half, but I really had to work on him. He won’t do it on his own.

“He’s competitive, but lazy. It’s a good sign because he can always get better.”

A wire-to-wire winner over allowance rivals Feb. 3, Doc Of The Day almost pulled the surprise after disposing of Slew The Surgeon and Famed Devil.

Garden Gal, who won the La Centinela Stakes in her most recent start, is expected to head the field in Sunday’s $150,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile.

Trained by Brian Mayberry and owned by Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel, Garden Gal has been very consistent, but the La Centinela was her first victory since she took the Landaluce last summer at Hollywood Park. Other possibilities include Nice Assay, the La Centinela runner-up and Santa Ysabel winner; Assombrie, who was second in her first try on the dirt in the Santa Ysabel, and Lite Light.

With Laffit Pincay suspended for five days, beginning today, Corey Nakatani will ride Lite Light for trainer Henry Moreno.

Royal Touch, who won her first race in the United States in the San Gorgonio Jan. 6 after numerous failures, is among the probable starters in Saturday’s $100,000 Buena Vista Handicap. Others who could be entered this morning are Taffeta and Tulle, Bequest, Polar Bird, Agirlfromars, Somethingmerry, Hot Pillow and Island Jamboree.

Horse Racing Notes

On a day when five favorites won, there were two perfect tickets in the Pick Nine, each worth $222,623.60. . . . Today marks the halfway point of the 88-day meeting. . . . Wedding Bouquet, who won last week’s Monrovia Handicap in a 19-1 upset, has been retired and will be bred in Kentucky.

Julio Garcia will be at Turf Paradise Sunday to ride Frost Free for trainer John Sadler in the Phoenix Gold Cup and Jose Santos will ride Fly So Free in Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. . . . John Mabee also won the seventh with Heart Of Joy, who was impressive in her American debut for trainer Gary Jones.