SANTA ANITA : Excavate to Run in the San Rafael

Despite the mud, all of the principals are expected to be be present for today’s $162,400 San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita.

Excavate, who was going to make his first start around two turns in an allowance race Saturday, was scratched and will take on Best Pal, Dinard and four other 3-year-olds in the one-mile San Rafael.

Certain to be a prohibitive favorite Saturday, Excavate was scratched by trainer Charlie Whittingham after two races had been run over a track labeled muddy.

“I talked to a few riders and they said they didn’t like (the track),” Whittingham said. “Tomorrow, the track will be drying out and slow, but it won’t be dangerous. Sometimes, when you have a track like this the bottom is uneven and that makes for bad steps.

“I took him out early, so it didn’t hurt anybody. I looked in (Sunday’s Daily Racing Form), and they’ve got him picked on top, so I was entered in the wrong race, anyway,” he said with a smile.

A son of Mr. Prospector, Excavate should be able to handle an off-track, and he is the 5-2 second choice on Jeff Tufts’ morning line for his stakes debut. In his first start as a 3-year-old, he was a much-troubled second Feb. 14, three-quarters of a length behind Avenue Of Flags. With Chris McCarron riding Dinard, Jose Santos will handle Excavate today.

By far, Best Pal is the most accomplished member of the San Rafael field. He won six of eight starts in 1990 and earned more than $1 million. He hasn’t run since his biggest victory, in the $1-million Hollywood Futurity Dec. 9, but he has trained well for Ian Jory. Gary Stevens will ride the Habitony gelding for the first time.

In his only other try at a mile, Dinard won the Los Feliz by six lengths. When beaten by a nose by Olympio in the San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes Feb. 10, the Strawberry Road gelding was nine lengths clear of third-place finisher Scan.

The entry of Olympio and Sea Cadet; Apollo, who is unbeaten in four sprints; and Mane Minister round out the field for the Grade II race.

About halfway through Saturday’s $106,975 El Conejo Handicap, there was one place Stevens didn’t think he was going to be after it was over: the winner’s circle.

In a five-horse logjam around the turn, Stevens and Black Jack Road, the 4-5 favorite, were bothered. Their trouble was exceeded only by that encountered by Roberto Gonzalez and Lee’s Tanthem, the 2-1 second choice.

“I was out there breezing and sitting easy, and suddenly, I was five lengths out of it,” Stevens said. “I didn’t think I had a prayer at the five-sixteenths pole.”

In a field weakened considerably by the scratches of Olympic Prospect and Navajo Storm, Black Jack Road gathered himself for the stretch run and caught Laurens Quest in the closing yards.

In winning for the seventh time in 23 starts, the 7-year-old gelding covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05 1/5 and won by a half-length. Despite having to take up badly on the turn, Lee’s Tanthem rallied for third, three lengths behind Laurens Quest. Dominated Debut, Snipledo and the badly outclassed Romeo’s Hope completed the order of finish.

“Going into the turn, there were just too many horses in one place,” Stevens said. “No one was relieving pressure inside or outside. You had five horses where there was room for three. I know I wasn’t happy where I was (four-wide, inside Dominated Debut).

“I hit him once and he took off. He ran a gutsy race. I don’t know how he won. The last time I rode him (June 22) he was a very nervous horse. (Trainer) Fordell’s (Fierce) really settled him down.”

This was the first Santa Anita stakes victory for Fierce, who is based in northern California.

“I was born and raised in Thousand Oaks and started coming to Santa Anita when I was 10,” Fierce said. “So, this feels real good. I’ve been third in stakes a couple of times, but I’d never won one.”

Flying Continental, third behind Ruhlmann and Criminal Type in last year’s Santa Anita Handicap, won’t be a participant in the 1991 renewal Saturday.

The 5-year-old, who turned in a dismal performance in the San Antonio Handicap in his last start, was injured Friday and will miss the $1-million race.

“He’ll be fine, but he’s not going to be able to train for about 10 days,” trainer Jay Robbins said. “He kicked out at something at the barn Friday and hit the ultrasound machine. He caught it just right.

“My assistant, Dan Landers, was there and got the vet over quickly. The cut was just above the hock on the hind leg--he just missed an artery--and it required 40 stitches. He was a little stiff today, but he’ll be OK.”

Farma Way, who has won four times at the meeting, including the San Carlos, San Pasqual and San Antonio Handicaps, heads the probable field for the Big ‘Cap. Among those likely to oppose him are Quiet American, Strub winner Defensive Play, In Excess and Anshan. Defensive Play was supplemented to the race for $25,000.

Horse Racing Notes

Frank Olivares, who recently retired from riding to become a trainer, will be honored by Santa Anita today in a winner’s circle ceremony. . . . The fourth annual Jockeys-Celebrities softball game to benefit the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund will be held March 17 at Arcadia County Park. The game will be played immediately after the day’s races and tickets cost $5. . . . Compelling Sound, scratched from the same race Excavate skipped, worked four furlongs in 51 flat Saturday morning. He will make his next start in the San Felipe Handicap March 17. . . . Lee’s Tanthem had been first or second in 11 consecutive races before the El Conejo. “They tried to knock my horse down about 10 times,” jockey Roberto Gonzalez said. . . . Jockeys Gary Stevens and Laffit Pincay Jr. both won three times Saturday and Corey Nakatani had two victories.