SANTA ANITA : Efervescente Finds Sloppy Track to His Liking in a Record Romp

Nobody will ever confuse Efervescente with Valdez, Ancient Title or Cajun Prince, but the 5-year-old knocked all three of those stakes winners out of the Santa Anita record book Wednesday.

On a rock-hard main track, sealed to protect it from the expected onslaught of rain this week, Efervescente ran 1 1/16 miles in a Santa Anita-record 1:39, eclipsing the mark shared by the three mentioned above by 1 1/5 seconds.

Bred in Argentina, owned by the Bel Air Stable and trained by Warren Stute, Efervescente had not won in five starts in the United States and had only one victory in four starts in South America before his arrival in California.

Never able to make the lead in any of his other American races, the 2-1 second choice went right to the front under Alex Solis, set fast fractions (22 3/5, 45 4/5, 1:09 for six furlongs) and went on to win by six lengths over favored Golden Voyager.

In addition, Efervescente’s mile time of 1:32 4/5 would also have been a Santa Anita record. Ruhlmann owns that mark, having gone the distance in 1:33 2/5 in 1989.

Although there were no other records, fast times were the rule all afternoon. Screen Tale, a $16,000 claimer, ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14 3/5; Something Sexy, a 3-year-old, $32,000 maiden, went six furlongs in 1:09, and Jadite, a $16,000 4-year-old filly, went the same distance in 1:09 3/5, more than a second faster than she had ever gone six furlongs.

Efervescente wasn’t the only Argentine-bred who relished the sloppy track Wednesday.

Highly regarded when brought to this country by trainer Ron McAnally, Potrichal rallied from last to win the feature, a $46,000 allowance for fillies and mares.

Winless in her first five American races, the 5-year-old Potrillazo mare won in 1:42 2/5 for the 1 1/16 miles, running down Bright Ways and paying $6.60.

Apparently, Potrichal’s preferred surface is the main track. No better than third in four races on turf in California, she was second, beaten a half-length, in her only other try on dirt before Wednesday.

With rain forecast for most of the week, Jolypha’s local debut is likely to be put on hold again.

The 4-year-old filly, who was third behind A.P. Indy and Pleasant Tap in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is scheduled to make her first start of 1993 in the $100,000 El Encino Stakes on Sunday.

However, trainer Bobby Frankel has said Jolypha, who is owned by Juddmonte Farms and one of the top fillies in Europe last year, won’t participate if the rain continues. Last month, there had been discussion that Jolypha would run in the Hollywood Turf Cup, but her connections decided to wait and give her more time.

Arches Of Gold and Race The Wild Wind, the 1-2 finishers in the La Brea Stakes, won’t run in the 1-1/16 mile El Encino. Arches Of Gold will wait for the seven-furlong Santa Monica Handicap on Jan. 18. Others who will probably start in the El Encino are Magical Maiden, La Spia, Interactive, Cadillac Women, Party Cited, Alysbelle and Avian Assembly.

With Eddie Delahoussaye suspended, Pat Valenzuela has picked up the mount on Answer Do for Saturday’s San Carlos Handicap at seven furlongs.

The 7-year-old gelding, who has won the Cal Cup Sprint and Hollywood Turf Express in his last two starts, will start if the condition of the track is suitable.

“He acted like he loved the mud (when he galloped Wednesday morning),” assistant trainer Brad Rollins said. “But the track had been rolled and was in good shape. On Saturday, we’ll have to look and see what condition the track is in. If it seems like there’s a good bottom, then we’ll run.”

Horse Racing Notes

Paseana is scheduled to make her 1993 debut in the $150,000 Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 6. . . . Trainer David Bernstein turned 53 Wednesday. . . . Pat Valenzuela was off his mounts Wednesday because of illness. . . . Laffit Pincay, Gary Stevens and Alex Solis all won twice. Stevens leads the standings with 18 victories, seven more than Martin Pedroza.