SANTA ANITA : Dinard Outduels Apollo, Best Pal in the San Rafael

Dinard became the early California favorite for the Kentucky Derby Sunday, outbattling Apollo and Best Pal in a furious finish to win the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita.

Dinard, whose only loss in four starts was by a nose, came from the outside under Chris McCarron to beat the front-running Apollo by a head. Only a half-length farther back was Best Pal, who ran a strong race in his first outing in almost three months.

It was eight lengths back to Mane Minister in fourth place. Last in the five-horse field, beaten by about 11 1/2 lengths, was Excavate, the $1.1-million yearling who at 2-1 was the second betting choice. Olympio, who beat Dinard in the San Vicente Feb. 10, and his stablemate, Sea Cadet, were both scratched by trainer Ron McAnally.

Fly So Free, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt, has won both of his races this year in Florida, and is favored to win the Derby. But Dick Lundy, who trains Dinard for owner-breeder Allen Paulson, doesn’t think Fly So Free has met the competition that California’s 3-year-old crop is providing.

“Don’t get me wrong, Fly So Free is a good horse,” Lundy said Sunday. “But he’s just played with those horses back there. The group out here is much better than the one in the East. I think my horse has to be one of the top three or four in the country, and I have a feeling he will get better.”

McCarron agreed, adding that this group of 3-year- olds is the deepest in talent that he has seen since arriving in California in 1978.

McCarron has ridden Dinard in all of his races--a five-length victory at Santa Anita on opening day, a six-length victory in the Los Feliz two weeks later and the loss to Olympio.

“This horse has been a professional from the word go,” McCarron said. “I don’t think he really needs to improve that much. He’s won three out of four against the strongest crop in the country.”

McCarron had to do some fancy handling as Dinard battled Apollo and Best Pal down the stretch. Dinard was third at the top of the lane, about a length and a half back, while Apollo and Best Pal were battling for the lead. “I was hitting my horse right-handed,” McCarron said, “and then I switched to my left hand, because he started to float in. I had to stop his inward motion, so I grabbed his rein. The picture showed that we won by a good nose, but I couldn’t tell at the wire. All I had was a face full of mane then.”

Dinard had already run a mile, in the Los Feliz. Apollo’s four-race undefeated streak had been in sprints.

On a drying-out track that had changed from “muddy” to “good” midway through the day, Apollo and Kent Desormeaux broke on top, with Dinard and Best Pal taking up the chase early. Excavate, ridden by Jose Santos, broke sluggishly and was reacting badly to the dirt flying in his face. “He threw his head in the air,” said his trainer, Charlie Whittingham, who had scratched the colt from a Saturday allowance race because of the muddy track.

Through fractions of 23 1/5 for a quarter-mile, 47 for the half and 1:10 4/5 for three-quarters, Apollo clung to the lead. He appeared to be tiring midway through the stretch, but then came on again.

Dinard, the favorite of the crowd of 33,480, earned $91,900 of the $159,400 purse, paid $5.40 to win and was timed in 1:35 4/5. “I don’t think the final time is indicative of the great race he ran,” McCarron said.

Excavate, making his first stakes appearance, has a first and a second and a solid pedigree. He has been considered the best chance for Whittingham to win the Derby a third time.

“He didn’t have any excuse,” Santos said. “He tried to get out on the first turn. I thought he would keep going with Dinard and Best Pal, but he didn’t.”

Excavate, who has had a gate problem in all three of his races, appeared to heat up in the crowded paddock, but Whittingham didn’t think so. “He was no hotter than any of the rest of them,” the trainer said. “He worked 1:11 and something while being pulled up the other day, so he was ready. He deserves another chance. I’m not going to shoot him yet.”

A trainer happy with not winning was Ian Jory. He saddled Best Pal for the first time since he won the Hollywood Futurity, his fifth stakes victory as a 2- year-old. “He’s fit now,” Jory said. “This was such a good field, I was thinking about running third or fourth. He should move up five lengths off this race.”

Horse Racing Notes

Dinard, who is by Strawberry Road out of Daring Bidder, a Bold Bidder mare, was gelded in August of last year. “We were forced to do it, because he just didn’t want to train,” Dick Lundy said. “He wasn’t a rogue, but he just wouldn’t apply himself. Also, we were interested in getting some of the Strawberry Road offspring going at the races.” . . . Best Pal, also a gelding, will run next in the Santa Anita Derby. Olympio is scheduled to run in the Sausalito at Golden Gate Fields next Saturday and Sea Cadet is being pointed for the San Felipe. . . . Farma Way, at 120 pounds, is expected to be the high-weighted starter in Sunday’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap.