SANTA ANITA : Laramie Moon Emerges as Another Promising Runner From Argentina

Owner Henry Pabst made a blue-ribbon purchase when he bought Laramie Moon in Argentina last year.

Making her second start in this country, the 5-year-old Laramie Trail mare became a Grade I winner when she ran past 22-1 shot D’Or Ruckus to win the $162,000 Santa Monica Handicap on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Pabst--whose business is meat, not beer--purchased Laramie Moon after being unsuccessful in his attempt to buy Campagnarde. Allen Paulson wound up with that mare, and she went on to win the Grade I Ramona Handicap last summer at Del Mar.

Widest of all in a well-bunched field down the backstretch, Laramie Moon, the 7-2 second choice, was fourth after a half-mile, a length behind D’Or Ruckus with a furlong to run, then was pulling away at the finish. She completed the seven furlongs in 1:22 3/5.

“Her form has been very consistent with Campagnarde, La Paseana and La Charlatana,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “(The Argentines) had a very good crop of fillies that year.

“I don’t think she will be limited by distance. She’s obviously good at at seven furlongs. She’s a very attractive mare and is easy to train.”

Second in the slop two weeks ago, after winning four of seven starts in South America, Laramie Moon will get a shot at more distance in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 9.

“She broke perfectly and she laid (off the pace) perfectly,” said jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who won three other races Sunday. “We lost a little ground in the turn, but she was running handily. To save ground, I would have had to drop down and maybe take up with her.

“She was up there easy and running nice. As soon as she got the lead, she started to pull up a bit. She’s only raced nine times. She might be a coming star.”

Proving her upset victory in the mud in a division of the La Brea Stakes wasn’t a fluke, D’Or Ruckus finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Ifyoucouldseemenow, who was a nose better than 2-1 favorite Brought To Mind.

“She had a little traffic trouble around the turn,” said Pat Valenzuela, who was aboard Brought To Mind for her first race since she finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. “She ran a good race. She hadn’t run in two months, and she’s better around two turns.”

Trainer Jerry Fanning was fined $1,000 and put on probation through July 20 after one of his horses tested positive for a prohibited substance.

Zampese, who finished fifth in the sixth race at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14, tested positive for hydroxy promazine, a sedative. It is used to calm horses, but an animal can’t have it in his system while racing.

Santa Anita steward Pete Pedersen said Fanning was on vacation when Zampese, who was beaten by about four lengths at 20-1 in the race, started. Fanning was also suspended for 15 days, but the suspension was stayed because of Fanning’s record.

“He’s been a trainer since 1958 and he’s had an outstanding record,” Pedersen said. How Zampese received promazine isn’t known.

The purse money was re-distributed, meaning Zampese’s owners had to return $425 to Hollywood Park.

Mineral Wells, arguably the most promising 3-year-old in trainer Wayne Lukas’ barn, won for the second time in as many starts in Sunday’s sixth race.

Sent off the 1-2 favorite, the Mr. Prospector colt ran slightly off the lead early from his outside post, then went on to a two-length victory over Sharp Bandit and five others.

Ridden by Pat Valenzuela, Mineral Wells covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15 4/5 over a track that hasn’t been playing fast. He broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths Dec. 15 at Hollywood Park.

Horse Racing Notes

Laramie Moon paid $9 to win and earned $94,700. . . . Mama Simba, Southern Tradition, Sky Darter, Suziqcute, Avant’s Gold and Remarkably Easy completed the field in the Santa Monica. . . . San Gabriel Handicap winner Classic Fame is the 5-2 morning line favorite for today’s $160,100 San Marcos Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on turf. Super May, French Seventyfive, Defensive Play, Golden Pheasant, Lord Charmer and Fly Till Dawn are the other starters. . . . Best Pal, Olympio, Dinard and Charmonnier, the first four finishers in Saturday’s San Fernando Stakes, are all scheduled to return for the $500,000 Charles H. Strub Stakes next month. Best Pal, who ran one of the best races of his career in winning by 3 1/2 lengths, came out of his race fine. “He pulled up good and is doing great,” trainer Gary Jones said.

For the first time since 1989, Answer Do will try two turns in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile San Pasqual Handicap. The favorite in the race probably will be Twilight Agenda, who will be making his first start of the year. . . . Sea Cadet, a distant third as the odds-on favorite in the William P. Kyne Handicap at Bay Meadows, is bound for Florida and a start in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. . . . Nine 3-year-old fillies were entered for Wednesday’s feature, the $82,725 Santa Ysabel Stakes. Looie Capote, who was second to Magical Maiden in the Hollywood Starlet, is expected to top a field that also includes Golden Treat, Crownette, Wakiland, Red Bandana, Fantastic Kim, Over The Mamoon, Pinochle and Wariness.