Windsharp Ready to Go the Distance After Win

If jockey Eddie Delahoussaye is right, Windsharp is destined to have a big year.

After the 6-year-old Lean Fan mare won the $157,750 Santa Ana Handicap in her first start since the Hollywood Turf Cup three months earlier, Delahoussaye said she’s better now than she was in 1996.

Windsharp won both the San Luis Obispo and San Luis Rey as a 5-year-old, was second in three other important stakes and finished third in the Eclipse award balloting for top female turf runner behind Wandesta and Timarida.

Returning at a distance which isn’t her best, Windsharp--the 2-1 second choice in the field of seven--rallied to defeat Wheatly Special by half a length in 1:49 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles. Wheatly Special was considered the weaker half of the entry that was favored at 2-1 and included Sixieme Sens,

Over a turf course which is suddenly kind to closers no matter how fast or slow the pace, Windsharp must have felt like she was running in a longer race because of the dawdling fractions--24 2/5, 49 1/5 and 1:13 2/5 for six furlongs.

Windsharp simply had the best kick in the stretch run after Wheatly Special, who was on the lead throughout, opened up two lengths with a furlong to go.

“There were some nice fillies and mares in there and I wasn’t sure if she’d be quick enough [to win at 1 1/8 miles],” trainer Wally Dollase said. “She wore ‘em down. I was a little concerned when I saw the slow fractions, but [Delahoussaye] said she relaxed real well.

“Now, we can go further and never run in a 1 1/8-mile race again all year. She’s better at 1 1/4 miles and up.”

Delahoussaye had praise for the Santa Anita turf course, which isn’t nearly as hard as it was earlier in the meeting. “This course is in better shape now than it’s ever been,” he said. “They’ve added water, and that’s helped tremendously. It’s fair now, fairer for horses coming from off the pace.”

Making her first start since capturing the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita last fall, Donna Viola was third, half a length behind Wheatly Special. Red Roses Story, Sixieme Sens, Real Connection and Two Ninety Jones completed the order of finish.

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Back on his best surface after a solid fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Handicap three weeks ago, Marlin is the 2-1 favorite against nine opponents in the $250,000 San Luis Rey Stakes today.

A winner of four of 13 on grass and successful in two Grade I races last year--the Secretariat at Arlington Park and the Hollywood Derby-- Marlin was beaten by 4 1/2 lengths by Siphon in the Big ‘Cap.

The son of Sword Dance has come back to work twice for trainer Wayne Lukas since and will be ridden for the first time by Chris McCarron in the San Luis Rey.

Trainer Bobby Frankel, whose Wandesta finished second in the San Luis Rey last year, will send out Bon Point and Sunshack, who will be coupled in the betting.

Sunshack, a 6-year-old son of Rainbow Quest, won six of 15 races in Europe and earned more than $550,000. Bon Point, meanwhile, was a close third in last month’s San Luis Obispo and has two victories in five tries going 1 1/2.

Rainbow Dancer, who is trained by Jenine Sahadi, is the race’s 7-2 third choice. He ran second to stablemate Shanawi, who is 10-1 on the line today, in the San Luis Obispo, but has more reason to improve because that was his first start in more than two months and first in America.

The field is completed by Seaborg--another South American import from the Richard Mandella barn who has won two of six on turf--Peckinpah’s Soul, and longshots Manoir D’Anjou, Mountain Bike and Big Sky Jim.

Horse Racing Notes

The $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 has nine probable starters, headed by the filly Sharp Cat and Del Mar Futurity and San Vicente Stakes winner Silver Charm. Others considered likely for the 1 1/8-mile Derby are Free House, Bagshot, Batoile, Classic Credential, Effect, Hello and Steel Ruhlr. Free House won the San Felipe in a 10-1 upset a week ago. Funontherun and Inexcessivelygood, the first two finishers in the San Rafael earlier this month, will leave Thursday for Kentucky, where they will run Saturday in the $600,000 Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park.

Windsharp has won nine of 26 lifetime and earned $1,008,793 for owners Richard and Martha Stephen and Prince Ahmed Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp. It was Windsharp’s fourth in five tries on the Santa Anita turf. She was second to Raintrap in the San Juan Capistrano a year ago in her only loss. . . . After Phil and Sophie Hersh, who owned The Wicked North, presented the trophy to the connections of Tom Cruiser, who won the race named for their stakes and Eclipse award-winning horse of 1994, their Northern Gate was declared the winner of the fourth race after the controversial disqualification of favored Miss Ulele. The Wicked North was disqualified in the 1994 Santa Anita Handicap on a stewards’ call that was hotly debated.

Tejano Run, ridden by Pat Day, made a strong late run to win the $200,000 Widener Handicap in Hialeah, Fla.