LOS ALAMITOS : Southland Hopes Slim Again for the All-American Futurity

In recent years, California-based thoroughbreds have fared much better in the Kentucky Derby than local quarter horses have in their most prestigious race, the $2-million All-American Futurity.

The last California-based quarter horse to win the All-American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, N.M., was Eastex in 1984. Since then, the best California finish was a second place last year, with Ed Grimley. California’s top contenders for the All-American, including Eastex, have used the Dash For Cash Futurity, which will be run Saturday, as a springboard to the All-American.

Of the 10 horses that qualified for Saturday’s Dash For Cash Futurity, only Down With Debt, the second-fastest qualifier, has been nominated for the All-American Futurity. An impressive race by Down With Debt on Saturday will give owner George Haddad of Costa Mesa and trainer Charles Bloomquist incentive to send the filly to Ruidoso.

“If she does well, I think we’re on our way,” Haddad said. “The All-American has been a dream of mine. We think we have a chance to get in the finals.”

First, however, they must get past top qualifier Firstdown Touchdown, who beat Down With Debt by a nose in the trials. He is owned by Gordon Shultz and ended a streak of three second-place finishes in the trials July 11. Other leading contenders are Mega Dash, who won the Kindergarten Futurity in June, and Awesome Blossom, who won the first of two trials.

Down With Debt probably is the Dash For Cash Futurity’s only chance in the All-American. The others would have to be supplemented for $50,000, with no guarantee of making the $2-million final. Since first-place in the Dash For Cash pays only $52,192, many Californians will stay home for races at Los Alamitos or Hollywood Park.

In fact, of the 401 horses whose owners have made payments for the All-American, only a few at this meeting are being prepared for Ruidoso. Pip Pip, who finished in a dead heat for first-place in the Miss Kindergarten Futurity on June 21, will be shipped to Ruidoso. Nolan Ryan and Four Forty Blast, who won maiden races at the meeting, are also heading there.

In all, more than 300 horses are expected to enter the first set of trials. One notable exception is Deceptively, who won the Kansas and Rainbow futurities, but suffered a leg injury in the latter and is sidelined for the summer.

Opinions differ on why California-based horses haven’t fared well in the All-American. Unlike the Kentucky Derby field, which is based on earnings in graded stakes, the All-American field is determined by two rounds of trials. The elimination trials, on Aug. 13-14, place the top three finishers in the Aug. 27 time trials, from which the 10 fastest advance to the Sept. 7 final. The top 2-year-olds will run three 440-yard races in 25 days.

That, plus Ruidoso’s 7,000-foot altitude, can put horses based at sea level at a disadvantage. Most of the recent All-American winners spent the entire summer at Ruidoso.

“The elements are tough,” said Blane Schvaneveldt, who trains Pip Pip. “You have to have a runner, and you have to be sound and be lucky. (The trials) are a tough deal, the way they do it. I hate it.”

In 1990, after Takin On The Cash won the Dash For Cash Futurity, trainer Caesar Dominguez shipped the colt to Ruidoso, but failed to qualify for the final. Dominguez said that the altitude was the biggest factor against Takin On The Cash.

“You’re going from sea level to mile high,” he said. “ . . . His blood count drops because he can’t get air.

“Then there’s the weather. Eight trials have a head wind and two have a tail wind. It’s horse racing and it’s just bad luck. We have done it with Timeto Thinkrich (in 1973) and Eastex, but . . . it’s tough.”

There is more at stake in the $100,000 Los Alamitos Championship on Friday than the winner’s share of $55,000. The 440-yard race also carries an automatic berth in the $250,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 19.

The 10-horse field includes some of the major stakes winners of the meeting. Invitees include Bills Ryon, How Special, Reeds Signature, Refrigerator, Shawnes Diamond, Shiny Six, Sweeten The Pot, The Dream Doctor, Make It Known and Ocanthterun.

Refrigerator, who won the Vessels Maturity on June 27, is expected to be the heavy favorite. The 4-year-old gelding, owned by James Helzer of Arlington, Tex., has never been worse than third in 19 starts and was a champion 2-year-old of 1990 and champion 3-year-old gelding of 1991. He is one of five invitees trained by Blane Schvaneveldt, joining Bills Ryon, Sweeten The Pot, Ocanthterun and Shiny Six, all of whom have won stakes this year.

Five races carry automatic berths in the Champion of Champions. Special Leader, last year’s winner, earned a spot with his victory, but has been retired to stud. The disposition of his berth will be determined in the early December trials.

Ed Grimley earned a spot in the Champion of Champions with his recent victory in the Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso. Besides the berth that goes with the Los Alamitos Championship, two others are to be determined, in the World’s Championship Classic at Ruidoso on Sunday and the Breeders Championship Classic at Hollywood Park on Oct. 3.

Griswold, the 1991 champion distance horse, remained undefeated this year with a half-length victory in Friday’s Endurance Handicap, his first start since the Bull Rastus Handicap in January.

Griswold, a 6-year-old gelding by Merridoc, was ridden by Henry Garcia for the legacy Ranch and trainer Daryn Charlton. Griswold finished second to Speedy Lunch in the Bull Rastus Handicap, but was awarded the victory when Speedy Lunch was disqualified because of interference on the turn.

Legacy Ranch owners Jerry Moreland and Pete Parrella hope he can duplicate last year’s late-season form. Griswold won the Breeders Marathon Classic and the Marathon Invitational en route to being voted champion distance horse.

In the Endurance Handicap, he held off a fast-closing Mr. Azuthought, who beat Speedy Lunch by half a length.

Los Alamitos Notes

Saturday’s program also features the Dash For Cash Derby. Bobby Beduino and Song In My Dreams won trials on July 11. . . . Jockey Eddie Garcia returned to riding last Thursday after suffering a collarbone injury June 21. He won five races during the week, three on Sunday. Garcia almost had four winners on Sunday, but was disqualified from first-place aboard Sir Norbert in the 11th race. He won the $21,150 Josies Bar Handicap on Sunday with Cadillac Cool for owner-trainer Mike Tilleman and his wife, Carol. It was the colt’s third victory in six starts.

There is a carry-over of $94,815.75 for Thursday’s twin-trifecta pool, the highest of the quarter horse meeting. . . . Four Arabian stakes are scheduled on Friday and Saturday, including the $40,000 Arabian Jockey Club California Derby on Saturday. The heavy favorite in the 1 1/8-mile race will be Top Flyte, a 4-year-old shooting for his seventh straight victory. . . . Sunday’s program includes the Gold Rush Derby and trials for the Governor’s Cup Futurity and Derby. Corona Chick will seek her 11th consecutive victory in the trials.