SANTA ANITA : With Best Pal and Jovial Away, Marquetry Is San Antonio Play

Having neither Best Pal nor Jovial to beat, Marquetry made another positive turn in an erratic career when he outfinished Sir Beaufort for a narrow victory in the $268,000 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Best Pal, high-weighted for the San Antonio at 124 pounds, will rely on workouts alone to get ready for the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. Jovial, the morning-line San Antonio favorite at 8-5, was scratched from the 1 1/8-mile stake by trainer Bruce Jackson, who said that the 6-year-old had been bothered by a cough.

Into this void came Marquetry, a 6-year-old who ended another losing streak with a run reminiscent of his pace-setting victory, at 27-1, in the 1991 Hollywood Gold Cup.

This time, Marquetry lost the lead for a few strides when Sir Beaufort edged ahead at the top of the stretch, but Eddie Delahoussaye’s mount came on to win by a head.

“We won on the lead today because there was no pace to the race,” trainer Bobby Frankel said. “I would imagine we’ll trying a different style in the Big’Cap.”

Sir Beaufort, the even-money favorite, was weaving through the stretch and finished two lengths ahead of Reign Road. The San Antonio was run in a light rain, which turned into a full-fledged storm that cut loose as most of the 20,935 fans were leaving the track.

Marquetry, the second betting choice, paid $6.60 to win, earning $155,500 for Frankel and his partner, Dr. Morley Engelson. Timed in 1:48 4/5, Marquetry pushed his purses over the $1.9-million mark after only his seventh victory in 26 starts. Before Sunday, Marquetry had only one victory, the Eddie Read Handicap on grass at Del Mar, in 13 tries since he won the Hollywood Gold Cup and the New England Classic at Rockingham Park during a three-week period in mid-1991.

Trainer Charlie Whittingham indicated that Sir Beaufort, who has now finished either first or second in his last six races, would be back for the Big ‘Cap. Other probable runners besides Jovial and Best Pal in the 1 1/4-mile race are Siberian Summer and Bertrando, the 1-2 finishers in the Strub Stakes.

“I could have run Jovial today,” Jackson said before the San Antonio. “He galloped this morning and he’ll gallop tomorrow morning, so there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s had this cough, and I’m just being cautious, that’s all. There’s a long year ahead. He’s not going to Florida (for the $400,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park next Saturday). He’ll stay here, and we’ll get him ready for the Big ‘Cap.”

Frankel needed a boost after his Creaking Board, a 13-10 favorite, was injured Saturday while finishing next to last in the Las Virgenes Stakes.

“She’s not lame, but there is a (swelling) in one of her legs,” Frankel said early Sunday. “We took X-rays, and they were negative. We’ll continue to watch her closely the next few days.”

There was nothing wrong with Marquetry that the removal of blinkers couldn’t cure. After the son of 1982 horse-of-the-year Conquistador Cielo ran 11th with blinkers in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Frankel took them off for a third-place run--improved to second with the disqualification of Best Pal--when Jovial won the San Pasqual Handicap three weeks ago.

“He wasn’t opening up on horses when he had the chance,” Frankel said, explaining the blinkers. “But they didn’t seem to do anything for him, so we took them off.”

Before Sunday, David Flores had ridden Marquetry to his major victories, but in the San Antonio, Delahoussaye got the call for the second consecutive race.

“Eddie said he should have opened up with the horse the last time,” Frankel said. “He’s bright that way. Once he rides a horse he picks up on just what they’re like. One time he rode a horse of mine--Mehmet--and got off and told me he’d never lose another race, and he was right.”

On the far turn, Marquetry shook loose from his closest rival, Tel Quel, about the time Sir Beaufort started gaining under Chris McCarron.

“Near the quarter pole was where the race started,” Delahoussaye said. “Chris got a good neck in front of me, but then my horse dug in, and he came on again when I tapped him right-handed. I didn’t know if he could get by the other horse, but he dug in. Then I hit him left-handed and he just got up. I wasn’t sure what happened to Chris’ horse when he came in a little bit. Chris said he shifted his horse to make him change leads. That’s what made it look awkward.”

Horse Racing Notes

With Johnny Longden making the presentation on his 86th birthday, Kent Desormeaux received the 1993 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award between races Sunday. Longden won the award in 1952, the third year it was awarded. Desormeaux was honored after a vote of the riders who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild. “Three years ago on this day was the first day that I rode in California,” Desormeaux said. “So it’s quite an honor to get this award on that anniversary.” The award is named after the jockey who was killed in a spill at Santa Anita in 1946. Woolf was voted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1955, three years before Longden.

Trainer Bobby Frankel will take two shots in today’s San Luis Obispo Handicap, saddling Villandry and Toulon. Villandry’s last start, on Oct. 18, was her American debut and resulted in a victory in the Long Island Handicap at Belmont Park. Before that, the 5-year-old mare won three of 13 races in France. Toulon has won four of 11, his last start coming in Germany in October. He won the St. Leger Stakes in England as a 3-year-old. Frankel won the San Luis Obispo last year with Quest For Fame. Pat Day, who seldom rides on the West Coast, has the mount on The Name’s Jimmy in today’s race. Day won the American Derby with the colt last year at Arlington International.

Personal Hope, a promising 3-year-old, will face nine opponents Wednesday in the $75,000 Bradbury Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. The others entered are Dome Mountain, Top Of The Moon, Tossofthecoin, Stately Warrior, Glowing Crown, Star Of The Eagle, Crown Sterling, Only Alpha and Desert Warning. . . . Pricelessly, a full brother to the champion Flawlessly, missed some training because of a stone bruise and trainer Charlie Whittingham plans to run the 3-year-old colt in an allowance race soon. . . . Pat Valenzuela called in sick Sunday and didn’t ride. . . . Devil’s Orchid, fourth in the Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Saturday, has been retired and will be bred to Forty Niner.

“Hello, Santa Anita infirmary,” was the way trainer Gary Jones answered his phone in a room at Arcadia Methodist Hospital on Sunday. Jones, 48, has been moved out of intensive care since he suffered a mild heart attack last week. “I don’t know when they’ll release me,” Jones said. “They say the first five days after an attack like I had are the most crucial. So I expect to be here a bit longer. I have four horses running Monday, so I think they’ll make me stay at least until Tuesday.”