Victory Keeps Borodislew Running

There will be more races for Borodislew.

Plans were to retire the 6-year-old Seattle Slew mare if she ran poorly in the $79,040 Santa Lucia Handicap on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Instead, she won the race.

Well-positioned throughout by Gary Stevens, who won three other races Sunday, the 3-1 second choice in the field of eight took over from pacesetter Both Ways early in the stretch and went on to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Real Connection rallied for second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of 2-1 favorite Dixie Pearl.

Able to beat only one in her return in the Las Flores Handicap on Feb. 24 after being idle since her eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Borodislew won for the ninth time in 23 starts for owner 505 Farms and trainer John Shirreffs.

“I think they better hold off sending her to the breeding shed,” said Stevens. “Still, she got a little bit tired today. I’d expect her to improve off this race. I’d look for her to get a little bit of fitness seasoning out of this race.

“She’ll be pretty powerful all summer long if she stays like she is right now. I rode her one time when she was going real well last year and she was just a couple of lengths off it today.”

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Track Gal, who scratched from Saturday’s Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap, will make her first start in the $65,000 Time To Leave Handicap at six furlongs on Wednesday.

Inactive since finishing 11th, 18 lengths behind Desert Stormer in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last Oct. 28, Track Gal has trained well for her return and has won two of her three starts at Santa Anita.

Trained by John Sadler and to be ridden by Chris McCarron, the 5-year-old Track Barron mare will have five opponents--Airistar, Call Now, Miss L Attack, Our Summer Bid and Tiny Boots, who is also trained by Sadler.

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Horse Racing Notes

The next major goal for Santa Anita Handicap winner Mr Purple, who finished fifth behind Geri in the Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday, is the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, but trainer Ron McAnally said the 4-year-old will likely run before that, perhaps on the turf. . . . Jockey Chris Antley said Antespend, the beaten favorite in last Friday’s Fantasy, didn’t care for the track at Oaklawn Park. “She just didn’t handle it,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, that was a throwout race. I’d like to get another shot at the filly [Escena] who beat her.” Antespend’s next start will come in the Kentucky Oaks on May 3. . . . Serena’s Song, who will leave Wednesday to run in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Friday at Oaklawn, worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 Sunday morning. “She worked tremendously,” said trainer Wayne Lukas. Twice The Vice, who will also run in the Apple Blossom, left early this morning. . . . Stevens’ other victories came with Daggett Peak in the fifth, Men’s Exclusive in the seventh and Ky Wish in the ninth.