SANTA ANITA : Slow Pace Lets Possibly Perfect Lead All the Way in Santa Ana

Unplaced with You And I in the Louisiana Derby, trainer Bobby Frankel had better luck at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Possibly Perfect, one of Frankel’s two entrants in the $158,500 Santa Ana Handicap, took advantage of a paceless field and led every step of the way to win her second Grade I race over the Santa Anita turf course. The 4-year-old Northern Baby filly won the Yellow Ribbon in November.

Fresh from testifying in the lengthy hearing over The Wicked North’s disqualification in the Santa Anita Handicap, Kent Desormeaux slowed the fractions down over a yielding surface and the 2-1 second choice won by nearly two lengths over favored Hero’s Love. Possibly Perfect covered the 1 1/8 miles in a very slow 1:51.

Fourth behind Lady Blessington, Skimble and Hero’s Love in the Buena Vista last month, Possibly Perfect had a couple of excuses that day. She hadn’t raced since the Yellow Ribbon victory and she also lost a shoe.

“She didn’t lose any shoes today,” said Desormeaux, who completed a sweep of the late double with a come-from-behind victory on Buckmeister in the ninth. “Last time, we let (Skimble, also trained by Frankel) go because it was my filly’s first race back. We elected to sit off her. My horse came up tired and lost that shoe, which hurt her.

“Today, Bobby said put her on the lead and don’t worry about anything. I got to gallop on the lead, and my filly, she can run. She handled the course just fine.”

Hero’s Love finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Waitryst, who was later disqualified and placed last for interfering with Skimble and Lady Blessington in midstretch.

“The winner went so easy the first part that when I came up to her, she still had enough left,” said Laffit Pincay, Hero’s Love’s rider. “I got to maybe a length from the winner, but then she just left me.”

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Despite the rain and muddy track, Valiant Nature probably will run in the $210,000 San Felipe Stakes today while Brocco’s status is unclear.

“My horse couldn’t be better, and we’re probably going to run,” said Brocco’s trainer, Randy Winick. “My concern is the track condition, and if the track is unsafe (today), we won’t run. Another concern is the San Felipe will go as the fourth race, not the eighth, so that gives us two hours less to make a decision. I won’t make the decision until as late as possible, probably by the second race. But I need to run, and I want to run.”

Brocco is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, which would be his first start since he finished second to Valiant Nature in the Hollywood Futurity three months ago. Valiant Nature is the 7-5 second choice.

Numerous, who was scratched from the third race Saturday as the 1-5 favorite, might also be scratched from the San Felipe. Soul Of The Matter, who was considered “50-50” for the race earlier in the week, is going to be a starter under Kent Desormeaux. The other entrants are Pollock’s Luck and Gracious Ghost.

Horse Racing Notes

Fairplex Park in Pomona, which opened as a satellite facility for Santa Anita for the first time on Friday, attracted 676 fans who bet $162,140. This is being done on an experimental basis through the remaining days of the Santa Anita meeting, which ends April 25, and Fairplex Park is paying an impact fee to Santa Anita. . . . Southern Truce will try to win the $100,000 Miss America Handicap at Golden Gate Fields for the second consecutive year today. Chris Antley will ride for trainer Roger Stein and Southern Truce will be making her first start for new owners Robert and Janice McNair. The only other entrants are Changed Tune, Justamente and Hopeful Angel. . . . Powis Castle, second to Tabasco Cat in the San Rafael, will make his next start in the Jim Beam Stakes on April 2 at Turfway Park.