SANTA ANITA : Solis Eagerly Awaiting Bertrando’s 1992 Debut in Sunday’s San Felipe

Alex Solis isn’t lacking for a big horse these days.

Sea Cadet has crowned himself the king of Florida with victories in the Donn and Gulfstream Park handicaps and his jockey says he may be ready to take on the best of his class--specifically, Best Pal and Twilight Agenda.

Bertrando, Solis’ ticket to the Kentucky Derby, will make his 1992 debut Sunday in the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes, the final prep for the Santa Anita Derby.

If not for Arazi, Bertrando would have been the 1991 Eclipse Award winner as the country’s top 2-year-old. His second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was the only loss in a four-race campaign that included victories in the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk Stakes.

Judging by the way the son of Skywalker has trained for his 3-year-old debut, Solis says the best is yet to come.

“He’s coming up to it (the San Felipe) great,” Solis said. “His last work (1:24 3/5 for seven furlongs) was awesome. He was really strong and he did it easy.

“He looks stronger and he’s a lot bigger now. He’s a lot more mature. He’s also more serious now. He liked to play around quite a bit last year. He’s grown up. He’s a different horse.”

Bertrando will be a short price in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe against what figures to be a small field, then he will meet A.P. Indy for the first time in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

Solis is looking forward to the showdown and hopes to repeat the victory of another California-bred, Snow Chief, who won the 1986 Derby.

“A.P. Indy is a very nice horse, Dance Floor is improving and Arazi has already shown what he can do,” Solis said. “It looks like there are some really great 3-year-olds. It’s going to be fun, and I hope they all get a chance to run against each other.

“Bertrando and Snow Chief are totally different horses. Snow Chief was a very small horse and Bertrando is a tall, skinny horse. Snow Chief was all heart and he always tried hard.

“This horse does everything so easy. He never kills himself to do anything. It seems like he’s just floating out there.”

Meanwhile, Sea Cadet has feasted on some weak fields in Florida and now may move on to a tougher task in next month’s Oaklawn Handicap, the third stop in the American Championship Racing Series.

“He’s getting better and better,” Solis said. “He’s a lot stronger horse than he was last year. He won so easy (Saturday). He’s peaking at the right time.”

Another day at Santa Anita, another stakes victory for Golden Eagle Farm.

After Best Pal’s victory in the Santa Anita Handicap and Golden Treat’s success in the Santa Anita Oaks, Heart Of Joy made it three consecutive added-money victories for owners John and Betty Mabee in Wednesday’s $57,200 B. Thoughtful Handicap.

Taking the advice of jockey Chris McCarron and agent Scotty McClellan, trainer Gary Jones decided to try Heart Of Joy down Santa Anita’s hillside in her first start of 1992.

Hard to handle and never one to relax in the past, the 5-year-old Lypheor mare really took to the trip. She romped home by eight lengths, covering about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12 1/5.

Never far off the pace being set by 27-1 shot Identic, the 3-2 favorite took the lead turning into the stretch and kept drawing away in the final furlong. Ifyoucouldseemenow finished second, a half-length ahead of Identic. Curious Bidder was fourth, then came Casey’s Romance, Brisa De Mar, 5-2 second choice; Flower Girl and Streamer.

This was the sixth victory in 15 starts for Heart Of Joy, and she probably won’t attract many challengers when she returns April 4 in the Las Cienegas Handicap, which is the same distance as the B. Thoughtful.

“She’s a different horse as far as soundness goes this year,” Jones said. “She might be able to beat anybody coming down the hill.”

With Kostroma out of Saturday’s $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap, eight fillies and mares probably will start in the Grade I race at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Trainer Bobby Frankel will have two representatives, Gravieres and Guiza. Gravieres has not raced since winning the Carmel Handicap at Bay Meadows on Nov. 23.

Others who are expected to enter today are Appealing Missy, who was the upset winner of the Buena Vista Handicap on Feb. 23; Elegance, Free At Last, Re Toss, Noble And Nice and Explosive Ele. Noble And Nice and Annual Reunion finished in a dead heat in this race last year.

Kostroma, who has not started since finishing sixth as the favorite in the Matriarch last December, did not work to Jones’ satisfaction Monday, so he will wait for another day.

“She got too tired,” Jones said of the 1:29 4/5 seven-furlong work. “To ask her to run 1 1/8 miles with three works in seven weeks wouldn’t have been fair.”

Horse Racing Notes

Alex Solis, who won four races Sunday, came back with three more Wednesday. He won the third with Cadillac Red, the fifth aboard Seti I. and the ninth on favored Five Five Papa. . . . Exbourne, who came down with colic last year before the Arlington Million, is entered in Friday’s feature, a $55,000 classified allowance at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. First or second in all eight of his races in 1991 and the winner of three stakes, Exbourne has trained well for his return. Gary Stevens will ride Exbourne. . . . Exchange, who will skip the Santa Ana in favor of the Miss America Handicap Saturday at Golden Gate, worked five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 Wednesday.