SANTA ANITA : Road to Derby Starts Today for Timber Country

Although the way to win a Kentucky Derby in recent years has been to run a 3-year-old before March 4, trainer Wayne Lukas isn’t concerned about the relatively late start for Timber Country, who hasn’t raced in four months.

“This is a seasoned horse, and he’s a champion,” Lukas said.

Timber Country is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in today’s $150,000 San Rafael Stakes, but the trainers of his four rivals are all telling themselves that he might be beaten for these reasons:

--The layoff. Timber Country’s last race was his victory Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, a victory that clinched an Eclipse Award.

--The track condition. In seven starts, Timber Country has never run on an off track, and there’s a chance of more rain today.

--The track, period. Timber Country has won all over the country--at Del Mar, Belmont Park and Churchill--but his only appearances at Santa Anita have been during morning workouts.

“He’s physically fit, he’s got a lot of miles on him,” Lukas said. “I also think he’ll handle an off track. My only concern is that he might not be mentally sharp. It might take a race or two for him to regain that kind of sharpness.”

Eight of the last nine winners of the Kentucky Derby began their 3-year-old seasons in either January or early February. The exception was Sunday Silence, the 1989 winner, who started that year on March 2, three months after his last race as a 2-year-old. Trainer Charlie Whittingham won three times at Santa Anita in five weeks, capped by an 11-length victory in the Santa Anita Derby, and the streak continued at Churchill Downs and in the Preakness at Pimlico two weeks after that.

With at least one starter in each Kentucky Derby since 1981, Lukas is approaching a record for the race. He has run 23 horses, and if Timber Country and Thunder Gulch both make it to Kentucky on May 6, he’ll break the record of 24 that was set by Herbert Thompson from 1920 through 1937. Thompson, who went by the well-earned nickname of “Derby Dick,” trained for Col. E.R. Bradley, who gave his horses names starting with the letter B. Their Derby winners were Behave Yourself, Bubbling Over, Burgoo King and Brokers Tip, who hadn’t won a race before his 1933 Derby.

Lukas’ only Derby victory came with the filly Winning Colors in 1988. She made her first start that year on Jan. 20 and as a 3-year-old won three of four starts, including the Santa Anita Derby, before heading for Kentucky. Winning Colors raced only twice as a 2-year-old.

“The game has changed because of the Breeders’ Cup (first run in 1984),” Lukas said. “You want an experienced horse for the Breeders’ Cup, and that takes your campaign right into November. By running a young horse in the Breeders’ Cup, you’re going to push him back in terms of getting him ready again to run as a 3-year-old.”

Timber Country was scheduled to be vanned the 400 miles to Bay Meadows, to run in the El Camino Real Derby on Jan. 14, but when heavy rain turned the track to slop, Lukas canceled the trip. Lukas’ Tabasco Cat won the El Camino Real last year, then was sixth in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

“Missing that race was not a factor for Timber Country,” Lukas said. “It was more important that Tabasco Cat run up there. We didn’t know what we had with Tabasco Cat.”

Only five of the 11 nominated horses will run in the San Rafael, won last year by Tabasco Cat. One of the starters, Larry The Legend, has run all three of his races at Santa Anita, his second victory coming in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Catalina a month ago. Trainer Craig Lewis has decided to run today, discarding the idea of ducking Timber Country and running in the Louisiana Derby on March 19.

“Timber Country’s a proven commodity,” Lewis said. “It will take a superior effort to beat him. He’s at the head of the class, and what we’re trying to do is an awesome task.”

Lukas figures that Timber Country will need two starts after today to be ready for the Kentucky Derby. Thunder Gulch, who stayed at Gulfstream Park after his victory in the Fountain of Youth, is scheduled to run in the Florida Derby there a week from today. The next races locally are the San Felipe Stakes, at 1 1/16 miles, on March 19, and the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

“Depending on what happens (today), the San Felipe is a good possibility,” Lukas said. “But there are a lot of options out there if we want to go in a different direction.”

Undefeated Afternoon Deelites, the consensus future-book favorite for the Kentucky Derby, is expected to run next in the San Felipe. If Timber Country stays in California, he and Afternoon Deelites might hook up twice. Their rivalry could be on the front burner even before the plane leaves for Kentucky.

*

Horse Racing Notes

Wayne Lukas’ expected appeal of a 60-day suspension has been filed with the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. The board said that it will be several weeks before a hearing date is scheduled. . . . Rich Man’s Gold, one of the top 3-year-olds training in Arkansas, lost by a nose to Straight Tequilanite on Friday at Oaklawn Park. Rich Man’s Gold, who went off at 2-5, is owned by singer Reba McIntyre. . . . At Santa Anita on Sunday, River Flyer carries high weight of 121 pounds in the $100,000 Arcadia Handicap, a one-mile grass race. Romarin is weighted at 120 pounds and Alex The Great at 118. Others entered are College Town, Finder’s Fortune, Inner City, Luthier Fever, Marvin’s Faith and Mighty Forum. . . . Friday’s feature was taken off the soggy turf course, and Real Connection won by 10 lengths after half of the 10-horse field had scratched.