SANTA ANITA : Wandesta Finds Enough Room in Santa Ana

Trainer Bobby Frankel and those who bet on Wandesta in the $158,000 Santa Ana Handicap might have felt a little better during the race if they had been in direct contact with jockey Corey Nakatani.

Although it looked as though he might get trapped through the stretch, Nakatani, because he knew the tendencies of those in front of him, was confident a hole would develop.

Santa Anita’s leading rider was right, and the 9-5 second choice accelerated when clear sailing materialized and went on to beat 8-1 shot Yearly Tour by two lengths. In giving Frankel his second consecutive Santa Ana victory and third in four years, Wandesta covered the 1 1/8 miles on a deep course in 1:50.

Kept on the sidelines during the early part of the meeting, Wandesta won an allowance race on Feb. 19 in her return while not ready for her best.

A recent 1:12 workout at Hollywood Park signaled her sharpness for the Grade I Santa Ana, and she now has three victories in eight starts for her owners, Juddmonte Farms.

Aube Indienne, making her first start of 1995 after winning the Las Palmas and Yellow Ribbon locally last fall, finished third as the 8-5 choice. She was three-quarters of a length behind Yearly Tour and a neck in front of Lyin To The Moon.

“She’d been off a while and it showed,” Kent Desormeaux said of the favorite. “Mr. (Charlie) Whittingham told me he knew she would get tired. Even with the slow pace (24 3/5, 49 1/5 and 1:13 3/5) she barely had something left for the finish. She was real, real tired.”

A 4-year-old Nashwan filly, Wandesta was full of run at the finish and immediately became the lady to beat in the $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap. That race goes at 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

Only once in four U.S. starts has Wandesta run poorly, and that was because she was sent to the lead by Pat Day in the Yellow Ribbon. She stopped and wound up beaten by 18 lengths.

“We kicked her a little out of the gate that day and she ran off,” Frankel said. “We learned that she just needs to break and settle.

“She was a lot fitter this time because the last time I didn’t have much work in her because of the rains. She accelerated a little more this time.

She hasn’t run that many times and she’s got a great style. She does everything right.”

Nakatani would agree, and as it turned out, he made no mistakes himself Saturday.

“I’ve ridden (pacesetter) Klassy Kim before and she tends to drift,” he said. “The other horse (Lyin To The Moon) is tough, but she was getting tired and floated out a little bit. There really was no time that I didn’t think I’d have a chance to get through. She really spurted away when she did.”

Yearly Tour, a winner of five in a row on dirt and turf at Bay Meadows, proved she belongs in this part of the state even though she was beaten. If Wandesta had not found room, she would have made it six in a row.

Capracotta was fifth, 5 1/2 lengths behind Lyin To The Moon, and Klassy Kim and Potrichal completed the order of finish.

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The first of many anticipated meetings between Afternoon Deelites and 1994 2-year-old Eclipse champion Timber Country will take place in the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes today at Santa Anita.

In a field that is expected to be reduced to four starters (Jumron is scheduled to run at Bay Meadows next weekend and Zg Media will wait for a softer spot), Afternoon Deelites will be heavily favored to remain unbeaten after five starts. The only time the Private Terms colt has been challenged was in his maiden victory on Oct. 23. He beat Tyson’s Revenge by a neck in 1:08 4/5.

Since then, he has coasted to victories in the Hollywood Prevue, Hollywood Futurity and San Vicente Breeders’ Cup. He is 3-5 on Jeff Tufts’ morning line.

Timber Country will be making his second start of the year after finishing third at 7-10 in the San Rafael 15 days ago. He was hindered by the slow fractions in the race and also wasn’t the recipient of one of Day’s best rides. He figures to improve today, but, tactically, he will be at a disadvantage.

The other two 3-year-olds scheduled to participate are Score Quick, who has been on the board in 10 of his 14 starts, and recent maiden winner Lake George.

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Petionville, who has won all three of his starts for Southern California trainer Randy Bradshaw, tops a field of 11 entered for the $350,000 Louisiana Derby today at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The race will be simulcast between the third and fourth races at Santa Anita.

The only horse to beat Larry The Legend so far, Petionville followed that maiden victory with a win in the San Miguel, then stretched out for the first time in the Gold Rush at Golden Gate on Feb. 18. Chris Antley will ride the son of Seeking The Gold.

There are two other California shippers in the 1 1/16 mile Derby--In Character and On Target.

Second behind Larry The Legend in the Santa Catalina in his U.S. debut after a terrible start, In Character will be ridden by Nakatani. On Target, who won the Del Mar Futurity last September, was fourth in the San Vicente in his first start of the year, but worked a good mile for trainer Ron McAnally at the Fair Grounds. He went 1:39 3/5 a week ago and will be ridden by Alex Solis.

The rest of the field includes Beavers Nose, Southern Breeze, Scott’s Scoundrel, You’re The One, Strawberry Wine, Knockadoon, Moonlight Dancer and Artic Explosion.

Horse Racing Notes

Afternoon Deelites and Soul Of The Matter, both owned by Burt Bacharach, have been syndicated, effective at the end of their racing careers. The syndicate is headed by Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones, who owns Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky. . . . Sandpit, who will be favored in the San Luis Rey Stakes a week from today, worked a mile in 1:37 Saturday morning. . . . Best Pal will make his next start in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 21. Urgent Request, who held on to beat Best Pal in the Santa Anita Handicap, may also start in the race.