THOROUGHBRED RACING : Best Pal Wins Oaklawn ‘Cap

No one can say that Best Pal can’t win away from California anymore.

Winless in four previous tries outside the state--the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 1990 and the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Super Derby last year--the 4-year-old Habitony gelding was very impressive on the road Saturday.

Remaining unbeaten in four 1992 starts, Best Pal made it three consecutive Grade I victories in the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Further strengthening his position as the best horse in North America with a 1 1/2-length victory over Sea Cadet and five others, the California-bred has now won two of the three legs of the American Championship Racing Series.

Kept wide and off the pace by Kent Desormeaux as he had been in his three victories at Santa Anita earlier in the year, the 7-10 favorite moved up to join the leaders around the far turn and pulled away, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.

“This horse is the ultimate professional,” trainer Gary Jones said. “He just goes about his business. He’s good for racing . . . he put on a good show today.

“I felt good about his (sore hoof). I think that you have to rank him right up there with the good ones. I hope that he becomes the most popular horse in America.”

Desormeaux, who has lost only once in five rides on Best Pal, said the gelding wasn’t as sharp Saturday as he had been in his other victories in the San Fernando, Charles H. Strub Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap.

“Quite honestly, I thought that he was dull today and he still won,” he said. “He didn’t break as sharp as he did in the last two races. He doesn’t like dirt in his face, so I had to cross over and swing him to the outside. Going down the backside, I didn’t have him in hand as easy as the last time.

“The distance of this race helped those other horses a little. Today I had to get after him and ask him to respond. Then, he came home like he always does.”

The king of Florida on the strength of victories in the Donn and Gulfstream Park Handicaps, Sea Cadet beat Twilight Agenda by a half-length for second. Four lengths back in fourth was Jarrarr, then came Fly So Free, Total Assets and Crafty Cash.

Twilight Agenda, the Santa Anita Handicap runner-up, tracked Total Assets, a 38-1 shot, most of the way, got the lead, but couldn’t stay with the top two.

“He was well placed and Chris (McCarron) rode him well,” trainer Wayne Lukas said. “We just got outrun. Thank goodness, (the ACRS) is a nine-race series, unlike the (Kentucky) Derby, where you get one shot at the winner. We were just where we wanted to be, but it didn’t turn out well.”

Although he isn’t predicting victory, trainer Bobby Frankel says Exbourne is ready for his first start of 1992, in the $164,500 El Rincon Handicap.

“He’s fit enough to run to the Rocky Mountains,” Frankel said. “You don’t want to get too high on him, but he’s doing well. He acts like he’s been running all year.”

A 5-year-old son of Explodent, Exbourne hasn’t raced since winning the Caesars International on July 21 in Atlantic City. Preparing for the Arlington Million in August, he was stricken with colic and had to undergo emergency surgery.

Frankel had entered the multiple-stakes winner in an allowance race March 13, but decided against running him 1 1/8 miles after such a layoff. “He wasn’t dead fit and I didn’t want him to get too tired,” Frankel said.

With Tight Spot skipping the race, Exbourne is the 122-pound highweight and 8-5 morning-line favorite under Gary Stevens and will have seven rivals, with Notorious Pleasure the horse to beat.

Horse Racing Notes

Slerp, a $40,000 claim by trainer Bob Hess in January, rallied to win the $111,100 San Pedro Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita. Ridden by Adalberto Lopez, the 3-year-old Slewpy colt beat pacesetter Scherando by a half-length in 1:15 4/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs and paid $20. Star Of The Crop, the 4-5 favorite, finished fifth, but was moved up to fourth through disqualification. . . . Jockey Leanne Crook, 19, died after falling from a horse in a race at the Doomben course in Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday. She fell off Spotted Dancer during the third race and hit a metal running-rail pole, according to the Queensland state police. She was taken unconscious to Royal Brisbane Hospital with spinal and head injuries and later died.