HORSE RACING / SANTA ANITA : Stevens Keeps Winning Stakes, This Time With Concept Win

Although it might seem like it, Gary Stevens hasn’t won every 3-year-old stakes race during the current Santa Anita meeting.

But in search of his fourth riding title at Arcadia, Stevens has won five stakes with 3-year-olds. His third in a row came Wednesday with Concept Win’s $33.80 upset in the $81,150 Bolsa Chica Stakes.

Aboard the prohibitive favorite in his other four victories (Personal Hope, Art Of Living and two with Likeable Style), Stevens rode the second longest shot in the Bolsa Chica, and the Manila colt responded with a 2 3/4-length victory over 11-10 favorite Fort Chaffee. Concept Win finished the six furlongs in 1:10 2/5.

It was the second victory in four starts for Concept Win, whose dam, Conveniently, has also produced Earn Your Stripes, Comparability and Major Impact. Concept Win had finished third in his first start of the year, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by D’Hallevant, who finished fourth Wednesday.

“He was coming off a (nearly four-month) layoff last time,” Stevens said. “I loved him today. Proc (trainer Willard Proctor), he wasn’t that high on him. He’s waiting to get him on the turf because of his breeding. I took him back the other day, and I knew I was riding a fit horse today. So, I let him roll away from there, and he got the job done.”

Making his first start since breaking his maiden in his debut Oct. 11, Fort Chaffee was nearly two lengths ahead of Moscow Changes. Fort Chaffee, a Mr. Prospector colt considered a Kentucky Derby hopeful by trainer Wayne Lukas, was hindered by a slow start Wednesday and also had some traffic problems.

“I wanted to kick him out of the gate (in a workout before Wednesday), but I didn’t get a chance because of all of the rain,” Lukas said. “He was scheduled, but then the rain came and he didn’t get the chance. Chris (McCarron) said he just stood there flat-footed. He ran a good race. I was happy with it.”

McCarron also wasn’t discouraged.

“If he had broken out of the gate on time, he would have made a hell of a race out of it,” he said. “He ran very well. As far as the start was concerned, he hadn’t broken out of the gate since October, so it was like his first start all over again.”

The disappointment in the race was Covered Wagon. The 3-1 second choice on the strength of an easy maiden victory in his U.S. debut, he finished last in the field of seven.

“He just didn’t run at all,” Eddie Delahoussaye said. “He just wasn’t getting himself together out there today. That’s about all there was to it.”

Forty Niner Days, a multiple-stakes winner, broke a sesamoid in his left front ankle, probably ending his career.

The 6-year-old gelding, who last started in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 31, was scheduled to make his return in the $100,000 Arcadia Handicap on March 6.

“It happened during a workout (on Monday),” trainer Roger Stein said. “It’s the type of injury that surgery won’t help, and it’s in an area where it’s definitely career-threatening. It’s certainly blackened 1993 for us. It’s not life-threatening, however.”

A son of Conquistador Cielo, Forty Niner Days has won nine of his 32 starts and has earnings of nearly $975,000.

River Special is recovering from his recent fever and is still on schedule to make his 1993 debut in the San Felipe Stakes on March 14.

“He’s doing well. I think he’s out of the woods,” trainer Bob Hess Jr. said. “We’ll probably work him Monday or Tuesday. We’re 99% sure he’s going to run in the San Felipe, but in this game you can never be 100% sure.”

With River Special passing the $150,000 San Rafael Stakes on Saturday, six 3-year-olds probably will be entered today for the one-mile race.

Trainer Gary Jones will have a strong hand in the Santa Anita Derby prep. He will be represented by Stuka, a winner of two of his three starts, and Art Of Living, who has won his last two starts in impressive fashion. The other probable participants are Devoted Brass, Union City, Joyofracing and Lord of the Bay.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye will begin a five-day suspension on Saturday after being dropped from third to fourth while riding Sir Hutch in the sixth race last Sunday. . . . Gary Stevens won two other races Wednesday--the fourth on favorite Blushing Beau and the fifth on Bright Ways. . . . Bob Hess Jr. had a double with Bright Ways and Our Sammy. . . . Paseana could have seven rivals when she tries to defend her title in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on Sunday. Other probables for the 1 1/8-mile race are Pacific Squall, Alysbelle, Campagnarde, Interactive, Southern Truce, Avian Assembly and Lite Light. . . . Trainer Noble Threewitt turned 82 Wednesday.