Romarin Starts 1996 the Exact Way He Did 1995--With a Win

Romarin began 1996 the same way he started the previous year.

Twelve months after leading the entire way in the San Gabriel Handicap, the 6-year-old Brazilian-bred used the same strategy to succeed again on Monday at Santa Anita.

Reunited with Corey Nakatani, the 11-10 favorite drew well clear in the stretch, then was extended to beat 9-1 shot Virginia Carnival by half a length in 1:49 3/5 for the 1 1/8 miles on turf.

After gaining a big lead through fast fractions in the Citation Handicap on Nov. 25 at Hollywood Park, Romarin slowed things down considerably Monday. He went 48 1/5 for the half-mile and 1:12 for six furlongs.

“Nine furlongs is as much as he wants to do here,” said trainer Richard Mandella after his second stakes win of the six-day-old meeting. Mandella won the Malibu with Afternoon Deelites on opening day.

“Corey just rides him with confidence. This horse is an aggressive overachiever. He lives for that gate to open and to try to outrun everybody. To get along with him, you need to ride him with a little confidence and patience.

“It’s really amazing what these Brazilian horses [Romarin, Sandpit and Siphon] have done for me the last couple of years. How good have they been to me?”

Virginia Carnival, who had a brutal trip when well-beaten in the Hollywood Derby, edged Silver Wizard, the 3-1 second choice, by half a length for second.

“It was frustrating, just a matter of running out of ground,” Kent Desormeaux said of the runner-up. “The nice thing to look forward to about this colt is that I don’t think he knows how to run yet. He doesn’t make up any ground at all, then the last 40 yards, he figures he’s supposed to run, and he really takes off. I mean, if he just gave that kind of effort through the stretch, he would have been won by five. He doesn’t know what his job is yet, I don’t think.”

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Two days after Exotic Wood’s impressive victory in the La Brea Stakes, owners Martin and Pam Wygod and trainer Ron Ellis brought out another top distaffer.

Winning for the second consecutive time since returning from a nine-month layoff, Twice The Vice engaged highly touted Liberiana from the start and went on to win the $71,050 Run For The Roses Handicap.

With Corey Black sitting in for the recuperating Gary Stevens, the 5-year-old Vice Regent mare scored for the seventh time in 14 starts, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:35 3/5 for the mile on dirt. She paid $5.20 as the 8-5 favorite.

“She had some small problems and we didn’t see the real Twice The Vice last year,” said Ellis. “She’s just now showing what kind of a mare she is. We have some big plans for her this year.”

British Bauble, who was going for her fourth consecutive win, got up for second, beating the 9-5 second choice Liberiana by a neck.

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The California Horse Racing Board is investigating the breakdown of Tillie’s Joy, a 2-year-old maiden, after the sixth race on Dec. 29.

The 19-10 favorite in the $32,000 claiming race for California breds, Tillie’s Joy went wrong after the wire on the clubhouse turn. He suffered a complete fracture of the cannon bone in his left foreleg and had to be destroyed.

“All I can tell you right now is that we’re investigating what happened after the sixth race [on Dec. 29],” said Mike Kilpack, the supervising investigator for the CHRB.

“[The reason for the investigation] is that the jockey [Corey Nakatani] hit the horse a number of times after the finish. We’ll know more after we interview some more people.”

Kilpack said the investigation will probably continue for a “few more days,” then the matter will be submitted to Santa Anita stewards Ingrid Fermin, Pete Pedersen and Tom Ward for review. Nakatani had no comment on the incident.

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Horse Racing Notes

The victory for Romarin was worth $82,050 for his owner Eduardo de Paulo Machado. . . . High Stakes Player, third in the Malibu Stakes, is expected to run Sunday in the $100,000 El Conejo Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs. The other probable starters include Lit De Justice, third in the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Fu Man Slew, Lakota Brave, Lucky Forever, G Malleah and Plenty Zloty. . . . The $50,000 Hallandale Handicap will be simulcast at Santa Anita on Wednesday, the first race in the simulcast exchange between Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye and Corey Nakatani both won twice Monday.