DEL MAR : Attack of Colic Sidelines Exbourne

Exbourne, who would have been one of the favorites in the Arlington Million on Sept., 1 was stricken with colic early Friday morning and is out of the race.

After the 5-year-old became ill, he was vanned about 30 miles to the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital where he underwent surgery.

“They called me at 3:30 in the morning and said he was sick,” trainer Bobby Frankel said. “When I got to the barn, they were putting him in the van to take him to the hospital.

“He seems fine now, but we’ll have to see what happens the next couple of days.”

According to Frankel, Exbourne, who has won seven of his 13 races, was fine Thursday and had had a sharp seven-furlong workout Wednesday. If all goes well, the multiple-stakes winner will return to racing in 1992.

Exbourne has stakes victories in the Shoemaker and Hollywood Turf handicaps at Hollywood Park and, most recently, the Caesars International at Atlantic City, N.J., on July 21. He was also the runner-up in the San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate, Santa Anita’s El Rincon Handicap and the American Handicap at Hollywood Park, which was won by probable Arlington Million favorite Tight Spot.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Aggie Hoffman, jockey David Flores picked up his H-1 visa at the American consulate in Tijuana Friday and will be named on horses this morning for Monday’s card, according to agent Bill Barisoff.

Flores was arrested July 29 by U.S. Border Patrol officers at Del Mar after his visa had expired. The day before his arrest, Flores had ridden three winners, Sprucory, Seville and Dangerous Power.

The 23-year-old jockey rode Marquetry to victories in the Hollywood Gold Cup and New England Classic, but Gary Stevens will ride the Conquistador Cielo colt in the Sept. 1 Philip Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park.

Seven 3-year-old fillies were entered for Sunday’s $175,000 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, but nearly all of the attention will be centered on Flawlessly and Fowda.

A daughter of Affirmed, Flawlessly toyed with her rivals in the San Clemente Handicap, setting a stakes record with a 1:34 4/5 mile, and she is perfect in three starts on the grass. Chris McCarron will again ride for trainer Charlie Whittingham.

Fowda, making her turf debut, will be seeking her third consecutive Oaks victory. After winning the Hollywood Oaks, the Strawberry Road filly went east and won the Monmouth Oaks in New Jersey.

With Eddie Delahoussaye aboard, Fowda worked five furlongs on turf in 1:01 3/5 Thursday morning.

“She breezed really well,” trainer Dick Lundy said. “She’s coming up to the race well and she’s ready to go.

“She hasn’t run on the grass before, but she handled it very well. Eddie felt very good when he got off her. We’ve done about as much as we can do. Charlie’s filly is going to be tough. She’s run very well on the grass.”

A winner of three of five starts and second in her two defeats, Fowda won in her first try around two turns--the Hollywood Oaks--then won at Monmouth on a day when the temperature was over 100 degrees.

“This filly is super talented and I don’t think she knows how good she is yet,” Lundy said.

The other entrants in the Oaks are Seattle Symphony, who has won three in a row for Gary Jones, two on turf; Miss High Blade, Joli’s Princess, Slip With Me, who will be making her first start in this country for trainer Jude Feld, and Gold Fleece, second behind Flawlessly in the San Clemente. All starters in the Oaks will carry 120 pounds.

One of Lundy’s 3-year-old colts is ready to resume training. Dinard, who almost certainly would have been favored in the Kentucky Derby, will start back Sept. 1.

Successful in the Los Feliz and San Rafael Stakes before winning the Santa Anita Derby, the son of Strawberry Road was injured in late April while preparing for the Derby.

“He had a little tear in an upper suspensory,” Lundy said. “He’s grown and filled out. He’s done very well with the time that we’ve given him.”

Unbeaten in two starts against Best Pal, Dinard could renew the rivalry in Santa Anita’s Strub Series this winter. A possible return for Allen Paulson’s gelding is the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes Dec. 26, Santa Anita’s opening day. Dinard made his racing debut last Dec. 26, beating maidens by five lengths.

Bettors who backed Special Connection in Friday’s second race wound up considerably worse for the experience.

The favorite in the $32,000 maiden claimer, Special Connection reared twice in the starting gate after having been reluctant to load, then broke through the front of the gate, causing about a five-minute delay in the start of the race. Despite all that, she was allowed to run and bettors were not allowed to cancel their tickets.

To the shock of almost no one, the 3-year-old Buckfinder filly was nowhere to be found at the end of the seven-furlong race. Special Connection wound up beating only one horse after showing early speed and was virtually eased through the stretch. The 7-5 choice before she acted up, Special Connection closed at 2-1.

“It’s (starter Tucker Slender’s) decision,” Steward Dave Samuel said when asked why Special Connection had been allowed to run. “If he feels the horse isn’t capable of running his race, he’ll call us. I expected to hear from him, but we didn’t.”