The Duel Again Goes to Flame Thrower

The best 2-year-olds in California, Flame Thrower and Street Cry, were as inseparable at Santa Anita on Saturday as they were at Del Mar less than a month ago. This time, in the $200,000 Norfolk Stakes, Street Cry reached again for Flame Thrower’s throatlatch in the stretch run, but still came away with half a loaf.

The margin in September, in the Del Mar Futurity, was Flame Thrower by a head and in the Norfolk he beat Street Cry by a neck. They will twist again, just as they did last summer, in the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, and between now and then Eoin Harty, who trains Street Cry, must reconnoiter.

In the immediate aftermath of the Norfolk, run before 35,167, Harty was not fresh with new ideas. “We just weren’t quite good enough again,” he said. “It might take an act of God for us to get by that other horse.”

The Del Mar race was seven furlongs, Saturday’s rematch was a mile and the Breeders’ Cup will be 1 1/16 miles. Distance does not seem to diminish Flame Thrower’s determination.

“I don’t know where my horse gets it, but he digs in,” trainer Bob Baffert said of Flame Thrower. “He’s gritty and he’s got lots of class. These are two really good horses, and they’re sure battle-tested now. Today was the big test, because it was around two turns. Some horses cough it up when it comes to this, but my horse, he just kept going. He reminds me of Silver Charm [Baffert’s 1997 Kentucky Derby winner]. He guts it out and is not going to let them pass.”

Baffert won another stake Saturday, Love That Red taking the $125,000 California Sprint Championship Handicap at Bay Meadows, but the richest purse of the day, the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita, got away when his Caffe Latte finished fifth as Tranquility Lake, the 6-5 favorite, got a textbook wire-to-wire ride from Eddie Delahoussaye to win by one length over Spanish Fern.

With Corey Nakatani recovering from a cracked collarbone and Jerry Bailey busy at Belmont Park, Flame Thrower was ridden by Victor Espinoza for the first time. Mr Freckles, adding blinkers and jockey Gary Stevens, pressured Flame Thrower until the top of the stretch, when Street Cry and David Flores moved into contention. Flame Thrower had a length on Street Cry at the eighth pole, then grudgingly held on.

Flame Thrower is undefeated in four races, the first three coming at Del Mar, and Saturday’s $120,000 purse increased his earnings to $388,200 for owner Gary Garber, who bought the then-unraced son of Saint Ballado and Metromane for $270,000 in April. In a time of 1:34 4/5, Flame Thrower paid $4 to win and became the 12th horse to sweep the Del Mar Futurity and the Norfolk. The last was another Baffert juvenile, Souvenir Copy, in 1997.

Mr Freckles finished third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Street Cry, in the eight-horse field.

“He’s a very game horse, that’s for sure,” Espinoza said of Flame Thrower. “There was no way that other horse was going to beat us. My horse, you do have to keep busy on him. He’s like riding a bicycle. You just have to keep going, keep pedaling all the way to the wire.”

Flores hopes there will be more early pressure on Flame Thrower in the Breeders’ Cup.

“I think he’s going to face a lot more speed in that one,” he said. “That could make a difference. I’m still very confident with my horse. He’s improving every race.”

Tranquility Lake, who finished last in last year’s Yellow Ribbon, is undefeated in three starts this year. After last year’s race, trainer Julio Canani didn’t bring her back until July, and now she’s ready for the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill.

“I just hand-rode her and niggled on her the last part,” Delahoussaye said. “I didn’t hit her or anything. I didn’t even tap her on the shoulder.”

Horse Racing Notes

Gary Stevens, whose comeback began last Wednesday, won for the first time since returning, a grass victory with Brilliance in the second race. Stevens, who quit riding last Dec. 26, hadn’t won a race since Nov. 21 at Hollywood Park. . . . Jean-Luc Samyn rode the winners of both $750,000 grass races at Belmont Park, clicking with the 9-year-old John’s Call ($22.80 for $2) in the Turf Classic after he had won the Flower Bowl Handicap with Colstar ($17). Favorites fared badly in both races, Fantastic Light running fourth to John’s Call and Happyanunoit finishing fourth in the Flower Bowl. Neither winner is eligible for the Breeders’ Cup, but Tom Voss, John’s Call’s trainer, might consider supplementing the former steeplechaser. . . . In another stake at Belmont, George Steinbrenner’s Dream Supreme won the $100,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap.