Mandella Has Pair of Winners : Horse racing: Trainer sends out Afternoon Deelites and Best Pal for victories in the San Vicente Stakes and San Antonio Handicap.

A day after the disappointment of Holy Bull’s forced retirement because of an injury, Afternoon Deelites’ return was exactly what thoroughbred racing needed.

Coming back as he had left almost two months earlier in the Hollywood Futurity, the 3-year-old Private Terms colt didn’t have to take a deep breath in winning the $100,350 San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Stakes.

Unchallenged in three stakes starts since breaking his maiden by a neck in his debut last Oct. 23, Afternoon Deelites sat outside pacesetter and longshot A.J. Jett early, took the lead around the turn and strolled home three lengths in front of Mr Purple in 1:21 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux never had to move on the 1-5 favorite, who has some people mentioning him in the same breath as superstars such as Spectacular Bid and Seattle Slew.

“I don’t think they looked any better at this stage,” said trainer Richard Mandella, never one to make outrageous statements. “I really think he’s amazing. I can’t imagine one being this good.

“He does everything so easy. It’s just a matter of keeping him healthy and getting a little good luck along the way.”

Owner Burt Bacharach, who bred the colt in West Virginia, was a lot more relaxed after the race than before.

“I felt a lot of pressure today,” he said. “So much is expected from him. There were a couple of people connected with the Triple Crown in the paddock saying, ‘Listen, you’ve got to take over the mantle now. We need a star to come in after what happened (to Holy Bull).’

“That’s an awful lot of heat to feel. We all know how fragile these animals are. . . . What a heartbreak that was with Holy Bull. My heart was broken and so was the heart of racing. He was a horse we needed, he had really stirred up the industry.

“So, I was happy to see (Afternoon Deelites) get through this race and he did it kind of easily.”

That was an understatement. In fact, nothing had come as easily since Afternoon Deelites won the Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 18.

“He’s just scary, that’s all,” Desormeaux said. “He does everything effortlessly. He is just a pleasure to be around so far. He is something very special in the making. We’ll just let him strut his stuff and see if he takes us all the way.”

Making his first start since running eighth of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Mr Purple beat 19-1 shot Fandarel Dancer by nearly two lengths for the place. On Target, who also had been idle since the Breeders’ Cup, was fourth and A.J. Jett was last.

The likely next stop for Afternoon Deelites on the path to the Kentucky Derby is the San Felipe Handicap on March 19. That race, the final prep for the Santa Anita Derby, is run at 1 1/16 miles, the same distance as the Hollywood Futurity.

“We’ll probably go there (the San Felipe), but we’ll look at the other race (the San Rafael on March 4) and pick whichever is best for him,” Mandella said.

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Five races after Mandella’s new star did his thing, the stable’s oldtimer still proved there is some life left in his 7-year-old legs.

Putting to rest the notion that he doesn’t like the rail, Best Pal rallied to beat Slew Of Damascus and eight others in the $261,000 San Antonio Handicap.

This was the 17th victory in 40 starts for owner John and Betty Mabee’s gelding. It increased his earnings to $5,293,145 and gives Mandella the two top contenders for next month’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap. Mandella also trains Strub winner Dare And Go.

Third on the all-time money list behind Alysheba and John Henry, the 9-5 favorite won by three lengths under Chris McCarron, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 2/5.

Slew Of Damascus, showing a lot more speed than he had when second in the San Pasqual Handicap three weeks ago, finished a half-length in front of Tossofthecoin. Del Mar Dennis, the San Pasqual winner and 3-1 second choice, was fourth.