SANTA ANITA : The Lineup for Sunday’s Strub Lacks Class of Some Past Fields

The Charles H. Strub Stakes, known as the Santa Anita Maturity until 1963, has always been a good idea: Run a race only for 4-year-olds, which ought to bring out some of the Triple Crown stars from the year before.

As early as 1950, the third running of the Strub/Maturity was won by Ponder, the Kentucky Derby winner from the year before.

Five years later, Determine, another Derby winner, won the Strub.

In 1968, the Strub produced one of racing’s biggest upsets. Damascus, winner of the Preakness and the Belmont and horse of the year in 1967, was 1-5 against some of the same horses he had beaten in a 10-length victory in the San Fernando Stakes three weeks earlier.

A jockey switch might have been a factor in the Strub. Six days after he rode Damascus to victory in the San Fernando, Bill Shoemaker was crushed by a horse in a spill, suffering a broken thigh bone and other injuries that would sideline him for 13 months.

Ron Turcotte, who replaced Shoemaker for the Strub, rode much of the race on the inside, where a wet track was the deepest. When Turcotte brought Damascus off the rail on the far turn, they took the lead, but in the stretch they were back on the tiring inside again and Most Host, a 12-1 shot running with a 12-pound advantage in the weights, closed on the outside under Bill Harmatz to win by a head.

In 1979, a year after he swept the Triple Crown, Affirmed won the Strub by 10 lengths, the largest winning margin in his brilliant career. The next year, Spectacular Bid, who would go undefeated in nine races before the season ended, won the 1 1/4-mile Strub in 1:57 4/5, setting an American record that is still on the books.

In 1987, Snow Chief nosed out Ferdinand in a Strub that pitted the respective Preakness and Derby winners from the year before. In 1988, making the first step in a successful horse-of-the-year campaign, Derby-Preakness winner Alysheba won the Strub.

The eight-horse field for Sunday’s 46th running, worth $500,000, is nondescript except for Bertrando. His career was interrupted for 8 1/2 months last year because of a virus and sore muscles.

Bertrando’s rivals have struggled when thrust into major competition. Al Sabin, the only entrant to run in last year’s Triple Crown, was beaten by eight lengths in the Kentucky Derby and 53 lengths in the Belmont and has not won a race in about 10 months.

Bertrando, sent off at 3-2 with entrymate Disposal in the San Fernando, will be odds-on in the Strub. Bertrando has five victories in eight starts, and his two second-place finishes have come against Arazi and A.P. Indy, both champions. In the 1 1/8-mile San Fernando, Bertrando beat some of Sunday’s rivals, winning by nine lengths in a front-running display that was reminiscent of Damascus’ runaway 25 years before.

Star Recruit, second to Bertrando three weeks ago, is back, as is Daros, the Del Mar Derby winner on grass who was fourth in the San Fernando.

Bertrando drew the rail and will carry 122 pounds with Chris McCarron riding. Entrants outside of them, in order: Al Sabin with Alex Solis and 118 pounds; Major Impact, Gary Stevens, 118; Star Recruit, Laffit Pincay, 120; Zurich, David Flores, 118; Siberian Summer, Corey Nakatani, 118; Daros, Eddie Delahoussaye, 120, and Brilliant Blue, Kenny Skinner, 118.

Is Mountain Cat one of the best 3-year-olds, or merely a horse who was in the right place at the right time last year as he earned $1.4 million?

Part of the answer could come Sunday when the Storm Cat colt makes his 1993 debut against eight opponents in the $75,000 San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Santa Anita.

Mountain Cat ran fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after he swept a three-race series at Kentucky tracks, earning a $1-million bonus. Mountain Cat’s record last year was six victories and a second in eight starts.

Ridden by Pat Day in three of his winning races last year, Mountain Cat will have McCarron aboard Sunday. Here’s the post-position order for the seven-furlong race: Joyofracing, Devoted Brass, Gavel Gate, Denmars Dream, Mountain Cat, Lord Of The Bay, Mr. Bonds, Rio De La Plata and Yappy.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Pat Valenzuela did not ride Friday at Santa Anita, his third day on the sidelines out of the last five. Steward Pete Pedersen reported that Valenzuela said he had a gastrointestinal problem. “We’re satisfied with the report of his condition,” Pedersen said. “It’s legitimate. We continue to test him for drugs, and he’s been cooperative. He was tested today (Friday).” Valenzuela has a history of drug problems. . . . Santa Anita’s stewards have suspended Sandy Hawley five days for a riding infraction, starting Sunday.

Gilded Time’s training schedule continues to be disrupted because of sore hoofs. In the Experimental Free Handicap, announced this week, last year’s champion 2-year-old male was rated at 126 pounds, two more than River Special and four pounds or more higher than any of the other juveniles from 1992. The Experimental, a theoretical assessment of 2-year-old form, was done by racing secretaries Bruce Lomabardi from New York, Howard Battle of Keeneland and Terry Meyocks of Gulfstream Park and Hialeah.

The Triple Crown nominations totaled 342, a drop of 57 from last year. Six fillies were nominated, including Eclipse Award winner Eliza, who in a separate ranking from the males was weighted at 123 pounds atop the Experimental listings. There were 20 nominations from Europe. Early nominations cost $600; late nominations, due by March 27, cost $4,500 per horse, and horses might also be supplemented for the races at fees that range from $50,000 to $150,000.

Great Navigator is the 9-5 morning-line favorite at Gulfstream today for the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes, a prep for the Florida Derby. Other entrants include Wallenda, Demaloot Demashoot and Jetting Along. . . . St. Jovite, last year’s Irish Derby winner who is training in Florida, will be ridden by Laffit Pincay when he makes his first start on dirt later this season at Gulfstream. Pincay rode Exchange to victory in Friday’s feature at Santa Anita. . . . David Vance of Remington Park has been elected president of the Thoroughbred Racing Assns., succeeding Tom Meeker of Churchill Downs.