OAK TREE : Kartajana Gift Horse for Drysdale

In a year when his stakes victories have been in short supply, trainer Neil Drysdale landed a gift horse. The Aga Khan’s racing people sent Kartajana to his California barn after the 4-year-old filly had almost won the Arlington Million last month, and in her first start for Drysdale, Kartajana will try to win the $500,000 Oak Tree Invitational on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Three females have won this grass stake before--the most recent was Estrapade in 1986--and two fillies, Kartajana and Crnagora, are in Sunday’s 11-horse field.

The 23rd running of the Oak Tree is a wide-open affair that includes Filago, who bled badly while running ninth as the second choice in the Arlington Million; and My Style, who came straight from Europe and won the Del Mar Handicap a month ago.

Here is the way the field lines up:

Kartajana, with Eddie Delahoussaye riding; Spending Record, Martin Pedroza; Crnagora, Chris McCarron; My Style, Kent Desormeaux; Filago, Pat Valenzuela; Super May, Laffit Pincay; Missionary Ridge, David Flores; Aksar, Danny Sorenson; Glorify, Alex Solis; Black Monday, Corey Nakatani; and Fraise, Russell Baze. All of the starters will carry 126 pounds, except Kartajana with 123, Fraise at 121 and Crnagora at 118.

The decision to send Kartajana to Drysdale was made after her exceptional effort in the Million on Sept. 1. Tight Spot beat Algenib by a neck, and Algenib had only a neck on Kartajana, who had traffic trouble in the stretch and tried to come through on the rail in the final strides.

Kartajana was saddled by Alain de Royer-Dupre in the Million, and she also has been handled by Michael Stoute, another of the Aga Khan’s European trainers. Drysdale has trained a few of the Aga Khan’s European imports in recent years, though none that could be as good as Kartajana.

Females trying to beat males in the United States usually prompt fanfare, but for Kartajana it would be unique if she didn’t run against the opposite sex. The Million was her sixth consecutive race in mixed company, and this year she has won major races over males in Paris and Munich. Overall, she has won six of 12 starts and earned more than $600,000.

Those victories this year were at 1 1/4 miles. Kartajana has never won at 1 1/2 miles, Sunday’s distance.

“She’s a well-made filly, medium-size, very attractive,” Drysdale said. “She has particularly good balance.”

Drysdale saw the Arlington Million on television.

“She got boxed in, then came inside and almost made it,” he said. “I’m told that she likes a mile and a quarter better than a mile and a half. But the distance for this race is what it is, and we’re going to see what she can do.”

Delahoussaye has the assignment on Kartajana for the first time. William Mongil, a French jockey, rode the filly in the Million.

Unlike many horses from Europe, Kartajana seems to prefer firm ground, and that’s what she’ll get at Santa Anita. There was a mile race on grass there Thursday and Agirlfromars won it in a quick 1:33 2/5. Among her victims was a Drysdale-trained horse, Bequest, who was third, beaten by less than a length, at 1-2 odds.

“The course stung Bequest’s feet,” Drysdale said. “Of course, she doesn’t have the best of feet, anyway. This course will just depend on how the individual horses take to it.”

The options for Kartajana after Sunday are the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Turf, at 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2; and the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon, a 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita race on Nov. 10.

Drysdale, 43, is one of the most successful trainers in the seven-year history of the Breeders’ Cup. He won the Distaff in 1984 with Princess Rooney, won the Juvenile in 1985 with Tasso, then in 1989 made the switch from dirt to grass with Prized, who won the Turf in his first start away from the main track.

Wayne Lukas is the runaway Breeders’ Cup leader with 10 training victories, but after him come Drysdale and Shug McGaughey with three apiece.

Drysdale didn’t have a starter in last year’s Breeders’ Cup. He has trimmed down his operation, caring for fewer horses, and will need help from Kartajana and others in the next months to go over the $2-million mark in purses.

“She’s my only hope for the Breeders’ Cup,” Drysdale said. “If she doesn’t make it, I won’t be there.”

Horse Racing Notes

Eddie Delahoussaye and Wolf, another of Neil Drysdale’s horses, overtook Golden Pheasant inside the sixteenth pole and won Friday at Santa Anita. Delahoussaye is out of town today for an even richer race than Sunday’s Oak Tree Invitational, riding Festin in the $850,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. . . . Drysdale saddled the Oak Tree Invitational winner in 1984, when Both Ends Burning, at 22-1, won under Russell Baze. Hawkster gave Baze his second Oak Tree triumph in 1989, when he was a replacement for Pat Valenzuela, who called in sick. . . . Both Ends Burning was the 9-5 favorite in 1985, but finished second, three-quarters of a length behind Yashgan.

Besides Estrapade, the other females who won the Oak Tree Invitational were Tallahto in 1974 and Zalataia, who came from France and beat John Henry by half a length in 1983. . . . In 1982, John Henry gave Bill Shoemaker his eighth victory in the Oak Tree. No other jockey has won the stake more than twice. . . . Crnagora, out of quarantine after arriving from France, galloped at Santa Anita Friday morning. Crnagora and My Style give trainer Darrell Vienna two starters in the race. . . . Bobby Frankel is saddling three, Filago, Glorify and Missionary Ridge.

Today at Santa Anita, there will be betting on Sunday’s Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. El Senor, an American horse, is in the field. . . . Gary Stevens was at the Meadowlands Friday night riding Safely Kept, and he’s at Longchamp on Sunday to ride Fire the Groom, the Bill Shoemaker trainee, in the Prix de l’Opera. . . . Pat Valenzuela rides Strike The Gold in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont today. Jerry Bailey has the assignment on Twilight Agenda. . . . On Sunday at Belmont, Berillon, winner of the Escondido Handicap at Del Mar, runs against Solar Splendor in the $500,000 Turf Classic.