SANTA ANITA : River Special Behind Schedule, Won’t Race in Kentucky Derby

There is only one Derby in River Special’s future, and even that isn’t certain.

Definitely off the schedule for the colt, who was once the future book favorite for the Kentucky Derby, are Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs. River Special could start in the California Derby on April 10 at Golden Gate Fields, depending on how he works with blinkers Sunday at Santa Anita.

The absence of the Del Mar Futurity, Norfolk Stakes and Hollywood Futurity winner means that none of the top three vote-getters in the 1992 Eclipse Award 2-year-old balloting--Gilded Time, River Special and Mountain Cat--will start at Louisville.

“We just ran out of time,” trainer Bob Hess Jr. said. “He needs another workout. If he hadn’t gotten sick (in mid-February), everything would be on schedule. Since he got sick, we’re playing catch-up.

“(Owner John Mabee and Hess) want to do what’s right for the horse. We’ll just forget the Kentucky Derby. If he runs huge (in the California Derby) and pulls up well, we’ll consider the Preakness-Belmont route.

“Look who the horse of the year (A.P. Indy) was last year. He didn’t run in either the Derby or the Preakness. (River Special) isn’t ready to run here.

“This takes the pressure off. By that, I don’t mean the mental pressure. We can handle that. It simply takes the pressure off the horse. Mr. Mabee is a great horseman, and we both understand that the most important thing is to have the horse at the top of his game when he runs.”

After finishing fifth in the San Felipe Stakes on March 14, his first race of the year, River Special has been lugging out in his workouts, so the blinkers will be tried. He hasn’t worn them in any of his seven races.

“The only thing I haven’t liked about his last two works is that he drifted out a little bit,” Hess said. “We’ll work him in blinkers Sunday.”

If River Special runs in the California Derby, he will be shipped to Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif., Tuesday.

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Entries will be taken this morning for the Santa Anita Derby, and a field of eight is possible, topped by the filly Eliza and Personal Hope.

Other definite starters for the 1 1/8-mile race Saturday are Gavel Gate, Devoted Brass, Union City and Earl Of Barking, who hasn’t run since finishing a distant third to River Special in the Hollywood Futurity. Star Of The Eagle, also owned by Mabee’s Golden Eagle Farm, and Only Alpha may also go.

With River Special sitting this one out, Kent Desormeaux will ride Devoted Brass for the second time. In their other collaboration, the Dixieland Band gelding rallied to win the San Rafael Stakes. Devoted Brass will have to be made a supplemental entry for $20,000.

Union City will be trying to provide trainer Wayne Lukas with his fifth Santa Anita Derby victory and first since Winning Colors became the third filly to win the race in 1988.

Beaten a half-length by Devoted Brass in the San Rafael, Union City skipped the San Felipe by design, according to his trainer.

“You can’t run in them all and you’ve got to do what’s best for your horse,” Lukas said. “He’s (coming up to the Derby) just super. We’re really pleased with his program. He fell into a nice pattern for us.

“He had a nice five-eighths work, super three-quarters and seven-eighths, and his work Tuesday (of 1:00 1/5 for five furlongs) was beautiful. All four of his works since the race have been good, very positive moves forward.”

After beginning his career in Kentucky, the son of Private Account has a victory and two seconds in four California starts, and Lukas thinks he’s a solid contender Saturday.

“He’s a picture,” Lukas said. “He’s put on 75 to 100 pounds this winter. I see this as a very contentious race. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Eliza, Devoted Brass, Personal Hope or Union City win.”

To earn a trip to the Kentucky Derby, Union City, who will be ridden by Chris McCarron, mustfinish in the top three Saturday. However, Lukas hasn’t ruled out another start before May 1 for the Overbrook Farm-owned colt. “We have a lot of options. There’s the Arkansas Derby (on April 17), the Lexington Stakes (on April 18 at Keeneland) and the Derby Trial (on April 24 at Churchill Downs).”

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Desormeaux made it four consecutive stakes victories at Santa Anita when he directed Future Storm to a come-from-behind victory in the $75,000 Baldwin Stakes Wednesday.

Making his first start in the United States after racing seven times in France and Italy, Future Storm rallied on the outside to beat favored Concept Win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:15 for the 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Trained by Bobby Frankel, the Storm Cat colt paid $13.80 and continued Desormeaux’s roll, which had seen him previously win the San Luis Rey Stakes, the Potrero Grande Handicap and the Miramontes Handicap.

“What astounded me most was the way he broke,” said Desormeaux, who also won the ninth race with Cannon Ho. “Most of the horses from overseas, they set up tent in the gate. He broke on the money, and I had to gather him and find him a spot. You can never go wrong when you’ve got a horse early in a race. You pick your own position.

“That’s what got him home today. Weaving through traffic was all we had to worry about.”

Concept Win, making his first start on turf, was three-quarters of a length ahead of Siebe, who had all kinds of trouble. “I had a bad trip,” understated McCarron, Siebe’s rider. “Holes kept closing on me, and I didn’t get clear until about 40 yards from the wire.”

Horse Racing Notes

Kent Desormeaux, who trails Gary Stevens, 69-58, in the jockey standings, leads Stevens, 12-10, in stakes victories. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye also had two winners Wednesday and is tied for second with Desormeaux. . . . Diazo, originally scheduled to run in the California Derby, will make his next start in the Arkansas Derby. The son of Jade Hunter worked a half-mile in 49-flat Wednesday morning for trainer Bill Shoemaker.