THOROUGHBRED RACING : Siberian Summer Headed East

Trainer Ron McAnally has told American Championship Racing Series officials that Siberian Summer will run in the $500,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap in Florida on March 14 instead of in the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap next Saturday.

Siberian Summer, the Santa Anita-based colt who upset Bertrando to win the Charles H. Strub Stakes at 16-1 on Feb. 7, wasn’t nominated for the Big ‘Cap, and his owner, Mahmoud Fustok, would have to pay a $25,000 fee in order for the colt to run.

Fustok kept his Big ‘Cap options open Friday by paying the first $5,000 of that penalty. The rest would be due Thursday, when entries are drawn for the 1 1/4-mile race, which is the same distance as the Strub and Gulfstream Handicap.

The Gulfstream race is the second in the nine-race championship series, which offers $1.2 million in bonuses to the horses with the best finishes. The first race in the series, Gulfstream’s Donn Handicap, was won by a 44-1 shot, Pistols And Roses, and the group of older horses in Florida isn’t as strong as the bunch in California.

Bruce Jackson, who trains and co-owns Jovial, another horse who would have to be supplemented into the Big ‘Cap, made his $5,000 payment Friday, but also is keeping the Gulfstream option open.

Jovial was scratched from the San Antonio Handicap on Feb. 14 because of a cough. Jovial worked seven furlongs Wednesday in a fast 1:24 4/5.

“That was a solid work,” Jackson said. “But he’s still not up to where he was just before the race that he missed. I’ve got another week to get him there. If I don’t do it, then the race in Florida is a possibility.”

Depending on the weather, Gilded Time might work a half-mile today on Santa Anita’s training track.

“I’ve got to see where we are with him,” trainer Darrell Vienna said. Last year’s champion 2-year-old male is unraced this year. Rain has disrupted his training schedule, and he has been bothered by hoof problems.

The original schedule for Gilded Time was today’s San Rafael Stakes, followed by the Santa Anita Derby on April 3 and the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

Horse Racing Notes

Pacific Squall, who probably would have been the second betting choice behind Paseana, had a 102-degree fever and won’t run Sunday in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap. When post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn Friday, Pacific Squall got No. 11, the outside spot in the field. Here is the lineup, with jockeys and weights: Interactive, Laffit Pincay, 113 pounds; Paseana, Chris McCarron, 125; Southern Truce, Corey Nakatani, 115; Now Showing, Martin Pedroza, 112; Lite Light, Gary Stevens, 113; Guiza, Corey Black, 114; Laura Ly, David Flores, 112; Campagnarde, Pat Valenzuela, 115; Avian Assembly, Alex Solis, 113; and Alysbelle, Eddie Delahoussaye, 117. Pacific Squall would have been ridden by Kent Desormeaux. Eclipse Award winner Paseana won the Santa Margarita last year. . . . Trainer Bruce Jackson said he might scratch Joyofracing from today’s San Rafael Stakes.

Times staff writer Bob Mieszerski contributed to this story.