SANTA ANITA : Nearing the End of the Longest Run, Awards for Achievement Go to . . . .

Even though Santa Anita’s longest season still has five days to run, here is one person’s list of the best of the meeting:

TRAINER--Gary Jones. This is a clear choice. He wrapped up his fourth training title earlier this month, and his 11 stakes successes are only three short of the record Charlie Whittingham set in 1971.

JOCKEY--Eddie Delahoussaye. This is the toughest call of all because Delahoussaye, Kent Desormeaux and Alex Solis all have had fabulous meetings. Delahoussaye has the most stakes victories (11) of the three, and that gives him the edge.

APPRENTICE--Danny Velasquez Jr. The son of the trainer and former jockey has improved in the last few months and appears to have the most potential of the local apprentices.

DEVELOPMENT--Arp. A winner of only a $32,000 maiden race when the meeting began, the gelded son of Snow Chief had four consecutive victories for trainer Mel Stute while moving up the ladder. After beating Three Peat in the restricted Bolsa Chica Stakes, Arp gave Bertrando a battle in the San Felipe Stakes. Arp lost by three-quarters of a length at a distance that isn’t his best.

ACHIEVEMENT--Jones’ 11 stakes victories. He has picked up added-money victories with all kinds of horses on different surfaces. Jones could add another stakes to his total before the meeting ends. Heart Of Joy will be favored in Saturday’s San Simeon Handicap.

RACE--Santa Anita Handicap. The 55th running of the Big ‘Cap wasn’t much of a contest, but it deserves consideration because it showcased Best Pal at the top of his game. Kept wide and in the clear by Desormeaux, the Habitony gelding blew away Twilight Agenda, Defensive Play and In Excess, among others, to give further evidence of being the best horse in the country.

OLDER HORSE--Best Pal. Victories in the Santa Anita Handicap, Charles H. Strub Stakes and San Fernando Stakes make this an obvious selection.

OLDER FILLY/MARE--Paseana. Trainer Ron McAnally’s latest Argentine gem is proving a more than adequate replacement for Bayakoa. Paseana dominated the local division, then went east and romped in Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom last week.

3-YEAR-OLD--A.P. Indy. The thoroughbred most likely to succeed in the Kentucky Derby if Arazi doesn’t fire stamped himself California’s best with victories in the San Rafael Stakes and Santa Anita Derby.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY--Race The Wild Wind. This daughter of Sunny’s Halo didn’t win a stakes race at the meeting, but that’s only because she didn’t run in one. After breaking her maiden, she cruised in an allowance race, then went to Arkansas and beat Golden Treat, the Santa Anita Oaks winner, in the Fantasy Stakes.

GRASS HORSE--Fly Till Dawn. He deserves the honor even if he isn’t a starter in Sunday’s San Juan Capistrano. The gray won the Arcadia Handicap, then stretched out an additional four furlongs to take the San Luis Rey. Trainer Darrell Vienna’s 6-year-old was unlucky to lose the San Marcos Handicap early in the meeting.

GRASS FILLY/MARE--Kostroma. She ran only once, but her victory in the Santa Barbara Handicap was awesome.

SPRINTER--Gray Slewpy. After returning from several months on the shelf, he won two races here, then ventured to Oaklawn Park and won the Count Fleet last week.

CLAIMER--Abergwaun Lad. He lost his last start when asked to do something he doesn’t want to do--run around two turns--but before that he strung together four victories without ever having to be asked for anything close to his best.

Craig O’Bryan, who was replaced by Tony Matos last week as Alex Solis’ agent, has hooked up with Wigberto Ramos, the second-leading rider at Calder Race Course in Florida.

Ramos, 23, might ride on the closing-day card at Santa Anita on Monday. He is scheduled to arrive in Southern California over the weekend. “When Alex went to Florida with Sea Cadet, I asked him about the riders from Panama,” O’Bryan said. “He said Ramos was a good rider, and some of the trainers know him and I think he’ll do well here.”

Fly Till Dawn, who might start in Sunday’s $500,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap, worked five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 Wednesday morning for trainer Darrell Vienna.

Miss Alleged, who will start in the about 1 3/4-mile race, went the same distance in 1:01 2/5 for trainer Charlie Whittingham.

Others scheduled to start in the Grade I race are Aksar, Provins, Cool Gold Mood, Berillon, Houmayoun and Capel Meister.

Horse Racing Notes

Bayakoa, the Eclipse Award champion in 1989-90, gave birth to a filly by Strawberry Road Tuesday night. . . . Disposal, who will leave Friday for Churchill Downs to begin preparing for the Kentucky Derby, worked seven furlongs in 1:26 4/5 Wednesday morning. . . . Classy Women, fourth behind Heart Of Joy in her 1992 debut, is the 8-5 favorite in today’s $60,000-added Street Dancer Handicap. Chris McCarron will ride the 121-pound highweight, who drew the outside post in the field of six fillies and mares. Also set to start are Southern Tradition, Lady Becker, Bel’s Starlet, Sacque and Spirited Susan.