SANTA ANITA : Kotashaan Beats Bien Bien by a Nose, Sets Course Record

In a successful career spanning 19 years, Richard Mandella has won stakes with the likes of Bad N Big, Poley, Phone Trick and Reluctant Guest, to name a few.

None of those victories, however, were as gratifying for the 42-year-old trainer as Kotashaan’s victory over Bien Bien by a nose in the $400,000 San Juan Capistrano on Santa Anita’s closing program Sunday.

“This is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” said Mandella. “It’s a very special race, basically because there’s no other race like it.”

At about 1 3/4 miles on the turf, the Capistrano is the longest Grade I stake on the continent. It is also one of Mandella’s favorite races and was long before he won it for the first time Sunday.

“It’s a long, beautiful race (starting) on the hillside course,” he said. “It’s what racing has been about for hundreds of years. I remember coming here as a teen-ager and watching (trainer) Charlie (Whittingham) win it with Fiddle Isle (in 1970).”

Becoming the first horse since Astray in 1974 to win Santa Anita’s three longest races (the San Luis Obispo, San Luis Rey and Capistrano), Kotashaan, the 9-10 favorite, surged in the final yards under Kent Desormeaux to catch Bien Bien, setting a course record of 2:45. The old record of 2:45 2/5 was shared by Royal Living (1959) and Astray (1974).

Placed perfectly by Chris McCarron, Bien Bien, also the runner-up in the San Luis Obispo, opened up 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch after stalking pacesetter Carnival Baby most of the way, and was still clear nearing the wire.

This continued a luckless Grade I streak at the meeting for McCarron. In 11 Grade I races, he finished second eight times and was third the other three. In three of those seconds, he was beaten by Desormeaux.

“He couldn’t have run any better,” McCarron said. “He just got outrun, and it took a 34-year-old track record to beat him.”

Kotashaan, sidelined most of last year because of a minor stress fracture in his right hind leg, will get a breather. Long-term objectives for the 5-year-old are the Sunset Handicap on July 25 at Hollywood Park and the Arlington Million on Aug. 29.

What also pleases Mandella is the fact that the Breeders’ Cup will be run at Santa Anita this year. On a course over which he won three in a row, Kotashaan will be dangerous in the $2-million Turf at 1 1/2 miles.

Fraise, who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, was third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Bien Bien as the 9-5 second choice. His entrymate, the mare Campagnarde, was last in the field of five, which was reduced by the scratch of Jahafil.

Horse Racing Notes

Much to the delight of track management, the total on-track mutuel handle for the meeting fell below $250 million. The on-track handle on closing day was $4,867,009, bringing the total for the 83-day season to $248,961,540. If the handle had exceeded $250 million, Santa Anita would have had to pay a higher rate of state tax. Santa Anita’s push to fall below $250 million was helped by some very unattractive betting races on closing day. There were only four wagering interests in the San Juan Capistrano and only four maiden fillies ran in the final race of the meeting. For the season, total attendance was down 7% and total mutuel handle was down about 2%.

Mike Mitchell beat Ron McAnally, 31-30, to win the trainer’s title, his first at a Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. During the 1991-92 meeting, Mitchell had one winner from 24 starts. . . . Gary Stevens won his fourth local riding title in the last seven years, defeating Eddie Delahoussaye, 90-72. . . . Kent Desormeaux also won the race before the San Juan Capistrano, the $51,350 Street Dancer Handicap, with 7-1 shot Another Natalie. . . . Kotashaan was voted top grass horse in the track’s media poll for bests of the meeting. Other winners: Sir Beaufort (older horse), Southern Truce (older filly/mare), Personal Hope (3-year-old and development), Eliza (3-year-old filly), Exchange (grass filly or mare), Gray Slewpy (sprinter), Pinkie Schoop (claimer), Mitchell (trainer), Stevens (jockey) and the Santa Barbara Handicap (race).