SANTA ANITA : Dinard Likely Will Find Few Familiar Foes

Only one of the horses that chased Dinard across the finish line in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby is expected to run in the Kentucky Derby May 4.

The owners of Mane Minister, who led the Santa Anita Derby after a half-mile before finishing fourth, 4 1/4 lengths back, indicated Sunday that their colt will go to Churchill Downs to tangle again with Dinard and also try to beat Fly So Free, the future-book favorite. Mane Minister finished fourth, 8 1/2 lengths behind Dinard, in the San Rafael at Santa Anita March 3.

Best Pal, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby after being run down in the stretch, has finished only a half-length behind Dinard in both of their races. Best Pal’s trainer, Ian Jory, and his jockey, Gary Stevens, would both like to see the gelding get another chance in the Kentucky Derby, but owner John Mabee didn’t sound as though that was the plan Sunday.

“We’ll make a decision by the middle of the week,” Mabee said. “There are many other options. There’s going to be some pressure for us to run in the Derby, but we want to do what’s best for the horse. If this was a very valuable stallion, then we’d have to go, but of course he’s a California-bred gelding. We’ll lay back and consider the options for a few days before we make a decision.”

A race under consideration for Best Pal is the $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 20. If Best Pal runs there, he wouldn’t run in the Kentucky Derby, which would make for three tough races at three tracks in four weeks.

“Naturally, we hope they decide to run in the Kentucky Derby,” said Gene Williams, an official for Triple Crown Productions, which coordinates the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. “Best Pal is at least the third best 3-year-old in the country right now, and he might even be the second.”

Jory reported that Best Pal came out of the Santa Anita Derby in excellent condition. “He was super-fit going into the race,” Jory said. “And I don’t think he was short (lacking conditioning) for the race. He cooled out in 20 minutes. In the test barn afterwards, he dried out quicker than the other two (Dinard and Sea Cadet, who finished third). Then he ate up last night (Saturday), and everything (on his legs) was cold, which is the way it’s supposed to be.”

Dinard and Best Pal had contrasting workouts before the race. Best Pal exercised in a moderate 1:14 for six furlongs, while Dinard blazed five furlongs in :58 2/5 a few days later.

Mane Minister, who remained in contention until mid-stretch, is owned by John Toffan and Trudi McCaffery, who bought him as a yearling for $93,000 as they began building a stable a couple of years ago.

“When you have a sound horse on the improve, you have to consider the Kentucky Derby,” McCaffery said Sunday. “You never know if you’re going to get the opportunity to go to the Derby again.”

Horse Racing Notes

Winning his first stake in the United States, Pharisien overtook Exbourne in the stretch in the $170,000 El Rincon Handicap. Favored Exbourne held on for second, one length behind and three-fourths of a length better than Tartas. Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Pharisien won two of six American starts before Sunday and was sixth in the Arcadia Handicap, his only stakes test. He ran the one-mile El Rincon in a swift 1:33 1/5, which was a fifth of a second faster than Steinlen’s winning time last year. Pharisien, trained by Christian Doumen after starting his career in France, paid $14.80. The 4-year-old colt carried 113 pounds, five less than Exbourne.

Eddie Delahoussaye finished sixth with Blaze O’Brien in the El Rincon, but he won four other races Sunday. . . . Trainer Brian Mayberry shipped Ifyoucouldseemenow to Keeneland and she won the Beaumont Stakes Sunday by four lengths, with the favorite, Versailles Treaty, finishing second. Ifyoucouldseemenow, who paid $5.80 as the second choice, was ridden by Martin Pedroza. The 3-year-old filly has five victories, one second and three thirds in nine starts.