Los Alamitos May Be Next for Breeders’ Ricks

Last seen when hopelessly overmatched in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Turf, Ricks Natural Star could make his next start at Los Alamitos.

A Los Alamitos spokesman confirmed Wednesday that the track has a proposal on the table for the 7-year-old, who hasn’t won a race since 1993, to run in an 870-yard starter allowance race on Nov. 15. In addition, he would make an appearance between races about a week before.

For this, owner-trainer Dr. William Livingston would be paid an appearance fee of $5,000, which isn’t bad, considering Ricks Natural Star has earned $6,093 in his 24-race career.

Unraced for 14 months before the Breeders’ Cup, Ricks Natural Star was scheduled to arrive at Los Alamitos at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, but he had not arrived late in the afternoon. Attempts to reach Livingston, who put up $40,000 to run his horse last Saturday at Woodbine, were unsuccessful.

If the New Mexico-bred does run Nov. 15, he would not be the first Breeders’ Cup participant to run at Los Alamitos. Sam Who, disqualified and placed last in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 1989, ran in low-level claimers there at the end of his career.

Livingston has already informed Los Alamitos of his plans beyond the 870-yard race for Ricks Natural Star. “The Breeders’ Cup was just a prep for the [$500,000] Hong Kong International Bowl,” he told a spokesman.

Of course, Ricks Natural Star would have to be invited to the seven-furlong race, which will be run Dec. 8 at Sha Tin Race Course.

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Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who parted company with longtime agent Gene Short earlier this year, has changed agents again.

Out is Ron Anderson, who continues to book mounts for Gary Stevens, and in is Brian Beach, who has been working in Northern California for Dennis Carr and Adalberto Lopez. Beach, 33, will begin working for Desormeaux when Hollywood Park begins on Wednesday.

“Ron is an excellent agent, but Gary and I are too identical and we’re fighting for the same horses,” Desormeaux said. “Ron would go to a barn for a horse and say, ‘I’ve got Kent or Gary.’ I just wanted somebody pro-Desormeaux. I want somebody to show up each morning full-fledged Desormeaux.

“[Beach] is a very good agent. We had spoken in the past about it and he’s ready to rock and roll. He carries himself very well and has a lot of confidence in his ability.”

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Entries will be taken this morning for California Cup VII on Saturday. The event consists of nine races restricted to California-breds.

Megan’s Interco, who has won the Cal Cup Mile twice, is expected to head the field in the day’s main event, the $250,000 Classic at 1 1/8 miles.

Trained by Jenine Sahadi--who won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with a last-to-first race from Lit De Justice--Megan’s Interco will probably be joined by Ready To Order, Oncefortheroad, Windy’s Halo, Mateo and possibly Longliner.

Second to Urgent Request in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 5, Megan’s Interco had been considered a possible for the Breeders’ Cup Mile last weekend, but Sahadi decided to keep the 7-year-old at home.

Horse Racing Notes

There were 14 scratches off the program Wednesday because of sloppy conditions, and two races were scratched down to three starters. It was the first time since Nov. 11, 1993 that the track was off during the Oak Tree meeting. . . . Alex Solis increased his lead in the jockey standings to 10 over Eddie Delahoussaye with four wins on Wednesday. He won the second with Lady Integrity, the third with Rexile, fifth with Chip Canyon and sixth with Gold Capital. . . . Delahoussaye, Corey Nakatani and Julio Garcia all called in sick Wednesday and were off their mounts. . . . Talloires, Awad and Diplomatic Jet, who were all off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, have been invited to the $3.2-million Japan Cup, which will be run at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 24. Dare And Go was also invited, but he has been retired after being injured while running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.