Lexa’s Passion for Victories Is Unbridled

Unbridled, the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, was scheduled to be mated with a French filly from California later this breeding season, but now he may have to wait.

“If she runs well again next time, we will have to reevaluate,” said Ron Ellis, the trainer of Lexa, who cruised to a 1 3/4-length victory Saturday in the $162,150 Buena Vista Handicap at Santa Anita.

The longer the distance, the more it is to Lexa’s liking, and after the victory in the one-mile Buena Vista, the next test will be the $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap, at 1 1/8 miles on March 26.

“The only way we’d keep her running is if she has a legitimate chance to win the 1 1/2-mile [Breeders’ Cup Turf] at the end of the year,” Ellis said. “She won going that far and farther in France.”

Among the grass fillies and mares Lexa beat Saturday was Tuzla, who could have become the first repeat winner of the Buena Vista. Favored at 2-5, Tuzla was trying to overtake Here’s To You in the stretch when Lexa moved by both of them. Here’s To You finished second, a neck in front of Sierra Virgen, and Tuzla was fourth.

“She got tired in the stretch,” said David Flores, who rode Tuzla. “She was just galloping around, and I was sitting in a perfect spot going into the [far] turn. I couldn’t have asked for better position at the top of the stretch. When I tried to get her going, she flattened out and got tired.”

Lexa, who is owned by B. Wayne Hughes, had lost four straight in the U.S. before her win at 1 1/4 miles in the Reloy Handicap at Santa Anita on Dec. 30. Since then, Ellis missed the chance to run the 6-year-old mare in a minor stake when the race came off the grass. That prep would probably have sent Lexa to Gulfstream Park to run in the Orchid Handicap next Sunday.

Pat Valenzuela rode Lexa to victory in the Reloy, but he is suspended because of a positive drug test and Brice Blanc took over.

“I’m not much on pre-race instructions,” Ellis said, “but Brice rode her exactly how I thought he would. He sat behind Tuzla and just waited to make his move.”

Lexa’s time of 1:36 came over a course listed as good. Carrying 115 pounds, eight fewer than Tuzla, she paid $18 for $2, earning $97,290.

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The skies of a rainy February finally cleared, and almost 600 horses, an extraordinary number, were sent to the track for workouts Saturday morning at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.

Among the horses that appeared on the work tab were several Santa Anita Handicap probables and some of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby.

Budroyale, winner of the San Antonio Handicap on Feb. 6 and probable second choice behind General Challenge in Saturday’s Big ‘Cap, worked a mile on a main track listed as good and the clockers caught him in a sharp 1:40.

“That’s the best he’s worked,” trainer Ted H. West said. “He went the last [eighth of a mile] in :11 3/5, so now we’ve got no excuses. I was confident before, but after his work, I’m really confident.”

General Challenge won the Strub, which was run the day before the San Antonio, and he’ll try to become the first 4-year-old to win the Big ‘Cap since Mr Purple in 1996.

Bagshot, who’ll be coupled in the Big ‘Cap betting with Six Below, worked six furlongs Saturday in 1:11 2/5, which was the fastest of the 22 horses that worked that distance at Santa Anita. Bagshot and Six Below, whose time for a mile was 1:39 2/5, are trained by Paco Gonzalez and owned by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan, the same team that won last year’s Big ‘Cap with Free House.

Other Big ‘Cap contenders working Saturday were Cat Thief, whose six furlongs were clocked in 1:11 4/5, and Dixie Dot Com, who went seven furlongs in 1:25 3/5.

Trainer Richard Mandella, who won back-to-back Big ‘Caps with Siphon and Malek in 1997-98, is back with Malek as well as Puerto Madero this year. Since Malek’s Big ‘Cap win, the 7-year-old Chilean-bred has won one of seven starts. The Big ‘Cap will be his first start since running fifth as the favorite in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 29. Puerto Madero was next to last in last year’s Big ‘Cap.

Anees, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and voted champion 2-year-old male, has been slowed because of foot problems this winter, but his 1:12 six furlongs Saturday indicated he’s on the right path toward his 3-year-old debut, the San Felipe Stakes on March 19. Trainer Alex Hassinger Jr. will have time for only two prep races, the San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby, before considering the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

“This colt is a lot fitter than people think,” said Richard Mulhall, racing manager for Prince Ahmed Salman, who owns Anees. “If we can get three more works into him before the San Felipe, we’ll be in good shape. If we can get four more, we’ll be in great shape.”

Another lightly raced Kentucky Derby prospect, War Chant, worked seven furlongs in 1:32 on a yielding grass course and is expected to run Saturday in the San Rafael Stakes.

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The news for Ahmed Salman in Florida was not as good. Royal Anthem, probably the best U.S. grass horse in training, has suffered tendon damage to his left foreleg and his racing future is in question. Royal Anthem had been scheduled to run in the $2-million Dubai Turf Classic on March 25.

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Also in Florida, Behrens, who had been winless for almost eight months, ended a four-race losing streak with a five-length victory against five overmatched rivals in the $350,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap. Adonis was second, a length in front of With Anticipation.

Ridden by Jerry Bailey, Behrens won the stake for the second consecutive year. He hadn’t won since the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 5.

Trainer James Bond’s 6-year-old ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 3/5, carrying 120 pounds, five more than Adonis.

Notes

Chris Antley, who hasn’t ridden since Nov. 7, has the assignment today on Dance Master for trainer Wayne Lukas in the Baldwin Stakes. Dance Master makes his grass debut against Jokerman, who’s the 7-2 morning-line favorite off a win at Hollywood Park on Nov. 27 in the Generous, which was the colt’s first U.S. race . . . Manistique, who won the Santa Margarita Handicap last year, will not run in the race next Sunday because she has lost too much training time because of muddy tracks at Hollywood Park.