SANTA ANITA : Twilight Agenda Given 126 Pounds for San Antonio, Lukases Unhappy

Twilight Agenda was given 126 pounds for Saturday’s $300,000 San Antonio Handicap, the final prep race for next month’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap. In Excess was handed 123.

Guess who isn’t happy with the weights?

Trainer Bruce Jackson plans on running In Excess in the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio, and Twilight Agenda’s handlers aren’t certain whether their horse will go.

“It’s a tough decision,” said Jeff Lukas, assistant to his father Wayne. “We’ve been debating on whether to start. The weights were not what we expected. We were surprised.

“The last time In Excess was weighted, he carried 126 pounds and beat Farma Way and Festin (in the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park). The horses we’ve beaten are not that caliber. In Excess is definitely in light, and that’s a big concern.”

Idle since finishing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, In Excess was given 124 pounds for the Donn Handicap, but Jackson elected not to ship the 5-year-old to Florida. He worked five furlongs in 58 3/5 last Saturday.

Other probable participants in the San Antonio are Admirallus, Hollywood Reporter, Cobra Classic and High Energy.

Trainer Chris Speckert isn’t sure whether Pleasant Stage will make her 1992 debut in the $150,000 Las Virgenes Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita.

He wants to make sure the track is safe before he sends the Eclipse Award-winning filly out for the first time as a 3-year-old. Pleasant Stage hasn’t started since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. In her only race at Santa Anita, she broke her maiden in the Oak Leaf.

“I wouldn’t run her if I thought the track was dangerous,” Speckert said Wednesday morning. “I’m not worried about mud, but she’s too good to take any risks with her.

“She’s doing great. She couldn’t be doing any better. Everything’s perfect. She’s got a little stronger, which was to be expected. She never left the barn (after her Breeders’ Cup victory). She just took it easy. We gave her a chance to wind down and grow a little.”

If Pleasant Stage does skip the one-mile Las Virgenes, she will make her first start of the year in the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 8.

“We’re not worried about doing that,” Speckert said. “If all goes well (in California), we’ll go east (for the Kentucky Oaks, the day before the Kentucky Derby).”

Two races into Wednesday’s card, a mandatory payout day in the Pick Nine, it was apparent nobody was going to sweep the card.

Nick’s Fancy, a 12-1 shot, won wire to wire in the first race and, about 30 minutes later, Louisiana Magic scored a $33.80 upset.

Only three favorites won--Golden Wing Tip in the third, Iddy Biddy Dollar in the fifth and Abergwaun Lad in the ninth--so the best any ticket could do was seven winners. There were 14 tickets with seven and each was worth $58,378.80.

Since there were no perfect tickets, $250,000 was reserved to begin a new carryover today.

Horse Racing Notes

Jerry Bailey will receive the George Woolf Award in a ceremony between races Sunday. . . . Gary Stevens and Christine Davenport escaped injury in a spill in Wednesday’s sixth race. Stevens’ mount, Frequent, the 7-5 favorite, broke down near the eighth pole and Superconductivity, Davenport’s mount, fell when unable to avoid the mishap. Frequent, a 4-year-old son of Mr. Prospector making his second start, had to be destroyed because of a compound fracture of the cannon bone in his right foreleg.

Nine fillies and mares were entered Wednesday morning for Friday’s $60,000-added Commissary at 1 1/8 miles. Topping the field is Laura Ly, who was second to Paseana in the San Gorgonio Handicap last month. Others scheduled to run are Explosive Ele, Indian Chris, Noble And Nice, Seattle Symphony, Regal Peace, Txindoki, La Kaldoun and Aloha Corrine.