SANTA ANITA : Two Trainers Find the Spotlight

Neither of the trainers who won stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday is accustomed to seeing his name in the daily program.

Donald Roberts, who saddled Mr. Cooperative, a 34-1 shot, for his victory in the $82,050 San Miguel Stakes, has a three-horse stable and started only a handful of horses in Southern California all last year.

And Rafael Becerra, who won the $111,800 San Gorgonio Handicap with Hero’s Love, is Gary Jones’ longtime assistant who has become head trainer through Jan. 20 while Jones completes a 30-day suspension.

“I’m nervous and excited,” Becerra said after Hero’s Love’s half- length victory. “We’ve won a lot of stakes over the years, but you get a different feeling when you’ve got your name in there.”

Jones, who started a horse at Del Mar that tested positive for a prohibited medication, spent about 10 days in Texas and was at Lake Tahoe during the weekend. Becerra said that he and “the boss” talk daily on the phone about the barn’s operation. Jones’ son, Marty, has continued to work as a stable assistant.

“Hero’s Love popped an abscess (in her right hind hoof) after the Matriarch,” Marty Jones said. “It took us some extra time to get her ready for another race.”

In the Matriarch, at Hollywood Park on Nov. 28, Hero’s Love was facing the class of the female turf division and the 6-year-old mare finished fourth, 2 1/2 lengths behind Flawlessly. Skimble, who finished third in the Matriarch, also ran Sunday, but as the field straightened out for the stretch run in the San Gorgonio, it was Miss Turkana, Hero’s Love’s stablemate, who became the horse to beat.

Hero’s Love overtook Miss Turkana, who finished third, a half-length behind Skimble. Hero’s Love, paying $8, carried 119 pounds, one pound less than the high weight, Market Booster, who finished ninth in the 10-horse field. The time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:47 3/5.

Eddie Delahoussaye, who rode Hero’s Love in the Matriarch, started a five-day suspension Sunday and was replaced by Laffit Pincay, who rode his 12th winner of the meet to finish the day tied with Chris Antley for the lead.

Becerra, 39, was a teen-ager when he started working for Gary Jones’ father, Farrell, in 1970. Hero’s Love gave Becerra his fourth winner of the meet, which ties him for the lead in the trainers’ standings. No. 3 came earlier Sunday, when Beautiful Gem, a first-time starter, ran six furlongs in 1:09 2/5 to beat maiden 3-year-old fillies.

The San Miguel winner, Mr. Cooperative, had run only once before, beating $50,000 maidens at Hollywood Park in the mud Dec. 12. The 3-year-old Texas-bred gelding gave Roberts, 35, his first stakes winner in a training career that started in 1985.

Mr. Cooperative, ridden by Martin Pedroza, held off Subtle Trouble by a half-length, with the favorite, Ramblin Guy, finishing third, another three-quarters of a length back. Mr. Cooperative, carrying 114 pounds, ran six furlongs in 1:09 2/5.

Horse Racing Notes

Hero’s Love races for Frank Stronach, who was voted owner of the year for Canada in 1993. . . . Alan Klein, a Marina Del Rey attorney, is the principal owner of Mr. Cooperative. His partners are Kanichi Ando and John Woo.

Tajo broke down at the top of the stretch in the San Miguel, forcing Subtle Trouble’s jockey, Alex Solis, to change course. . . . Another weekend winner for trainer Rafael Becerra was Lakeway, a 3-year-old filly who ran Saturday.