OAK TREE AT SANTA ANITA : 8 Will Face Best Pal in Cup Classic

Best Pal, who figures to be the shortest price in the nine-race California Cup Saturday at Santa Anita, will have eight rivals in the $250,000 Classic at 1 1/8 miles.

Entries were taken after the races Wednesday for the second California Cup, which is restricted to California-breds. A statewide Pick Seven will be offered on races 3-9.

In making his first start since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Super Derby on Sept. 22, Best Pal will carry 124 pounds, meaning he will spot foes from seven to 12 pounds. The 3-year-old Habitony gelding won the $1-million Pacific Classic in his only other start against older horses, and the competition was much stiffer that day than it will be Saturday.

Here are the fields in post position order for all nine races:

Classic (1 1/8 miles)--Elegant Bargain, Best Pal, Habastar, Run on the Bank, Variety Road, Stylish Winner, Charmonnier, Mizter Interco, Rocket Gibralter, River Master.

Distaff Starter Handicap (1 1/8 miles)--Cindy Jane, Nick’s Fancy, Venturilla, Astrometric Star, Andale, Bel Darling, Holly Dena, Myapologiestoher, Glorious Sensation, Bountiful Native, My Sweet Barbara, A Kiss for Ce, Kaye Lani Ray.

Starter Handicap (1 1/2 miles)--Shinko Wine, Great Event, Traveled in Search, Impact, His Legacy, True Enough, Woodside Express, Loch Levin, Power Base.

Sprint (6 furlongs)--Black Jack Road, Blue Eyed Danny, Due to the King, Softshoe Sure Shot, Past Prince, Valiant Pete, Naevus Star, Express It, Answer Do, Letthebighossroll.

Distaff (About 6 1/2 furlongs on turf)--Hasty Pasty, Tiny Kristin, Dancer’s Career, Waki Betty, Dragonetta, Paper Princess, Lama Lady, Distant Dawn, Heartsaflying, Bel’s Starlet.

Juvenile (1 1/16 miles)--U.S. of America, Blackbeard’s Ghost, Fax News, Spin Bo, Prospect for Four, Wish for Luck, Ebonair, Coco’s Main Man, Material Eyes, Friendship Forever.

Matron (1 1/16 miles )--Wired to Go, Lovely Habit, Effusive Bounty, Number’s Game, Classy Vigora, Justoneofthegirls, Mydadskleven, Teresa Mc, Spirited Susan, Nat’s Lea, She’s a V.P.

Mile (1 mile on turf)--C. Sam Maggio, Individualist, Gundaghia, Blaze O’Brien, Eratone, Breakfast Table, Real Cash, Shirkee, French Seventyfive.

Juvenile Fillies (1 1/16 miles)--Alpine Queen, Ashland Rose, Movie Cutie, Charm a Gendarme, Wine ‘N Music, Don B’s Princess, Merry Eagle, Swoonatune, L’Tov, Whispering Crystal, Terrys Wild Again, Shady Smile, Wicked Wit.

Never far off the moderate pace, Nice Assay made it six victories in 15 starts with a 2 1/4-length triumph over Fappies Cosy Miss and six other 3-year-old fillies in Wednesday’s $106,225 Linda Vista Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Outside Assombrie and Cara Carissima down the backstretch, the 6-5 favorite swept to the lead approaching the stretch, opened up four lengths a furlong from the finish and completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 3/5.

Winner of the Santa Ysabel Stakes earlier in the year at Santa Anita, Nice Assay has won three of her last four starts and she had some trouble when fourth behind Flawlessly in the Harold C. Ramser Handicap Oct. 5.

Owned by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trained by Paco Gonzalez, Nice Assay paid $4.40 and earned $61,225. Fappies Cosy Miss, the 3-1 third choice while coupled with Assombrie, was nearly three lengths ahead of Winglet, the 3-1 second choice.

Reach and Super Hooper were declared non-starters in Wednesday’s third race after an incident at the start cost them any chance of winning.

Super Hooper, in the No. 2 post position under Gary Stevens in the field of eight $25,000 claimers, attempted to break through the gate a fraction of a second before starter Tucker Slender sent the runners on their way. Consequently, one of the assistant starters was holding the 4-year-old gelding. Super Hooper came out awkwardly and severely impeded Reach, inside of him.

Both horses finished well behind the winner, Balzac’s Cope, and the stewards put the Inquiry sign up immediately after the race. All win, place and show money on Super Hooper and Reach was refunded. Bettors who used either in the Pick Nine or the first daily triple were switched to the race favorite, Great Relations, who finished fourth.

Horse Racing Notes

Steve Cauthen, who hasn’t ridden at Santa Anita since 1984, will be here Sunday to ride Colour Chart in the $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes. Cauthen has been aboard Colour Chart in her last four starts. She most recently was second to Fire the Groom, another Yellow Ribbon starter, in the Beverly D. Handicap on Aug. 31 at Arlington Park. Others who probably will in the 1 1/4-mile turf race are Kostroma, Campagnarde, Leariva, Once in My Life, Crnagora, Flawlessly, Lady Blessington, Passagere du Soir and Free at Last.

Bequest, who won the Santa Barbara Handicap in a world-record 1:57 2/5 for 1 1/4 miles on the turf last March, has been retired. The 5-year-old Sharpen Up mare went to the sidelines after that race, returned in August to lose by a nose to Campagnarde in Del Mar’s Ramona Handicap, then was third as the prohibitive favorite in a race at Santa Anita last month.