SANTA ANITA : The San Felipe Is Short Work for Sea Cadet

Sea Cadet won the $214,200 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday, and therein hangs a tail.

Not much of a tail, actually, because this 3-year-old colt was born with little backing. Sea Cadet races with about a 10-inch tuft at the rear, much less than the average horse.

But his trainer, Ron McAnally, prefers accomplishments to cosmetics, and this is what he and owner-breeder Verne Winchell got again in the San Felipe--a three-length victory over a field of promising Kentucky Derby prospects.

Scan, the lesser-known colt in a barn that includes Florida Derby winner Fly So Free, finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Compelling Sound, who was a neck ahead of Green Alligator. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Split Run in fifth place. Despite making his first stakes appearance, lightly raced Split Run was the 7-10 favorite of the crowd of 46,001, based on two victories totaling 18 lengths against lesser opposition.

Chris McCarron rode Sea Cadet, a Bolger-Hattab Gal colt, the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 4/5 after a troubled start.

In the race before the San Felipe, Excavate, who finished last in the San Rafael Stakes, redeemed himself and re-entered the Derby picture with a 3 1/2-length allowance victory in 1:42 3/5.

McCarron also rode Excavate, and he rides Dinard, the winner of the San Rafael and the likely favorite in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby. And if that isn’t enough, he also has been riding General Meeting and Doc of The Day, two other stakes-winning 3-year-olds.

“I live for tough decisions like these,” McCarron said after the San Felipe. “I just love these decisions, and I hope I can capitalize on what I’ve got in front of me. I’ve never had two 3-year-olds of this quality to choose from, let alone all of these. What I’d like to do is wait as long as I can, but I’m sure there are people out there who won’t permit me to do that.”

McAnally also trains Olympio, another Winchell runner, who won the Sausalito Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in his last start. It’s expected that Sea Cadet will run in the Santa Anita Derby, and Olympio will try the California Derby at Golden Gate April 13.

Neither horse was an early nominee for the Triple Crown races, at a fee of $600, but they can be made eligible for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont at a cost of $4,500 apiece by April 8.

On Sunday, Sea Cadet, the last starter to be loaded in the eight-horse field, was leaning to his right when the doors opened, and he caught his right hip on the side of the stall. But that still didn’t compromise the colt’s ability to make the lead.

“He broke to the right, and that cost us about a length and a half,” McCarron said. “But he regained his balance, and I was still tickled about where we were at the start.

“He was very comfortable on the lead, just loping along. It felt like we ran the first half-mile in about 48 (actually 46 seconds). He won handily. I didn’t hit him, but I rode him out just to teach him to persevere.”

Oregon, Compelling Sound and Split Run were immediately behind Sea Cadet going down the backstretch, but Sea Cadet, who paid $12.60 to win as the fourth betting choice, had plenty left for the stretch run.

Scan was in sixth place after a half-mile, but tired after moving into second at the head of the stretch.

“We had no excuse,” said Jose Santos, who had been high on Split Run going into the San Felipe. “He came back real tired. About the three-eighths pole, he was already done. He sounded and felt weak. It’s a big disappointment.” There is consolation for Santos, however. He is Fly So Free’s jockey.

Horse Racing Notes

Kent Desormeaux suffered a broken right wrist and Omar Berrio complained of back pains after they were injured in a two-horse spill near the quarter pole during Sunday’s last race. Number One Tuto, Berrio’s mount, broke down, and Attesa, the horse Desormeaux was riding, stumbled over the fallen horse, sending Desormeaux flying. Number One Tuto was destroyed. Both riders were treated at a nearby hospital and released.

Wayne Lukas, who saddled Oregon for the San Felipe, complained loudly to Tom Robbins, Santa Anita’s vice president for racing, in the paddock before the race. “Doesn’t management know any better than to have a horseshoe-pitching contest before a big race like this?” Lukas said. “These horses have been over here for close to 40 minutes, and we shouldn’t be waiting. They could have had that thing (the contest) any time today, except now.” . . . The crowd of 46,001 was the largest of the season.

Trainer Scotty Schulhofer had a big weekend, winning the Florida Derby with Fly So Free, finishing second in the San Felipe with Scan and winning an allowance race by eight lengths Sunday with Cahill Road, another of his talented 3-year-olds based at Gulfstream Park. Fly So Free is headed for the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 13; Scan will run in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6, and Cahill Road will go in the Preview at Gulfstream the same day.