SANTA ANITA : With Few Favorites at Wire, Pick Six Pool Is Overflowing

Three days into the Santa Anita meeting, no one can say the racing has been formful.

Favorites have won only two of the first 27 races, and consequently, there is a three-day carryover in the Pick Six into today’s program.

Carol’s $18.40 upset in the ninth race Wednesday capped a program filled with longshot winners, resulting in a carryover of $957,180.90.

Track officials estimate that there will be more than $2 million in the pool by this afternoon. The record Pick Six pool of $6,657,311 was set on Jan. 23, 1991, when there was a five-day Santa Anita carryover of more than $1.8 million.

Besides Carol, the other winners in the Pick Six sequence Wednesday were Notellumnothing ($43.60), C.C. Overdrive ($17), Tulgey Wood ($22.40), Lil Orphan Moonie ($58.80) and Service Ace ($24.60).

Two tickets had five winners, and each was worth $175,510.60.

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Although Jeff Lukas remains in critical condition at Huntington Memorial Hospital, there have been signs of improvement.

“He’s still in critical condition and he’s still in a coma,” said Peggy Yost, spokeswoman for the Lukas family. “But they are making progress against his pneumonia, and they’re trying to maintain a level temperature and the cerebral pressure.”

Lukas, the son of trainer Wayne Lukas, suffered fractures at the base of his skull on Dec. 15 when he was run down by Tabasco Cat, who had gotten loose in the barn area.

“The swelling, I’m told, has subsided and he has opened his eyes some,” said Randy Bradshaw, a former assistant to Lukas. “And his fever (which was up to 104 degrees) has dipped to 101.”

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Former jockey Terry Lipham, the agent for Eddie Delahoussaye, is being treated for second-degree burns suffered last week.

According to Lipham, he was undergoing a regularly scheduled treament for a skin condition known as vitilago--the same condition that singer Michael Jackson has--but was treated too long.

“The technician just made a mistake,” said Lipham from the Sherman Oaks Burn Center. “The machine I was in fries pimples in 20 seconds, and I was left in it for 6 1/2 minutes. I knew something was wrong before I even came out.

“I asked the nurse if they had put new batteries in the machine or something, and when she checked it, she came back crying. I’m in the best place in the world to be treated for something like this, and they’re doing everything they can for me.”

Lipham, now in a full-body cast, had undergone 11 treatments before the accident. In his absence, Ron Anderson, who is Gary Stevens’ agent, is booking mounts for Delahoussaye.

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Under the provisions of Senate Bill 518, the takeout on pari-mutuel wagering throughout California will increase by 0.1% Saturday.

The increase is supposed to provide money to build and operate a drug-testing facility for horses racing in California.

Since wagers made at the satellite facilities already have 0.1% taken out for research and testing, the increase will be taken for this purpose only from on-track bets. The additional takeout at the satellites will be divided equally between the State General Fund and horsemen’s purses.

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In today’s third race, Trishyde, who broke a cannon bone nearly nine months ago, will make her first start since being beaten by a nose by Exchange in the Santa Barbara Handicap on April 4.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by George Vogel, the 4-year-old Nureyev filly is the 3-5 favorite in the $50,000 allowance race against four rivals at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Winner of three of 12 starts, Trishyde has trained well for her comeback and will be ridden by Chris McCarron. The other four starters are Reau Perrault, Fine Impression, Liztoane and Cappucino Bay.

Horse Racing Notes

Star Recruit, who hasn’t raced since being beaten by a nose by Sir Beaufort in the Santa Anita Handicap last spring, was among 12 horses entered Wednesday for Friday’s $62,850 Ack Ack Handicap. Star Recruit, who may not actually start the one-mile race, broke a sesamoid in March. Others entered in the Ack Ack include Goldigger’s Dream, Stuka, Slerp, Southern Wish, Fanatic Boy, Hill Pass and Fast Cure. . . . Jockey Aaron Gryder was suspended for five days beginning Saturday for an incident in the third race Tuesday. . . . In response to many queries, additional information about the Pegasus Foundation, which was mentioned in a story in last Thursday’s editions as a nonprofit organization that attempts to save as many horses as possible from slaughter, may be obtained by calling (213) 882-4418.