SANTA ANITA : Delahoussaye Will Take Over on Strodes Creek in Kentucky

Corey Black is off and Eddie Delahoussaye is on Strodes Creek in the Kentucky Derby.

A switch that has been rumored ever since the Halo colt finished third in the Santa Anita Derby has finally been made official.

Apparently, the decision was made by Arthur Hancock, one of Strodes Creek’s owners along with trainer Charlie Whittingham and the Rose Hill Stable. Delahoussaye won the 1982 Derby with Gato Del Sol, who was also owned by Hancock.

“I talked to Charlie (Friday morning) when I called him back in Kentucky,” said Nick Cosato, Black’s agent. “That’s when I found out about it. There had been talk. That’s how it is on the backside. Of course, we were hoping the rumors weren’t true.”

Ridden by Black in all four of his races, Strodes Creek has two victories and a second in addition to the third-place finish behind Brocco and Tabasco Cat in the Santa Anita Derby.

In another Kentucky Derby development, Chris McCarron has gained the mount on Go For Gin for trainer Nick Zito. Jerry Bailey, who rode the colt to a second-place finish in the Wood Memorial, will ride the winner of that race, Irgun, at Churchill Downs.

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Gary Stevens doesn’t care where or when Rapan Boy makes his next start. All the jockey knows is that he wants to be riding him.

Making his American debut after racing in Australia and Hong Kong, the 6-year-old gelding rallied from last to beat 23-1 shot The Berkeley Man by a head in the $108,100 San Simeon Handicap.

“I just told my agent (Ron Anderson) not to take me off of him no matter where he runs,” Stevens said. “I don’t care if it’s a mile and an eighth or what.

“The only thing I knew about this horse was that he had been running in great company in Hong Kong and that he had been working like a real good horse at Hollywood Park, so I decided to ride him with a lot of confidence. This horse is for real.

“I mean, he didn’t handle this turf course at all. He was climbing all the way from the sand hitting him. He’s just a classy individual.”

The 9-2 third choice in the field of seven, Rapan Boy had earned $263,240 while winning seven of 20 in his homeland and Hong Kong.

“This horse got to bleeding in Hong Kong, and they rule them off when they do that over there,” trainer Gary Jones said. “He got way back (early in the San Simeon), but Gary said he was stumbling and falling down. He couldn’t get a hold of the course at all.”

Wild Harmony, the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth without an excuse. Prince Ferdinand, who probably should have been disqualified in the 1993 San Simeon, was taken down Saturday. He finished fourth, but was cited for interfering with D’Hallevant in midstretch and was placed last.

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Beaten by a nose by Kotashaan in the 1993 San Juan Capistrano, Bien Bien will be heavily favored to win the 1 3/4-mile turf race today at Santa Anita.

A winner of eight of 24 starts and more than $2 million, the 5-year-old Manila horse is 4-5 on the morning line against nine rivals and his price figures to be even shorter at post time. McCarron will again ride Bien Bien, who will carry only 122 pounds. He carried 124 when he won the San Luis Rey Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths on March 27.

Navire, second in the San Luis Rey, is the 9-2 second choice. Stevens will ride the 5-year-old, who has yet to win in four American starts.

Fairy Garden, a 6-year-old mare, is next at 6-1. She lost by only a length to Fraise in the Pan American Handicap last month at Gulfstream Park. Black has the mount for trainer Roger Attfield.

The rest of the field: Siebe (Fernando Valenzuela), Afaladja (Sal Gonzalez Jr.), Grand Flotilla (Delahoussaye), River Rhythm (David Flores), Devinez Monsieur (Alex Solis), Alex The Great (Chris Antley) and Emerald Jig (Rafael Meza). River Rhythm is also entered in the closing-day San Jacinto Handicap on Monday.

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Soul Of The Matter, scratched from the Santa Anita Derby because of a leg blister, will have seven opponents in the $125,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland today.

Kent Desormeaux will ride the Private Terms colt, who defeated Brocco and Valiant Nature in the San Felipe Stakes last month. Ulises, Sir Walter Lyzalot, Ledford, Southern Rhythm, Oakmont, Able Buck and Smart Enough complete the field for the 1 1/16-mile race.

Horse Racing Notes

Rapan Boy paid $11 and covered the 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:13. . . . Gary Jones flew back from Kentucky on Saturday morning after watching Lakeway work seven furlongs in 1:26 at Churchill Downs. . . . Fraise, who would have made the San Juan Capistrano a more interesting race if he had come west, will instead run in the $200,000 Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap today. . . . Navarone, who hasn’t run since finishing a distant third in the San Gabriel Handicap on New Year’s Day, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the $60,000 Bates Motel today. Chris Antley will ride the 6-year-old Irish River horse, who has two victories in seven starts on the main track.