DEL MAR : Foul Claims Are Rejected, Guide Shows Way to Winner’s Circle

Minutes after the running of Monday’s $300,000 Del Mar Derby, the number of jockeys waiting for the phone to the stewards looked like a phone booth lineup at an Army post on a Saturday night.

Del Mar’s three stewards listened to the various complaints and took about eight minutes to review the race before certifying Guide’s 1 1/2-length victory. Guide and his jockey, Kent Desormeaux, survived foul claims from Pat Valenzuela, who finished second aboard Future Storm, and Corey Nakatani, who ran third with The Real Vaslav.

Another foul claim was allowed, dropping Nonproductiveasset from fourth to eighth place. The stewards ruled that Nonproductiveasset and his jockey, Paul Atkinson, had bothered Zignew and David Flores, who finished eighth.

At the top of the stretch, Desormeaux, who had saved ground from the start along the rail, was trapped inside and swung Guide about five lanes to the right. Desormeaux said later that he thought he had reached the hole between horses first, and wasn’t responsible for any interference.

Future Storm finished a head in front of The Real Vaslav, who was a nose better than Nonproductiveasset.

Guide, a French-bred colt, won a division of the Oceanside Stakes here on opening day, July 28. That was worth $67,387 and Monday’s victory brought Guide’s four owners--Mike Sloan, George Wong, Marvin Susemihl and Robert Steiber--another $165,000.

There was no clear favorite Monday, with Fatherland, a recent European import, going off as the 9-2 choice. He finished fifth. Guide, the second choice, paid $13 and was timed in 1:49 3/5 for 1 1/8 miles on grass.

Hawk Spell took the early lead and Dare To Duel, the winner of the other division of the Oceanside, also was close up, along with Nonproductiveasset and Devoted Brass.

Nonproductiveasset took over the lead at the head of the stretch and Dare To Duel, slightly behind him, was having traffic problems on the inside. Guide, moving up from eighth place, was now fifth and looking for room.

Hawk Spell took the lead in mid-stretch, and Guide passed him with less than a sixteenth of a mile left, holding off the other fast finishers.

“I had a rough trip,” Valenzuela said of Future Storm. “I got bumped pretty good at the eighth pole. I thought it was Guide, but it was Corey Black’s horse (Art Of Living). I was going to be a lot closer to the winner if that didn’t happen.”

Of The Real Vaslav, Nakatani said: “If that horse doesn’t come out on me, I’m right there. I got knocked around so much I was just trying to stay up. I thought it was the winner coming out, but I guess not.”

Desormeaux had no complaints. “The biggest problem I had was holding him under restraint with that slow pace,” he said. “But he exploded late.”

Guide has been trained by Bob Hess Jr. since arriving in the United States.

“He has a quick burst of speed, and with a large field, you need it,” Hess said. “He’ll be even better the next time he runs, although I don’t know when that will be. We got this horse when we went over to buy another horse, and Guide beat the horse we were going to buy. Credit should go to (bloodstock agent) Hubert Guy. He’s our French connection. We got Guide for $250,000.”

Horse Racing Notes

The Wicked North, winner of the Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 1, won Monday’s $100,000 San Francisco Handicap at Bay Meadows, with two other Del Mar shippers--The Tender Track and Slew of Damascus--running second and third, respectively. The Wicked North, trained by David Bernstein, is a 4-year-old colt who has been no worse than third the last two years, winning five times out of eight starts. Corey Black rode The Wicked North to victory in the Crosby, but he stayed at Del Mar Monday for the assignment aboard Art Of Living in the Del Mar Derby and Alex Solis had the winning ride at Bay Meadows.

Even though Cimply A Lady won the fourth race Monday and paid $47.60 and Lucky Forever returned $82.60 in the sixth, there was one winning Pick Six ticket, worth $154,565.