DEL MAR : State Bans Arlington Horses

An equine virus at Arlington Park will have positive and negative effects on Del Mar racing, noticeably in the stakes races.

California’s borders are closed to horses from Northern Illinois, by order of California Horse Racing Board veterinarian B. William Bell.

Trainer Art Sherman’s Lykatill Hil, a multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old, is among those affected by the ban. Sherman had intended to run Lykatill Hil in the La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 15 and the Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6, but the horse is being detained at Arlington.

“My horse is OK,” Sherman said, “but California won’t let him in.”

Trainer Juan Gonzalez has a different problem with Bien Bien, his turf star. He had intended to ship Bien Bien to the Arlington Million on Aug. 29.

“I hear they could move the race to another track, perhaps Woodbine,” Gonzalez said. “If so, we would go there.”

Woodbine, outside Toronto, would represent a significant change of venue. If the ban is not lifted and the race is not moved, Gonzalez said Bien Bien would run in the Del Mar Handicap on Sept. 5 instead.

Del Mar officials said Arlington shippers on the grounds, such as Frank Brothers’ Beal Street Blues, arrived before the ban was imposed.

A ban also is in place at Saratoga, which started its meet concurrently with Del Mar.

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Trainer Charlie Whittingham’s decision on when to run Flawlessly might determine the outcome of this weekend’s two $300,000 turf features. She will be ridden by Chris McCarron, either against females Saturday or males Sunday.

Flawlessly, assigned the top weight of 125 pounds for Saturday’s Ramona Handicap for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, drew the No. 2 post position Thursday.

She remains nominated for Sunday’s Eddie Read Handicap.

Horse Racing Notes

Apprentice jockey Sal Gonzalez Jr. had 50 victories at Hollywood Park but went 0 for 39 before winning at Del Mar on Wednesday. He followed with three victories Thursday, the first, the third and the ninth. . . . Del Mar’s first 54 races were won only twice by a horse from the rail. . . . Belle of Paducah, trained by Riley S. Cofer and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, won the featured eighth race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.