No Whip Needed to Get First Intent Victory in Crosby

The day before, trainer Jack Carava was claiming a horse for $16,000 and jockey Rene Douglas was brushing himself off after a filly fell past the finish line on Del Mar’s turf course.

About 24 hours later, Carava and Douglas were celebrating in the winner’s circle after a $172,000 race. Douglas lost his whip in the last 100 yards, but he still rode First Intent to a come-from-behind win in Sunday’s Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Carava completed a big weekend for former claimers when he saddled First Intent for the 8-year-old gelding’s $102,000 victory in the six-furlong Crosby.

Famous Digger, winner of Saturday’s San Clemente Handicap, was a $40,000 claim by trainer Barry Abrams.

First Intent joined the Carava barn in March of 1996, when he was claimed for $40,000 from Bob Baffert. High Stakes Player, who runs for Baffert, finished third as the 7-5 favorite in the Crosby, beaten by just over 4 1/2 lengths.

The horses widest on the stretch turn, First Intent and Boundless Moment, were separated by a neck at the wire. Douglas lost his whip when he pulled alongside Boundless Moment and tried to switch from his left hand to his right.

First Intent, carrying 115 pounds, five fewer than the high-weighted High Stakes Player and three fewer than Boundless Moment, was timed in 1:08 4/5, one second slower than the stakes record, and paid $22.20 for $2. Running for Michael Lima, the Arizona-bred won for the 12th time in 62 starts and pushed his earnings over $500,000. First Intent won twice this year at Santa Anita, including one stake, after Carava ran him three times for a $62,500 claiming price.

Plenty Zloty, Score Quick and Cold N Calculating were the pace-setters through an opening half-mile in 44 3/5 seconds. First Intent, who had won only twice in 19 tries at six furlongs, was last after a half-mile, about six lengths behind. When Boundless Moment circled four-wide to challenge the leaders at the top of the stretch, Douglas had First Intent on another path farther outside.

“You don’t want to rush this horse,” said Douglas, who won the stake at Santa Anita with First Intent. “I took my time with him. He’s got a big heart and he gave me everything he had.”

This was Carava’s first stakes win at Del Mar.

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It was Fleet Lady in the Fleet Treat as the 3-year-old filly, who broke her maiden at Del Mar last season, won by eight lengths in a seven-furlong stake for California-breds.

Since winning her first start in September, Fleet Lady has missed little of the state’s racing landscape, her wins in the two starts before Sunday coming in Northern California for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

The 7-10 favorite, Fleet Lady notched her fifth win in 10 starts. She was ridden by Gary Stevens, who hurried back from England after winning with two of three mounts Saturday at Ascot.

John and Betty Mabee, who bred and race Fleet Lady, also finished second in the Fleet Treat with Message Of Honey. Fun In Excess, trained by Baffert, was third. Baffert’s other entry, Fair Mims, flipped in the gate and was scratched. She was not injured.

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Baffert said Anet, who is running in Sunday’s $1-million Haskell Handicap at Monmouth Park, will work today at Del Mar.

“He’s a true mile-and-a-sixteenth horse who on his best day can get a mile and an eighth,” Baffert said. “I think Free House is the same way.”

David Flores will ride Anet in New Jersey. The Haskell is 1 1/8 miles. Baffert’s plan to run Silver Charm, his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, in the Haskell was scotched when the colt was pulled out of action for the year because of a high white-blood count. Silver Charm won’t run again until this winter at Santa Anita and is now stabled at Baffert’s barn at Del Mar.

Touch Gold, the Belmont winner, and Free House, winner of the Santa Anita Derby and the Swaps, are the favorites for the Haskell. David Hofmans, who trains Touch Gold, will also ship Awesome Again for the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga next Sunday. Awesome again, off only two races, won the Queen’s at Woodbine in June.

“Awesome Again is not far behind Touch Gold right now,” Hofmans said.

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Trainer Walter Greenman has a natural interest in Hidden Lake, and he was watching on television at Del Mar on Sunday when the 4-year-old filly lost the lead and then came back on to beat Flat Fleet Feet in the $250,000 Go For Wand Stakes at Saratoga.

Greenman lost Hidden Lake in May when she was sold to a partnership headed by Bob Clay. Since going to trainer John Kimmel, Hidden Lake has won three consecutive stakes in New York, two of them Grade I’s.

Horse Racing Notes

Jack Carava also saddled Cool Cadillac, the winner of the last race on Sunday’s card. . . . Trainer Barry Abrams and jockey Brice Blanc, who teamed for Famous Digger’s win in the San Clemente, won a race with Mr Sunsation. . . . Julio Canani, who hadn’t saddled a winner since 1993, won a $16,000 claiming race with Pic O Them All at Del Mar on Saturday. Canani is rebuilding a stable after dropping out as a trainer. He has six horses at Del Mar, losing the 9-year-old Pic O Them All to Carava on a claim.