Only Six Will Take On Fastness

A little more than a month ago, the field for the $700,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile figured to be overflowing.

Then, Fastness made his 1996 debut on May 12. The 6-year-old gray toyed with Helmsman, Tychonic and two others in the Inglewood Handicap and, suddenly, the richest mile turf race in America didn’t look like such an enticing spot.

Handlers of horses around the country weren’t eager to ship to California to take on Fastness in a weight-for-age event. Horses stabled locally were switched to other races.

When entries were drawn Thursday for Sunday’s Shoemaker, only six--Joker, Romarin, Unusual Heat, Tychonic, Debutant Trick and Atticus--were named to tackle Fastness at equal weights.

On paper, the Grade II race looks like a mere formality for the runner-up in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Fastness was installed the 4-5 favorite and will probably be shorter at post time.

If the Shoemaker had been a handicap, which it was in the past, Fastness would be spotting everybody weight and the field almost certainly would have been larger.

Next year, the Shoemaker, which was called the Premiere until 1989, could be a handicap again, and Hollywood Park racing secretary Martin Panza says he thinks it will grow into an important race.

“When Fastness won like he did, people started to scramble in different directions, and you can’t blame them,” he said. “There are a lot of options out there.”

There are numerous turf races around the country at this time of year.

Weight-for-age tends to work better when there are few options. For instance, nobody is going to skip the Triple Crown races because the weights are level or the Hollywood Derby, which is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf in November and is the only spot around the country for 3-year-olds who want the grass.

But it could also be said that if the Hollywood Gold Cup were weight-for-age, perhaps Cigar would still be coming west in a couple of weeks, rather than waiting for Arlington International’s proposed $1-million race or Del Mar’s Pacific Classic.

In the Shoemaker, everybody will carry 124 pounds. Fastness picks up two pounds from his 1996 debut, which is less than any of the other five.

Thought by many to be the finest middle-distance turf horse in the country, Fastness drew the outside post as he goes for his fifth win in six tries on the Hollywood Park turf course. Last year, he won the Citation Handicap here in course-record time.

“I’ve worked him, always liked him and know that he runs for me,” said jockey Corey Nakatani, who replaced the now-sidelined Gary Stevens on Fastness in the Inglewood. “But he’ll run for anybody, this horse. He’s a freak, just unbelievable.”

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Goncalino Almeida, sidelined since Jan. 20 when he broke his legs in an accident at Santa Anita, returned Thursday. He finished far back on his lone mount, Dinner And Dancing, in the sixth race. . . . Kent Desormeaux is appealing the three-day suspension he was given for an incident on Monday night, so he will be able to ride Debutant Trick in the Shoemaker. . . . Trainer Ron McAnally and owner Sid Craig, who did well with another Argentine female named Paseana, may have another star from that country. Different, who won five of six in Argentina, was impressive in her U.S. debut, easily beating Another Legend and four others Thursday. Ridden by Chris McCarron, the 4-year-old filly scored in 1:41 3/5 for 1 1/16 miles.