Feverish Breaks Through With Victory in Bayakoa

For 31 races, over a collection of tracks that even included several on the fair circuit in California, Feverish raced hard and true, but the 5-year-old mare was never able to hit the board in a graded stake.

The one that really hurt, trainer Dan Hendricks said, was the fourth-place finish in the 1999 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park. Riboletta, who will win an Eclipse award this year for best older female, beat out Feverish for third, costing her that elusive stakes placing.

In another start in the Grade II Bayakoa, Saturday at Hollywood, Feverish did better than get stakes-placed. Under a typically cool ride from Eddie Delahoussaye, who was forced to improvise through the stretch, she beat favored Gourmet Girl by a head to win the whole thing.

“This is very exciting,” Hendricks said. “Our plan all year was to somehow get her stakes-placed or even win one. We even considered sending her to Canada for a Grade III at one point. This win will have a substantial effect on this mare’s career as a broodmare.”

That career is at least a year off. Marty and Pam Wygod, who bred and race the daughter of Pirate’s Bounty and Blonde Fever and were watching Saturday at the Del Mar satellite facility, plan to bring Feverish back as a 6-year-old. She’ll get many opportunities to add to her record, which includes 11 wins, nine seconds, five thirds and purses of $699,322 after Saturday’s $90,000 payday.

“Her races have been spaced out throughout her career,” Hendricks said. “She’s hardly ever missed a check, and she’s always trying. She’s still sound and the picture of health. She can be a little mean and spiteful, but she’s not the kind that’s going to kick your head off, either.”

Feverish, who paid $9 to win after running 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 1/5, a second slower than the stakes record, made the lead and hooked up with Gourmet Girl early. Gourmet Girl led for a few strides on the turn, Feverish had a head advantage at the eighth pole and Delahoussaye, hitting his mount just once through the stretch, made sure she was just good enough.

“That was a real horse race,” said Delahoussaye, who had finished second three times in the Bayakoa but never won the stake. “My mare didn’t respond when I hit her, so I went to hand-riding and she dug in again.”

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Santa Anita officials will be on alert Tuesday for any rolling blackouts that might disrupt the racing program when the track launches its 64th season.

Stuart Zanville, a Santa Anita spokesman, said Saturday that the track has been aware of potential power problems for several months, since the energy crisis loomed throughout California.

“We have plans in place to deal with it,” Zanville said. “There is some concern. The effect a blackout could have on parimutuel betting is our main concern.”

Zanville said that Santa Anita was told that any blackouts would not last more than an hour. Generators are in place, as backups for the tote betting system.

“Naturally, if the mutuels were affected, it could be a very expensive ordeal,” Zanville said.

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Santa Anita’s opening-day $200,000 Malibu Stakes--the last Grade I race in the U.S. this year--drew seven horses, but only six may run if trainer Jim Chapman elects to run Caller One in the $100,000 El Conejo Handicap a week from today. Caller One, one of the best sprinters in the country, was beaten twice at Churchill Downs but unbeaten everywhere else this year. In his last start, he was fourth, three lengths behind Kona Gold, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Dixie Union, who suffered a hoof injury when he blew a shoe during a fourth-place finish in the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 26, will start his comeback in the seven-furlong Malibu.

This is the field, in post-position order: Wooden Phone, Caller One, Millencolin, Dixie Union, David Copperfield, Contexte and Explicit.

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In the closing-day stake at Hollywood Park today, the On Trust Handicap, Cliquot is the 5-2 favorite as he tries to end an eight-race 2000 losing streak. He won last year’s On Trust by 4 1/2 lengths. The only other horse to win the On Trust in successive years has been Echo Of Yesterday, in 1993-94. . . . There is a pick-six carryover of $157,158. . . . A total of 78 horses were entered for Santa Anita’s nine races on Tuesday.