Injury Forces Free House Out of Gold Cup

There will be no Santa Anita Handicap-Hollywood Gold Cup double for Free House this year.

Free House will miss at least three months of training--and the $1-million Gold Cup on June 28--because of an injury suffered when he finished second to Real Quiet in last Saturday’s Pimlico Special.

Trainer Paco Gonzalez said the ligament from Free House’s left hip to his spine is torn, which is why the California-bred was lame after the Special.

“He’ll be given all the time he needs,” said Gonzalez, adding that Free House will be flown back to California from Kentucky on Monday. He had gone to Churchill Downs from Pimlico to undergo a nuclear scan Wednesday.

Besides this year’s Big ‘Cap, Free House has won eight other races, among them the 1997 Santa Anita Derby, and earned nearly $3.2 million.

None of the six horses that ran in this year’s Santa Anita Handicap has returned to win and Free House is the only one to have finished among the top three in his next start. Runner-up Event Of The Year was injured while running fourth at 3-10 in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 1 and may be retired. Silver Charm, who finished third, was off the board in the Dubai World Cup on March 28. Fourth-place finisher Dr Fong ran poorly in the Oaklawn Handicap; Puerto Madero, who was fifth, hasn’t raced since, but is expected to go in the $300,000 Californian on May 29 at Hollywood Park, and Sidon, who finished last, was fourth in a turf race at Santa Anita on April 8.

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Trainer Jerry Dutton might not win the $75,000 Nursery Stakes on Saturday at Hollywood Park, but it won’t be for lack of effort.

Best known for his skill with young horses, Dutton has four of the 12 entrants--there are two also-eligibles--in the first local 2-year-old stakes of the year.

Sweet Defense, Wink N’ A Drink, Gambling Champ and Wired To Fly make up Team Dutton and it will be the most starters for one trainer in a stakes race since Richard Mandella had five in the 1997 Gold Cup, in which he finished 1-2-3 with Gentlemen, Siphon and Sandpit. Region and Talloires, Mandella’s other horses, finished fifth and sixth.

Dutton’s fillies, who will race as an entry in the betting, are four of the nine unbeatens in the Nursery, which will be run at 4 1/2 furlongs. The entry is almost certain to be favored.

The probable second choice is Desert End, who won her only start, at Golden Gate Fields last month, by 4 1/2 lengths. The strength of her effort was verified when Lacey Evitan, who finished a troubled third, six lengths behind the winner, returned to romp in her next race. David Flores will ride Desert End for trainer Jeff Bonde, who won 2-year-old stakes at Hollywood Park last year with Robahush and Western Woman.

Horse Racing Notes

Bouncing back from the first defeat of his career in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 21, heavily favored Apremont won for the third time Thursday at Hollywood Park. The 3-year-old son of Silver Deputy went right to the front, set 21 4/5, 44 2/5 and 1:08 2/5 fractions and finished the seven-furlong race in 1:21 1/5 to beat Futural and five other horses. Apremont, the 1-2 favorite, was ridden by Emile Ramsammy, who replaced the injured Chris McCarron. . . . Malek, who was second in the Dubai World Cup, has stiffness in his back, according to trainer Richard Mandella, so he won’t run in the $600,000 Massachusetts Handicap on May 29 at Suffolk Downs. The Gold Cup is a possibility. . . . Gourmet Girl, Supercilious and Belle’s Flag are among 11 California-bred fillies and mares entered for Saturday’s $100,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes at Hollywood Park.