SANTA ANITA : Personal Hope Is Raising Those of His Handlers as Derby Nears

Approaching the midway point of the Santa Anita meeting, Gary Stevens holds a comfortable lead over Laffit Pincay in the jockey standings.

He is also sitting pretty as far as 3-year-olds go. He regularly rides Likeable Style, the unbeaten filly, as well as Art Of Living and Personal Hope, who was impressive in winning the $82,725 Bradbury Stakes on Wednesday.

After breaking a step slow, the Storm Bird colt and 1-2 favorite moved quickly to the lead, discouraged challenges by Star Of The Eagle and Tossofthecoin and went on to win by four lengths in 1:49 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Last in his debut last June 7 at Belmont Park, Personal Hope is perfect in three California starts for trainer Mark Hennig, the former assistant to Wayne Lukas.

Bought by Lukas for $75,000 as a yearling in 1991 for owners Lee and Debi Lewis, Personal Hope was turned over to Hennig and has developed into a prime contender for the Kentucky Derby.

“He’s been brought along gradually, stretching out from six furlongs, to a mile to a mile and an eighth,” Hennig said. “I didn’t want to go against the heavy hitters like River Special yet. But his training has indicated that he was capable of this kind of race.

“I didn’t feel this horse had to take a back seat to any horse I’ve had. If all goes well, he’ll start next in the San Felipe (March 14), then the Santa Anita Derby and on to Kentucky.”

Stevens doesn’t sound like a man eager to give up his seat on Personal Hope and is convinced that the colt doesn’t need the lead to be successful, even though he has gone wire to wire in both of his route victories.

“He’s a nice, nice colt,” Stevens said. “He’s got all the markings of a great horse. He’s got the speed and he’s got the ability to make two or three different moves throughout a race.

“That’s the sweet thing about it, you’re galloping along out there on the lead, somebody comes to put a little pressure on, he jerks the heart out of that horse and you know the other one is history right there. You take ahold and start coasting and wait for the next one to come to you. It’s like picking off ducks on the firing range.”

In Wednesday’s race, Only Alpha, who was nearly 39-1, rallied from far back to finish second, two lengths ahead of 4-1 second choice Tossofthecoin. Running only his fourth race, the 3-year-old Alphabatim colt could be a factor in the Triple Crown because he acts as if more distance will be in his favor.

“He ran super,” said Eddie Delahoussaye, who rode Only Alpha for the first time Wednesday. “Like I told Speedy (trainer Daniel Smithwick), he’s still a little green, but he can really run. You never know, he might just be a Derby horse. I don’t have anything else going with the 3-year-olds, so I just might want to take a shot with this horse.”

More and more it appears that Gilded Time, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old, will not be a participant in the Kentucky Derby.

The son of Timeless Moment, who was unbeaten in four starts last year and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, suffered a recurrence of a foot injury that has been a problem for several weeks.

Originally, Gilded Time was to make his 1993 debut in the San Rafael Stakes on Feb. 27, but the injury pushed his return back to March 14 in the San Felipe Stakes. That race is now in question and the Derby is only a little more than two months away.

On Tuesday, Joe Carroll, a horseshoer from Kentucky, was at Vienna’s barn, working on new shoes for Gilded Time.

“He worked with our shoer, Don Schaff,” Vienna said. “They worked on Gilded Time for five hours, putting on new shoes and making some changes on his (left front) foot. We’ll see what happens.

“They built a different foundation with synthetic material and put on a bar shoe. Their guess is that there’s a good chance he’ll be training within five days.”

Horse Racing Notes

Trainer Gary Jones, who suffered a mild heart attack last Friday, is out of the hospital and resting at his Arcadia home. “Gary’s feeling real good,” assistant trainer Rafael Becerra said. “He expects to be back at the track on Saturday.” . . . Mineral Wells, who won his first four starts, broke down in the $200,000 General George Stakes on Monday at Laurel and had to be destroyed. Trained by Wayne Lukas, the $500,000 Mr. Prospector yearling shattered his left front ankle and could not be saved. Mineral Wells finished with four victories in seven starts.

River Special, who will make his 1993 debut in the San Rafael, worked seven furlongs in 1:26 on Tuesday morning for trainer Bob Hess. “It was a little faster than I wanted, but he worked very well,” Hess said. “We’ll probably work him a half-mile Monday or Tuesday and that will be it for the San Rafael. We’re 100% where we want to be--knock on wood.” . . . Getting ready for the Santa Anita Handicap, Best Pal worked six furlongs in 1:11 3/5 on Tuesday at Hollywood Park. . . . The Daily Racing Form’s move of its Los Angeles office to Phoenix is slated for April.