Gentlemen Looking for a Rash of Redemption in the Gold Cup

Even with the streaking Skip Away due in town, the real Gentlemen is capable of becoming only the second repeat winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup.

A peak effort by the Argentine-bred, who won Hollywood Park’s most famous race by four lengths last year, would enable him to move a step closer to Native Diver. The only horse to win the Gold Cup twice, in 1965 and ‘66, Native Diver didn’t stop there, winning again as an 8-year-old in 1967.

But if a different Gentlemen shows up Sunday, he won’t give Skip Away or anybody else in the Gold Cup much of an argument.

The impostor crashed the Santa Anita Handicap last March 7, turning what was supposed to be a virtual walkover for the 6-year-old into one of the most shocking finishes in Big ‘Cap history.

When what was called a foot bruise knocked Silver Charm out of the race, Gentlemen, who had rolled to an impressive victory in his 1998 debut a month earlier in the San Antonio Handicap, looked like a cinch to win the Santa Anita Handicap.

He was dispatched at 1-20 against only three other rivals.

Instead of the expected romp, Gentlemen finished last behind stablemate Malek, Bagshot and Don’t Blame Rio. He was beaten almost eight lengths, trailing horses who ordinarily wouldn’t cause him to break a sweat.

Only once in his 18 previous races in South America and the United States had he been beaten more decisively--a 10 1/2-length defeat when last in his first race in this country June 19, 1996 at Hollywood Park.

Clearly, something was wrong with a horse who has earned almost $3 million and counts a Gold Cup, Pimlico Special and Pacific Classic among his 13 victories.

A thorough examination after the Big ‘Cap revealed a bleeding lesion in Gentlemen’s lungs, but, in hindsight, there was a sign of trouble weeks before.

“He was training magnificently up until about two weeks prior to the race,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “Then, he broke out in a rash all over his body and everything we did to it just made it seem like we were feeding it because it got bigger and stronger.

“Finally, we got the right concoction to quiet it down, but by the time we did, he had lost some hair and it was pretty nasty.

“About six or seven days before the Handicap, it was pretty dry and I thought it was a moot point. I didn’t think it was going to make much difference.”

Months later, Mandella, long one of the country’s top trainers, realizes how significant the rash might have been.

“He ran poorly and he bled, so you just don’t know,” he said. “Maybe he had a rash inside that I couldn’t see. Maybe we cleared up the rash outside and didn’t get the one inside.”

Of course, Gentlemen acted fine directly into the Santa Anita Handicap, and when Silver Charm scratched, Mandella couldn’t help but feel overconfident.

“I had never in my life felt like I had to win a race like I did that one,” he said. “I even told [jockey] Pat Day, ‘Win this as easy as you can because we’re going to Dubai [for the $4-million Dubai World Cup, which was won by Silver Charm on March 28].’

“I know I will never tell a jockey that again. As soon as they went down the backside that day, I knew he was in trouble. I thought he would be taking a good hold of Pat and wanting to go a little stronger. He was too relaxed.

“By the time they got to the far turn, Pat was just starting to move on him a little bit and I could see Malek was stronger already. I did get excited for Malek [whom he also trains], but I was worried to death what was wrong with Gentlemen.”

This made for an uneasy final quarter of a mile for Mandella. While thrilled Malek was able to out-battle Bagshot by a half-length and win the Big ‘Cap, he couldn’t stop thinking about the stable’s star.

“I went to the winner’s circle, but I was stunned and didn’t really know where I was,” Mandella said. “The first one who grabbed me was Mr. [R.D.] Hubbard [Hollywood Park’s CEO and Gentlemen’s owner]. He said, ‘Congratulations. I’ll see you tomorrow and don’t worry about it.’ There aren’t many people who would step up to the plate like that.

“You can’t learn this business at Harvard or USC. It’s very emotional and personal and you have to be part of the horses every day. You have to read their minds and develop an instinct and go on gut feelings on what’s wrong or right with them.

“You get very attached to them, but they’re more than just friends to you, like a family cat or dog, because they work for you. They make you famous and they make you money and I’ve been very fortunate. So, when [bad things] happen, it’s just like somebody tearing out part of your intestines.”

The bleeding lesion was revealed by X-rays. It was the second time Gentlemen had bled in the Big ‘Cap. It wasn’t as severe when he was third as the 17-10 favorite in 1997, but that incident did keep him from going to Dubai. “I think the fact that it happened in March both times is significant,” Mandella said. “It’s right before the start of spring and there’s a lot of pollen floating around in the air and he has some sensitivity to that.”

Two weeks later, Gentlemen was X-rayed again and his lungs were clean, but the decision had been made to give him plenty of rest and to bring him up to the Gold Cup on works alone.

His recent workouts have been sharp. He won the San Antonio after he had been away for 4 1/2 months and he will be trying to win for the third time in four starts on the Hollywood Park main track.

“Any time you have a horse run as bad as he did in the Handicap, it leaves you scared,” Mandella said. “As far as I can see, he looks like the 10 million bucks he’s syndicated for, but you also have in the back of your mind that you thought he was OK last time.

“Right now, he’s about as good as any time he’s gone into a race.”

This will be Gentlemen’s second encounter with Skip Away. In their first meeting, he won the Pimlico Special, beating Skip Away by a half-length.

That race was May 10, 1997, and in 11 starts since, Skip Away has won eight, including six in a row. He is certain to be favored Sunday.

“[The Special] was a great race,” Mandella said. “That was the first time I’d flown Gentlemen anywhere and he went in about three or four days before. When I got to Pimlico, he looked like he had lost 100 pounds and I was really worried that he wasn’t going to run his very best race.

“As it turned out, I don’t think he could have run any better and I don’t think he ever has.”