Debut Winner Cape Canaveral Set to Blast Off in San Miguel

The most exciting debut winner of the still-young Santa Anita meeting returns today in the $100,000 San Miguel Stakes.

Cape Canaveral, who set some sizzling fractions and kept on going to successfully launch his career Dec. 26, Santa Anita’s opening day, is the 1-5 favorite to remain perfect in the six-furlong San Miguel, a Grade III and the first prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Owned and bred by Bill Young’s Overbrook Farm and trained by Wayne Lukas, Cape Canaveral has the pedigree to be a star. His sire is Mr. Prospector and his dam is the stakes-winning mare Seaside Attraction, whom Lukas also trained. Golden Attraction, a full sister to Cape Canaveral, won the Eclipse in 1995 as the nation’s top 2-year-old filly.

Although he didn’t break quickly from the rail, the dark bay colt took the lead in a hurry under jockey David Flores, went 21 2/5 and 43 3/5 for the half-mile and won by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:15 3/5 for 6 1/2 furlongs.

This effort came four races after another Lukas rookie, Sasha’s Prospect, won his initial outing, surprising those who hadn’t seen the barn win with many first-time starters locally in the recent past.

Lukas was not surprised by Cape Canaveral’s performance and says the horse has a future around two turns.

“There’s no better-bred horse in the country than this horse,” he said. “His pedigree is unbelievable. He’s a clone of his sister in a male body. He’s got the same action and the same little quirks she had. The gene pool worked. She had no two-turn trouble at all and Seaside Attraction won the [Kentucky] Oaks for us [in 1990].

“Some people have labeled the Mr. Prospectors as strictly sprinters or milers, and I don’t think that’s completely fair. Forty Niner comes to mind [of a son of Mr. Prospector who had success at longer distances].”

Before Cape Canaveral stretches out, there is the San Miguel and he will have only three rivals--Aristotle, Actin Time and Danzig Commander. Lukas, who won this race with Honour And Glory in 1996, isn’t concerned about the quick turnaround for his colt.

“He bounced out of that race pretty good,” he said. “It wasn’t a real hard race on him. He was pretty much cruising and he has trained well since.

“He had trained well before his race and we’ve been high on him from the start. He’s got a good mind and he’s a very fluid, free-running horse.”

Lukas also says Sasha’s Prospect, who didn’t run as fast as Cape Canaveral, has stakes events in his future and hopes to try the $2.3-million yearling purchase around two turns in his next start. He is a son of Mr. Prospector out of the Stop The Music mare Missy’s Mirage.

Given how he had trained, Lukas wasn’t shocked to see Sasha’s Prospect, who is owned by Satish Sanan’s Padua Stables, involved in a close finish.

“That’s the way he had been in all of his works,” he said. “He never draws off from a horse, but he’s never been outworked. He’s also a well-bred colt. He may not be as quick as [Cape Canaveral], but he’s a runner.”

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Silver Charm, who will carry 125 pounds in his 1999 debut in the $200,000 San Pasqual Handicap on Sunday, will have five opponents in the Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

Looking for his 12th win in his 20th start, Silver Charm will spot his rivals six to 13 pounds. Malek, the winner of last year’s forgettable Santa Anita Handicap and second in this race a year ago, is the second highweight at 119, then comes Dramatic Gold (118), Musical Gambler (116), Crafty Friend (114) and Young At Heart (112).

The San Pasqual could be the first of four races in less than three months for Silver Charm. Current plans call for the 5-year-old son of Silver Buck to run in the Donn Handicap on Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park, the Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 and then try for a repeat in the Dubai World Cup on March 28.

“He’s coming off a layoff, but he’s telling me he’s ready,’ trainer Bob Baffert said. “I hope he is because we’re putting him through a heavy duty schedule.”

Horse Racing Notes

Skip Away, Silver Charm and Awesome Again are the three finalists for the 1998 horse-of-the-year title. The winner, along with the other Eclipse award winners, will be announced Feb. 16 in Miami. The other finalists: Answer Lively, Exploit and Worldly Manner (2-year-old colt); Excellent Meeting and Silverbulletday (2-year-old filly); Coronado’s Quest, Real Quiet and Victory Gallop (3-year-old colt); Banshee Breeze and Jersey Girl (3-year-old filly); Awesome Again, Silver Charm and Skip Away (older male); Escena, Mossflower and Sharp Cat (older female); Affirmed Success, Kelly Kip and Reraise (sprinter); Buck’s Boy, Da Hoss, Royal Anthem (male turf horse); Fiji, Maxzene and Memories Of Silver (female turf horse); Flat Top, Hokan and Saluter (steeplechase); Bob and Beverly Lewis, Mike Pegram and Frank Stronach (owner); Bob Baffert, Pat Byrne and Michael Dickinson (trainer); Jerry Bailey, Edgar Prado and Gary Stevens (jockey) and Jeremy Beasley, Shaun Bridgmohan and J.C. Gonzalez (apprentice jockey).