Funallover Lives Up to Name in Victory

Although nobody could say for certain, there was some history made at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Funallover became the first horse to win a graded stakes in Arcadia who had not once, but twice, lost against $8,000 opponents at Fairplex Park in Pomona.

Third and seventh in her two starts at that five-eighths mile track last September, the 4-year-old All Thee Power filly scored a 6-1 surprise in the $133,000 Las Flores Handicap, beating 8-5 second choice Advancing Star in 1:09 for the six furlongs over a wet-fast surface.

In the last three months, Funallover has been on a tear for trainer Gene White. The Las Flores win was her fifth in her last seven starts. Earlier in the meeting, she had won the Survive at 34-1.

Last after half a mile, Funallover rallied wide, seemingly the better part of the track, under Alex Solis and outfinished Advancing Star, a surprise participant given the fact that it had rained overnight and in the morning.

Zenda’s Diablo, who made the lead through 21 2/5- and 44-second splits, was third at 32-1, 1 1/4 lengths behind Advancing Star and nearly three ahead of Two Tone Lindi. Madame Pandit, the 13-10 favorite, finished sixth when jockey Eddie Delahoussaye said she didn’t seem to care for the track.

“I think she really found herself the first time I ran her [at Turf Paradise in Phoenix] this fall [Nov. 18],” White said. “The owners got a little unsettled about this horse last summer and told me to go ahead and run her for $7,500.

“She ran second and just got beat and had a lot of trouble in that race. She hasn’t run a bad race since, and I’ll never run for a tag again. I think that her improvement is just due to her maturing. She’s had her share of physical problems, but we’ve worked around them. She’s going perfect right now.”

This was the first time Advancing Star had come close on a track that was something other than fast and she rallied from off the pace, something new for her.

“This was better than sitting in the barn,” said trainer Richard Mandella. “We thought about scratching, but [owner John Mabee] called me about 1:30 and said he didn’t mind taking a chance. She ran a nice race, but it’s obviously not her best race.”

*

Making his first start since breaking his maiden by 11 lengths in his debut at Del Mar last Aug. 3, Indian Charlie won like a 1-9 shot should at Santa Anita.

After breaking slowly under jockey Gary Stevens, the 3-year-old In Excess colt took over after a half-mile, then toyed with his three outclassed rivals en route to a nine-length victory.

Owned by Hal Earnhardt and trained by Bob Baffert, Indian Charlie completed the seven furlongs in 1:21 4/5.

“He did everything like a 1-9 shot is supposed to,” Stevens said. “He did get a little tight with me in the gate and broke a little awkwardly, but he’s such an athlete, he got his feet underneath him two jumps away from there.

“He’s such a professional he just galloped along until the quarter pole, and his last eighth of a mile was really impressive. I haven’t been on too many horses that have the type of acceleration he does.”

*

Funeral services will be held today in Pasadena for Michael Morphy, a longtime horse owner and a past president of the Oak Tree Foundation, which distributes funds from charity racing days conducted during the Oak tree meeting. Morphy, 65, died last Thursday in Montecito, Calif.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Gary Stevens had two winners on Sunday and trails Kent Desormeaux, 41-40, in the standings through 44 days of the 85-day meeting. Corey Nakatani is next with 33 victories. . . . Diamond On The Run, the 6-5 choice, won the $100,000 Davona Dale by nearly three lengths Sunday at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Pat Day for trainer Stanley Hough and owners Bea and Robert Roberts, Diamond On The Run completed the 1 /16 miles in 1:42 3/5 and paid $4.40.