SANTA ANITA : Seven Furlongs Is No Problem for Cardmania

Trainer Derek Meredith shouldn’t have been so surprised Cardmania wasn’t favored in the $108,900 San Carlos Handicap.

The 8-year-old son of Cox’s Ridge hasn’t been favored since finishing third at 9-5 in the Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap last Feb. 21 at Turf Paradise.

Still, there was reason to think Cardmania could be the people’s choice Saturday at Santa Anita. French owner Jean Couvercelle’s gelding had won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in his most recent start two months earlier.

Favorite status went to The Wicked North, but a third consecutive victory went to Cardmania, who is getting better as he gets older.

“It had me worried (when he wasn’t favored),” Meredith said after Cardmania, the 9-5 second choice, beat the 11-10 favorite by three-quarters of a length in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

“A lot of you guys deserted me. He just doesn’t get any recognition. He just won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and The Wicked North was favored off that one race (the Bing Crosby Handicap last Aug. 1) against Thirty Slews.

“I was very confident going in. My wife (Helen, who exercises the gelding) told me he was very strong in his gallops.”

More than halfway through the San Carlos, Meredith wasn’t so sure.

“Eddie (Delahoussaye) almost gave me a heart attack,” Meredith said. “He had me concerned at the head of the stretch. Turning for home, I thought he was beaten. Eddie said afterward, ‘I’m glad you don’t ride the horse.’ Eddie was very confident.”

Kept in the clear by Delahoussaye, Cardmania rallied four-wide into the stretch and outfinished The Wicked North, who was 2 1/2 lengths better than 16-1 shot Portoferraio. Pacesetter Davy Be Good, who opened up a 1 1/2-length lead a furlong from the finish after a 1:08 4/5 six furlongs, faded to fourth. Exemplary Leader, Charts and Monde Bleu completed the order.

“I stayed behind The Wicked North as long as I could. Then, when I called on him, (Cardmania) really dug in,” Delahoussaye said. “He’s quite a little horse. I guess he loves this track better than any other. People were saying he’s never won at seven furlongs. Well, I guess he showed them.”

Kept sprinting since he came to the United States in 1991, Cardmania might get a chance around two turns in the near future. He won at a mile in France.

“We’ll look at the race on the 30th (the Palos Verdes Handicap) next, but we’ve talked about stretching him out,” said Meredith. “I think he’ll stretch out. He’s got the right style of running.”

David Bernstein, the trainer of The Wicked North, offered no excuses for his 5-year-old.

“(Cardmania) ran fantastic,” he said.

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Barring a sudden reversal in the weather, the $111,800 San Gorgonio Handicap will be run on the turf for the first time since 1991 today.

Rain has forced the 1 1/8-mile race to be switched to the main track the past two years, with Paseana and Southern Truce winning in 1992 and 1993, respectively.

Skimble, third behind Flawlessly and Toussaud in the Matriarch on Nov. 28 at Hollywood Park, is the 3-1 favorite in the San Gorgonio against nine rivals.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Bobby Frankel, the 5-year-old Lyphard mare is winless in Southern California, but was second to Miatuschka in the Las Palmas Handicap over this course on Oct. 24. Corey Nakatani will ride.

Hero’s Love, who finished a head behind Skimble in the Matriarch, is the 7-2 second choice. Hero’s Love will be ridden for the first time by Laffit Pincay. Delahoussaye, who rode her last time, begins a five-day suspension today for an incident last Wednesday.

From the rail out, the rest of the field in the Grade II race: Gumpher (Paul Atkinson, 20-1), Dior’s Angel (Fernando Valenzuela, 20-1), Lyin To The Moon (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1), Miss Turkana (Antonio Castanon, 8-1), Market Booster (Chris McCarron, 4-1), Suivi (Gary Stevens, 12-1), Miatuschka (Corey Black, 5-1) and Shooting The Moon (Chris Antley, 20-1).

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Ramblin Guy is the 8-5 favorite in today’s $75,000 San Miguel Stakes.

Winless since the Hollywood Juvenile last July, Ramblin Guy will be making his first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Chris McCarron replaces Delahoussaye.

Horse Racing Notes

Heavily favored Visible Gold made the final start of her career a winning one when she led wire to wire in the third race Saturday. The 6-year-old Deputy Minister mare, owned by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trained by Paco Gonzalez, finished her career with eight victories from 24 starts and earnings of $353,125. . . . Lakeway, a promising 3-year-old Seattle Slew filly, remained unbeaten in two starts with an impressive victory in the sixth race Saturday. The 3-5 favorite rallied under Kent Desormeaux to win in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs. . . . Duca worked seven furlongs in 1:28 1/5 Saturday morning, and Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Bien Bien worked six furlongs in 1:15 1/5. . . . Slew Of Damascus made it four in a row with a victory over Hill Pass and six others in the $100,000 William P. Kyne Handicap at Bay Meadows. He ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 4/5.