SANTA ANITA : Alpine Queen Isn’t Only Healthier, She’s Happier and Winning More

Thanks to the wonders of chiropractic medicine, Alpine Queen has discovered happiness in California.

Beset by all sorts of physical problems when she arrived from Canada last fall, the 3-year-old Monarch filly is fine now and it shows in the turnaround in her form.

Winner of only one of six starts at Exhibition Park and Longacres, near Seattle, Alpine Queen has won two of three races in this state, including a head victory over Don B’s Princess in the $135,150 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes Wednesday at Santa Anita.

Seemingly beaten after dropping well off the pace around the far turn, the 7-2 third choice rallied when taken outside by Corey Nakatani and won in the final stride. Alpine Queen was clocked in a pedestrian 1:24 2/5 for the seven furlongs and paid $9.60 to win.

“She was very unhealthy and very unhappy (last fall),” trainer Gary Jones said. “She had an epiglottis infection, and she also had about four vertebrae out of place. She was sour and she used to try and savage (bite) you when you walked by her stall.

“Two people (Dan Crenshaw and Graham Boyd) worked on her, and I’ve never seen one turn around like this. Now, she’s squealing to go to the track every morning and can’t wait to get there.”

Able to come off the rail on Dec. 28 for her first victory for Jones, Alpine Queen still has one aversion and it almost cost her Wednesday.

“She doesn’t like the dirt hitting her too much, but she sure can mow them down,” Nakatani said. “She was jumping the dirt, but when I got her outside turning for home, she came running.”

Don B’s Princess, the 5-2 second choice, was two lengths ahead of Galore’s Magic, who was a nose better than the 13-10 favorite, Wicked Wit.

An upset winner of the Pasadena Stakes on Dec. 31, Wicked Wit had no real excuses this time.

“She was good the first couple of jumps, then she just relaxed,” jockey Corey Black said. “I made sure she stayed on the bridle, so I didn’t lose too much position. Then at the crossing, she began looking back up the chute. I had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention again.

“She was in the same position as last time at the quarter pole. She just didn’t kick like last time.”

Eight 4-year-olds are expected to be entered this morning for Saturday’s $200,000-added San Fernando Stakes, the second leg of the Charles H. Strub Series.

Heading the field for the 1 1/8-mile race are Olympio, Dinard and Best Pal. Successful in the opening-day Malibu Stakes, the first leg of the Strub Series, Olympio will again be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for trainer Ron McAnally.

Dinard was fourth in the Malibu in his first start since winning the Santa Anita Derby, and he should be tighter Saturday. The gelded son of Strawberry Road worked five furlongs in 59 seconds Wednesday, which was a tick faster than Best Pal went the same distance.

The other likely participants are Charmonnier (who upset Best Pal in the California Cup Classic and was second in the Malibu), Multiengine, Choice Is Clear, Reign Road and Quintana.

Sir Beaufort took advantage of an ideal trip to beat 11-1 shot Another Review by a head in the $62,300 Royal Owl Handicap, the race before the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes.

This was the third consecutive victory for the 5-year-old Pleasant Colony horse and the seventh in 21 starts.

Fourth on the outside, which was the best place to be Wednesday, Sir Beaufort and Chris McCarron got the lead with about a furlong to run and edged Another Review. Tokatee, the 2-1 favorite, was third, a half-length back.

Trained by Charlie Whittingham, Sir Beaufort paid $6.80 and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.

Horse Racing Notes

Hector Torres was granted a stay of his five-day suspension, so he will be riding this week. Torres was disqualified after riding Speedy Lunch to an upset victory over heavily favored Griswold in the Bull Rastus Invitational last Friday at Los Alamitos. . . . Owner Peter Redkop paid $45,000 for Alpine Queen at the 1991 California Thoroughbred March Sale, and she earned $78,900 Wednesday.

Hollywood Startlet winner Magical Maiden was shipped to Bay Meadows Tuesday and heads what figures to be a small field in Saturday’s $150,000 Bay Meadows Oaks. Gary Stevens will go north to ride Magical Maiden for trainer Warren Stute. The race will be simulcast at Santa Anita. . . . Making his first start for new owner Nancy Yearsley, Flying Continental was fifth in the Royal Owl. It was the first outing for the 6-year-old since he finished fourth in the Bel Air Handicap last July 13.