Flores Hopes for Gold Anniversary

Jockey David Flores can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his biggest win than with another victory in the same race.

Tinners Way and Geri figure to get most of the attention this week, but Flores, 28, just might have the right companion in Siphon for the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup.

On Sunday, the Brazilian-bred is almost certain to have the early lead in Hollywood Park’s richest race, and his rider has already demonstrated he knows how to win a Gold Cup on the front end.

In 1991, he directed Marquetry to a $56.80 upset, holding off favored Farma Way to win by a head in one of the most exciting Gold Cups in recent memory.

To secure the mount on the son of Conquistador Cielo, Flores had to go on something of a crash diet.

Trainer Bobby Frankel wanted a jockey at 110 pounds, Marquetry’s assigned weight, but the lowest Alex Solis, who had been riding the colt, could go was 111. So Flores, who regularly rode at 112 and had last been on Marquetry eight months earlier, didn’t eat much for the two days before the race.

“I learned to live on Rice Krispies,” he said to reporters at the time. “For a $500,000 race, I could sweat down to 111. For a $1-million race, I’ll learn to go without food.”

Flores won’t have to live on cereal alone in the coming days. Siphon was assigned the lowest weight of the Gold Cup probables, but it is 117, five fewer than the race high weight of Tinners Way.

Owned by Brazilian breeder Linneo Eduardo de Paula Machado’s Rio Claro Thoroughbreds, which also campaigns Romarin with Richard Mandella, Siphon will be aiming for his fourth consecutive victory Sunday.

The 5-year-old, who has career earnings of $417,619 with nine victories in 17 starts, won the six-furlong Bay Meadows Express Handicap on Feb. 17, came back a little more than two months later to win the Bates Motel at Santa Anita going 1 1/16 miles, then took the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park at the same distance May 4.

A bruised foot kept the son of Itajara from running in the Californian earlier this month, but he worked a sensational mile (1:37 flat) last Thursday morning and seems on top of his game.

For those who question whether or not he can handle the Gold Cup distance of 1 1/4 miles, he won going 1 3/8 miles in South America before coming to the United States.

Flores, meanwhile, is happy with the way his life is going after some turbulent times.

He was the leading rider at Fairplex Park for six consecutive seasons, but was suspended by the Fairplex stewards after he failed to show for a couple of days last September. The Tijuana-born Flores had gone to Mexico to get away without notifying anyone.

He returned about a month later to ride at Oak Tree with a new agent, former jockey and trainer Don Pierce, but near the end of 1995, he entered a drug rehabilitation facility.

Flores later returned, then took another misstep. He was suspended for 60 days by the Santa Anita stewards after testing positive for cocaine Feb. 17.

Now, still involved with a program, he has a new outlook on life.

“I feel strong and confident,” he said, not wishing to go into details about his past problems. “I’m more interested in my work now and I’m working every morning. I’m picking up business and I’m happier.”